Farnworth Social Circle prevailed in an Anthony Axford North West Cricket League clash of top versus bottom away at Lostock on Saturday to maintain their hopes of a Premiership title defence.
Social Circle’s seventh successive league win dating back to late May was achieved by a 130-run margin and thanks largely to a brilliant 105 off 99 balls for Basil Sultan in a daunting 45-over total of 289-7.
In reply, Lostock made it to 56-0 but never realistically threatened a shock. Ultimately, they were bowled out for 159 as Aashif Ghantiwala returned an impressive 5-36 from 7.4 overs to hand his side a maximum 12-point haul.
Defending champions Social Circle’s 10th win in 12 has taken them to 127 points, and they are four clear of Little Lever in second. They also won on Saturday, at home to Kearsley and have also won 10 from 12.
In the Championship, the much-anticipated meeting between leading duo Earby and Eagley was washed out by rain. They took five points apiece.
Leaders and hosts Earby have 119 points from 13 games, second-placed Eagley sit on 104 from 12.
In the same division, struggling Brinscall’s 37-run victory at home to Ribblesdale Wanderers stood out, with Sri Lankan professional Ravindu Rathnayake enjoying quite the all-round day.
Second-from-bottom, Brinscall’s third win in 13 was achieved as they made 133 all out and defended it comfortably in the end against a Ribblesdale side who sit one place above them in seventh.
Rathnayake top-scored with a well-paced 88 off 121 balls before his seam accounted for an even more eye-catching 7-34 from 11 overs having taken the new ball. Ribblesdale slipped to 96 all out.
Four top-flight games were won by either nine or 10 wickets.
Fourth-placed Read were the ones who won by 10 wickets as they successfully chased 142 at home to Blackrod.
Their eighth win in 12 was set up by South African overseas amateur Zadian Muller’s four wickets as Blackrod were limited to 141-9 from 45 overs.
Captain Will Wrathall and opening partner Oliver Dinning contributed 65 and 63 respectively as the chase was completed in only 15 overs.
Ironically, despite winning by 10 wickets, Read were the only one of the handful of teams referenced to claim 10 points. Little Lever, Padiham and Salesbury all claimed the maximum 12 on offer with nine-wicket wins.
Kearsley were bowled out for 156 by second-placed hosts Little Lever, for whom Curtis Anderson struck four times and Andy Flear impressed for 5-49.
South African OA Jade Smith then led the chase with 79 not out off 65 balls added to Adil Nisar’s unbeaten 63 off 75. They shared a second-wicket 123 from 37-1.
As aforementioned, Little Lever’s 10th win in 12th takes them to 123 points, four behind leaders Social Circle.
Padiham are third on 112. Their ninth win in 12 came at home to Farnworth, who slipped to 82 all out. South African OA Zander Van Tonder was superb for 5-23 from 9.4 overs before Declan Bailey’s 42 not out stood out in a Padiham reply completed inside 14 overs.
They were chasing a revised target of 81 and are now four points ahead of Read, who sit on 108 points in fourth.
There’s then a gap between the top four and the rest.
Fifth-placed Salesbury (83 points) claimed their third successive win – this by nine wickets – and their sixth in all from 11 games in double-quick time at home to Barnoldswick, who were bowled out for 86 having elected to bat.
New-ball pair Chris Boardman and Lewis Pearson, the home captain, shared nine wickets, with the former claiming 5-40 from 12.3 overs. Only opener Adil Khan with 30 made it beyond 10 for Barnoldswick.
In a reply completed inside 13 overs, New Zealand overseas amateur Nick Gibb and Thomas Wilson shared 72. Gibb posted 42 and Wilson 37 not out.
Tonge ended a 13-match winless streak across all competitions, including 11 defeats, by beating local rivals Astley Bridge by seven wickets at home in pursuit of 101.
Tonge’s fourth win in 12 saw them leapfrog Bridge into eighth place.
The visitors were bowled out for 100 as Sri Lankan pro Hashan Dumindu starred with 6-34 from 11 overs of spin before top-scoring with 35 not out in a routine but patient chase.
Back in the Championship, Baxenden maintained pressure on top two Earby and Eagley with an impressive four-wicket win away at Walkden chasing 169.
Baxenden’s eighth win in 13 has lifted them to the 100-point mark, four behind second placed Eagley and 19 behind Earby.
