The Anthony Axford North West Cricket League’s Premiership title race is proving to be somewhat of a hot potato, with leading pair Farnworth Social Circle and Read struggling to build on any advantage gained.
In recent weeks, the lead has continually changed hands.
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And while Social Circle did maintain top spot during Saturday’s 18th round, it was in spite of them losing and second-placed Read winning.
The gap is now just one point with four to play, with the pair having both won 13 times and lost five. Social Circle have 154 points, Read 153 and there are 48 still available.
Social Circle were beaten by two wickets at sixth-placed Tonge as the hosts narrowly chased 163 to claim 10 points for their ninth win, one which leaves them in a hotly-contested Lancashire Knockout qualification race.
Tonge’s Sri Lankan professional, Hashan Dumindu, struck three times with off-spin as Social Circle made 163-9 from their 45 overs. Dumindu then top-scored in reply with a watchful 53. He fell at 112-5, but Tonge scrambled home.
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Hosts Read were also involved in a close clash against Atherton, winning by 23 runs on the back of a 218-9 total. They claimed the full 12 points when bowling their relegation-threatened visitors out for 195.
Read’s Sri Lankan pro Sehan Weerasinghe starred with a skilful 82 as he recovered them from 30-4. Joe Halstead also contributed a crucial 38.
The pair combined again in defence with four wickets apiece.
All five games in the Championship impacted a thrilling promotion race.
Leaders Ribblesdale Wanderers won again, for the 13th time in 20 games. They triumphed at mid-table Walkden by 89 runs.
Sri Lankan pro Heshan Dhanushka top-scored with a well-paced 71 in 228-9 before supplementing a Jordan Britcliffe ‘five-for’ with three wickets in Walkden’s 139 all out.
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Wanderers have 170 points, but with only two games remaining. Barnoldswick, who currently hold the second promotion spot, have 156 points with 13 wins from 18. They have four to play.
They beat Earby at home by six wickets replying to 194-9.
Captain Jonathan Beech took four wickets added to three for West Indian overseas amateur Deron Greaves, who led the chase with a brisk unbeaten 75.
Third are Astley Bridge, who claimed a massive 263-run home win against Oswaldtwistle Immanuel.
Bridge – 12 wins from 18 and with 149 points – racked up a daunting 303-7 from their 45 overs. Rick Northrop was excellent for 84 and South African OA Ulli Bronkhorst just bettered him with 86 not out.
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Oswaldtwistle’s reply then crumbled to 40 all out. New-ball duo Syd De Silva, the home captain, and Haaris Akhtar shared nine wickets. The latter took five.
Fourth-placed Cherry Tree’s 11th win in 18 came away at bottom side Brinscall, by 10 wickets chasing 81.
Brinscall were bowled out for 80, with pro Mini Bhada taking four wickets. The visitors’ other Bhada brother, Zi, then shared an unbroken 83 stand with Charlie Elwood to seal victory. Zi finished with 36, Elwood 40.
Cherry Tree sit on 146 points, 10 behind Barnoldswick in second.
Whalley, in fifth, also on 146 from 18, had their promotion hopes dented with defeat at mid-table Baxenden, who won a one-wicket thriller chasing 109.
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Harris Masood and pro Ben Gorton claimed three wickets each to help bowl Whalley out for 108 before wickets fell around opener Gorton – the calm head amidst choppy waters with 67no.
Baxenden fell from 58-2 to 106-9 before number 11 Zac Bannan hit the winning boundary to secure their ninth win in 19.
Back in the Premiership, third-placed Little Lever – 132 points – claimed their 10th win by beating Blackrod at home by 34 runs, successfully defending 169 all out.
Opener Cameron Murray top-scored with a well-paced 58 for the hosts, with Curtis Anderton’s potent left-arm spin returning 6-44 from 15 overs as Blackrod were bowled out for 135.
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Kearsley are fourth with 10 wins and 125 points. They chased 136 at Lostock to win by seven wickets.
Sri Lankan sub-pro Geeth Kumara (Colne) excelled with 6-43 from 12 overs of leg-spin to limit Lostock before adding an unbeaten 27 with the bat. But opener Dhanraj Patel top-scored with 47.
Having won the Hamer Cup, Little Lever have already qualified for the 2026 Lancashire Knockout competition.
Should they finish in the top four, the fifth-placed team would also qualify. Kearsley are nicely placed.
At the bottom, Eagley’s sixth win came at home to mid-table Padiham (134 all out) by six wickets.
Captain James Richards took the new ball and impressed with five wickets before opener Luca Doyle did likewise in a routine chase with a measured 74. He had earlier accounted for two wickets.
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Eagley (80 points) remain in trouble despite victory.
Next come Atherton, losers at Read. They sit 11th on 92 points and in the second relegation place.
But from fifth down to 10th, all teams could either still get relegated or qualify for the LKO.
One of the NWCL’s form teams at present are Premiership improvers Farnworth.
Their seventh win in 18 was their fifth in the last six games.
They beat fifth-placed Salesbury at home on Saturday, by 146 runs.
Farnworth triumphed thanks to Liam Smith’s measured 85 in 234-8 and Yasir Rashid’s stunning 7-40 from 11 overs in Salesbury’s 88 all out. He took the new ball.
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Former West Indies international Jermaine Blackwood (Norden) sub pro’d for Farnworth and contributed 42 and two wickets.
Salesbury are fifth on 118 points and Tonge sixth on 116. Next come Padiham and Farnworth, in seventh and eighth on 111 and 110, respectively.
Ninth are reigning champions Blackrod on 107, and 10th – just above the relegation zone – are Lostock on 103, 11 points ahead of Atherton.
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