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Old-stager Ian Haworth is well used to being ribbed over his age.

But, these glory days, he always seems able to have the last laugh . even when the pain in his rib cage is anything but funny.

He faced Accrington on Saturday when many - dare I say younger - men would have been snuggled up in the bar watching and milking sympathy from all quarters.

But a suspected broken rib, sustained while batting the previous weekend, wasn't going to interfere with the veteran East Lancs bowler. No way.

For Haworth, now a few overs past his 47th birthday, needed just two wickets to reach the half-century milestone in what has proved a remarkably successful summer.

And, guess what, he got them too.

When Matt Wilson fell to a catch from Andy Clague it was 50 up for Haworth and smiles all round, discomfort or no discomfort.

That performance and a defiant innings of 67 from visiting skipper Mas Ahmed, were the two main individual highlights of a fairly dreary affair.

Great weather, shame about the spectacle.

East Lancs posted a respectable total of 152-8, thanks in the main to a stand of 55 between Paul Turner (41 not out) and professional Claude Henderson (35) for the fourth wicket. Henderson's oppo Mark Bailey bowled economically in collecting three wickets. But, if this was ever going to materialise into a contest, much was always going to rest on how the New Zealander fared with the bat in his hand.

The answer? Not too good.

In fact he was the first man out with the score on five, caught off the bowling of Henderson. Two more Accrington wickets fell by the time the scoreboard had creaked round to double figures.

Creaked being very much the operative word. Nine of the first 13 overs were maidens and be the halfway point (25 overs) the visitors had reached just 44-4.

The second half of the reply was only marginally more entertaining although great credit must be heaped on Ahmed for sticking to his guns in chalking up a season's best score of 67 not out, four fours and a six included.

Accrington's ninth wicket went down with a straight three overs left to play and East Lancs may well rue their failure to clean up the tail.

Along with Haworth's bowling and Ahmed's batting there was also a fielding performance worthy of mention - East Lancs amateur Jan Van Boeckel claiming four catches.