Hamza Arshad impressed with 5-55 to help bowl Walkden out for 168 before Owen Elwood’s 66 not out off 65 balls was key to a successful chase which had slipped to 105-6.
Elwood shared an unbroken, vital seventh-wicket partnership of 67 with wicketkeeper Ben Ross, who contributed 15.
Fourth-placed Cherry Tree will still have high hopes of promotion following their sixth win in 12 – by four wickets away at bottom side Oswaldtwistle Immanuel.
Cherry Tree sit 11 points behind Baxenden on 89, also 15 behind second-placed Eagley.
Baxenden and leaders Earby have played one more than Eagley and Cherry Tree.
Australian OA Hudson Walshaw stood out for visitors Cherry Tree with 5-35 as Oswaldtwistle were bowled out for 130.
Zi Bhada’s opening 38 then top-scored in a chase which was briefly threatened as it slipped from 71-0 to 83-4. Walshaw also opened with Bhada and contributed 27.
*****
Saturday July 11 – Premiership: Barnoldswick v Astley Bridge, Blackrod v Salesbury, Farnworth v Read, Farnworth Social Circle v Padiham, Kearsley v Lostock, Little Lever v Tonge. Championship: Baxenden v Atherton, Cherry Tree v Ribblesdale Wanderers, Eagley v Oswaldtwistle Immanuel, Walkden v Brinscall.
*****
Oswaldtwistle Immanuel are targeting at least a handful more wins between now and the end of their Anthony Axford North West Cricket League Championship campaign in September.
The New Lane side currently sit bottom of the second tier table with three wins and nine defeats from 12 games after what first-team captain Dean Martin describes as a “rocky” first half of 2026.
They started the summer aiming to better last year’s haul of seven wins.
“We sat down at the start of the season, with our pro Ibby (Imran Abid), and said what our targets were,” explained Martin.
“And the main target was for us to win more games than we did last year.
“We wanted to kick on and develop, so we would be happy with around eight or nine wins.”
Unfortunately, one of those wins did not come at the weekend, with Oswaldtwistle beaten at home by promotion-chasing Cherry Tree on Saturday.
Promotion-chasing Cherry Tree won by four wickets chasing 131.
Australian overseas amateur Hudson Walshaw stood out for the visitors with 5-35 as Oswaldtwistle were bowled out for 130.
Cherry Tree opener Zi Bhada then top-scored with 38 in a chase which was briefly threatened as it slipped from 71-0 to 83-4.
Walshaw also opened with Bhada and contributed 27 to cap his impressive day.
Frustratingly for Oswaldtwistle, Martin was watching from the sidelines.
He has been ruled out for the remainder of the summer with a broken thumb suffered in their final Birtwistle Cup T20 game at home to Barrowford last month.
Abid has taken on the captaincy duties.
Oswaldtwistle’s season actually started with an away victory over Cherry Tree, who obviously gained their revenge on Saturday.
Oswaldtwistle have also beaten Brinscall and Atherton in recent weeks.
“We’ve had a few issues which weren’t really anybody’s fault,” reflected Martin.
“It started off with Tyler Evans, our overseas amateur from Australia. The authorities over there lost his passport when sending it back to him, so he ended up arriving a few weeks late.
“We also lost a couple of players in Brad Sawer to Rishton and Sebastian Radler to Cherry Tree. They’ve both gone back to their home clubs.
“So, having to deal without three key players at the start of the season was a big hit.
“But we’ve got Ibby back as pro. He was an amateur with us a good few years ago, and him and Tyler have been brilliant around the club. They’ve just joined in with everything and have helped the juniors.”
That is one positive from the loss of two key players, that Oswaldtwistle are able to give opportunities to more young up and comers.
Martin added: “That’s always something which is at the forefront of our thinking.
“Ibby has actually spoke about coming back and remembering someone like a Sean Dignan coming through. When he last played for us, he was just a kid. Now they’re batting together.
“We’ve also got James Clark keeping wicket for us at 17 and Muhammed Jalgaonkar again at 17.
“Lads like them have got to play every game. They’ve got to be given the best opportunity to develop.”
Oswaldtwistle’s bid for further victories sees them face the Championship’s leading duo over the next couple of Saturdays. First up, they travel to second-placed Eagley this coming weekend before hosting leaders Earby a week later.
