Social Circle close gap in topsy-turvy title race
The Premiership title race between Read and Farnworth Social Circle continues to thrill in the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League after the former lost on Saturday but held onto the lead by three points as the latter won.Read sit top on 141 points from 16 games. They were beaten at Kearsley by 34 runs. Social Circle are second on 138. Like Read, they have also won 12 of 16. Their latest came by 60 runs at home to Little Lever.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementRead’s fourth defeat came at a Kearsley side who are enjoying an excellent campaign. They sit third on 113 points, this their ninth win.Mustafa Bashir was their star. He hit a lower middle-order 87 not out off 73 balls in Kearsley’s 45-over total of 215-9. In defence, he struck three times as Read were bowled out for 181. His new-ball partner Irfan Kareem claimed five as Kearsley took the full 12 points.Hosts Farnworth Social Circle beat a Little Lever side warming up for the Hamer Cup final against Padiham 24 hours later.Yet again, Bajan professional Jameel Stuart starred with a superb 124 off 81 balls in a 294-5 total which was responded to with 210-8 from 39 overs. Little Lever had been set a revised target of 271.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementChris Barrow’s spin accounted for three wickets as Social Circle claimed 10 points. Stuart has now scored 1,365 Premiership runs this season with five hundreds. He averages 124.09.Both Hamer Cup finalists were beaten on Saturday.While Little Lever are fourth on 108 points, Padiham dropped to sixth - five points further back - following defeat at home to in-form Lostock (99 points).Seventh-placed Lostock’s fifth win in their last six games came chasing 257 thanks a to brilliant unbeaten 126 off 121 balls from wicketkeeper-opener Sam Barlow.He shared a third-wicket partnership with George Jackson, whose 93 came after Padiham had posted 256-9. New-ball duo Reece Gray and Harry Jackson claimed three wickets, as did captain James Evans.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementFifth-placed Salesbury (106 points, 16 games) beat Tonge by six wickets at home for win number eight.South African OA Connor Nel and Liam Parkinson shared nine wickets, the former with five as Tonge finished on 185-9. Sub-pro Akbar Ali then hit an unbeaten 94 in a successful chase.In the Championship, leaders Ribblesdale Wanderers suffered defeat at home to mid-table Walkden, whose seventh win from 16 was achieved by 59 runs.Walkden (216 all out) were indebted to Indian OA Saqlain Haider’s brisk 74 before Ribblesdale, chasing a revised target of 203 in 39 overs, were bowled out for 143. Imran Ali took the new ball and claimed five wickets.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementRibblesdale are top on 146 points from 18 matches and are one of five teams chasing a top-two finish and promotion. But they only have four games remaining.Whalley are second on 137 from 16. Their eleventh win came at bottom-side Brinscall by a landslide 164-run margin on the back of an eye-catching 331-4 total.Opener Frankie Jackson was sensational for an unbeaten 181 off 127 balls before Josh Dentith struck four times in Brinscall’s 167-9 reply.Barnoldswick jumped up to third on 134 from 16, winning two games on Saturday and Sunday, including against promotion rivals Cherry Tree in the latter.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementOn Saturday, Barnoldswick beat Baxenden (185 all out) by seven wickets at home, chasing a revised 170-target in 39 overs.Win number 10 from 16 was achieved thanks largely to three wickets apiece for Abdul Saddique and captain Matt Cavanagh and then a measured 55 for Australian pro Trent Riddell.On Sunday, they beat hosts Cherry Tree by seven wickets in response to 163-9. Wasique Ali took three wickets before Riddell starred again with a similarly patient 74.Cherry Tree are fourth on 132 from 16. On Saturday, they won at Oswaldtwistle Immanuel by 162 runs on the back of a 236-7 total.Owen Elwood top-scored with 64, while local pro Mini Bhada had a good day with 62 and then two wickets in Oswaldtwistle’s 74 all out. Mark Hadfield and Kurt Smithson struck three times apiece.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementAstley Bridge are fifth on 125 points from 16. They were home winners against Earby by only 15 runs defending 256 for win number 10. Their 255-5 was led by a middle-order 79no off 59 balls from Sri Lankan pro Dhanushka Dhamasiri before he added two wickets to Haaris Akhtar’s four in Earby’s 215-9 from 38 chasing a revised target of 231.Back in the Premiership, six teams are fighting against the drop.Atherton jumped out of the bottom two and dragged reigning champions Blackrod into the fight, securing a home win against them by six wickets chasing a revised target of 122 in 43 overs. Atherton’s fifth win in 16 was set up by an excellent display with the ball and in the field, bowling Blackrod out for 122. Bajan pro Shayne Moseley had an excellent day courtesy of three wickets with his seamers and then a well-paced unbeaten 58 opening the batting.Atherton leapfrogged Farnworth, who were beaten by four wickets at bottom-side Eagley. Captain James Richards took the new ball and claimed five wickets to limit Farnworth to 196-9. In reply, opener Luca Doyle top-scored with 50 and Richards added a middle-order 24.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementEach of the bottom three sides have won five from 16. Eagley are bottom on 68, Farnworth next on 84, Atherton sit 10th and a place outside the bottom two on 86. Just above them are Blackrod (91), Tonge (94) and in-form Lostock (99).Meanwhile, with Little Lever winning the Hamer Cup on Sunday, they qualified for the 2026 Lancashire Knockout competition. Should they hold onto fourth place in the Premiership or finish higher, fifth place would also qualify.
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