Lostock’s relegation to the Championship division of the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League for 2027 was confirmed on Saturday with a home defeat to Read, while defending champions Farnworth Social Circle need just three more wins for the Premiership title.
Saturday also saw the two leading sides in the Championship, Earby and Eagley, both lose. But they still remain well-placed for promotion.
Winless Lostock lost their 16th game in 17, this by eight wickets as Read successfully chased 125.
Their 10th win in 16 maintains their fourth-placed position.
South African overseas amateur Zadian Muller struck four times to help bowl Lostock out for 124. Read then slipped to 25-2 chasing before top-scorer Joe Marshall with an unbeaten 65 and Sri Lankan pro Sehan Weerasinghe (35 not out) shared a match-clinching unbroken third-wicket partnership of 100.
Social Circle strengthened their grip on top spot and the title they won last year thanks to a convincing eight-wicket home win over second-bottom Barnoldswick, who were bowled out for 105.
Aashif Ghantiwala claimed 5-33 and Chris Barrow 4-15 for Social Circle, whose opener Max Perry then led a routine chase with 59.
Social Circle (185) gained the full 12 points on offer and are 25 clear of second-placed Little Lever with five games remaining and a maximum of 60 points available, meaning three more wins will be enough to retain the crown.
Little Lever ended a rocky few weeks in the league with a first win in three games, by six wickets chasing 98 at home to Salesbury.
Their chances of winning the Premiership title they claimed in 2023 had been damaged by back-to-back defeats. But a third was never realistically on the cards on Saturday.
Salesbury crumbled from 39-1 to 97 all out as the left-arm spin of Curtis Anderton starred with 7-52 from 15 overs. Three of his wickets were taken caught and bowled. South African overseas amateur Jade Smith then top-scored with an opening 25 to secure win number 13 in 17 games.
Salesbury did bounce back on Sunday to win at Barnoldswick, by six wickets chasing 224. Captain Lewis Pearson was their hero with two wickets, two runs outs and a brilliant middle-order 109 not out off 67 balls with nine sixes.
Pearson helped bowl second-bottom Barnoldswick out for 224 before recovering their chase from 68-3, sharing 128 for the fourth wicket with Pete Richardson (42).
Sixth-placed Salesbury won for the ninth time in 17 games.
Farnworth claimed the weekend’s most impressive victory.
Their superb seventh win in 17 came by six wickets chasing 260 at home to Blackrod thanks to a stunning 127 not out off 72 balls from sub pro Mohammad Moshin.
Clitheroe’s Moshin, a USA international, made light work of what looked like a stiff target, Farnworth winning with 13 balls to spare.
Moshin struck twice with his leg-spin in Blackrod’s 259-9 before he crashed seven sixes and 13 fours, dominating a fourth-wicket partnership of 163 from 77-3 with Chris Baxendale (51).
The likes of Farnworth, Blackrod and Astley Bridge were all boosted in midweek by the NWCL Committee’s announcement to clubs that they would be reverting to two relegations places instead of the previously advised three.
That means that Barnoldswick, who are second-bottom and lost on Saturday and again on Sunday, also look likely for the drop.
It was a fascinating Saturday in the Championship, with the top four teams all playing each other and the top two being defeated.
Atherton were five-wicket winners away at Earby as they maintained their slim hopes of promotion. Their ninth win in 17 has put them 27 points behind an Earby side who are now second. Fourth-placed Atherton have a game in hand.
Zeeshan Aslam and Sawan Kankanange struck four times each as Earby were bowled out for 155, a collapse from 67-1. Kankanange’s excellent day continued as he anchored the chase with 50 off 51 balls.
Earby are still in a very strong position in the promotion picture, but their nerves will have been heightened a touch by Hamer Cup finalists Atherton.
Fourth-placed Baxenden maintained their slim hopes of promotion with a big win at Eagley, by 110 runs.
Opener Siraj Akhtar and captain Aneeq Hassan led the way with 62 and 68 respectively in Baxenden’s 290-5 before Owen Elwood claimed four wickets to bowl Eagley – 98-1 at one stage – out for 180. Earlier, Elwood had also contributed 48 with the bat.
The exact picture is Earby top on 161 points from 18 of 22 games, Eagley second on 155 from 17. Atherton are next on 134 from 17 followed by Baxenden on 124 from 17.
Kearsley consolidated fifth position in the Premiership with a confident chase of 163 at home to Astley Bridge, winning by six wickets.
Dhanraj Patel had a standout day all-round in win number 10 from 17. He claimed four wickets alongside Ali Hassan as Bridge were bowled out for 162 before he top-scored with 60 not out off 43 balls in a chase which had slipped to 38-3.
Patel shared 99 for the fourth wicket with Rick Hamblett, who contributed an important 58.
Tonge are up to sixth thanks an impressive victory away at third-placed Padiham – their eighth in 17 games. This one came by 34 runs.
Sri Lankan pro Hashan Dumindu top-scored with a patient 64 as Tonge were bowled out for 187
Captain Connor Lord and South African OA Craig Jeffrey then claimed four wickets each to bowl Padiham out for 147. Jeffrey had an impressive day all round having earlier contributed 43 with the bat.
Back in the Championship, a superb 99 not out from Bajan OA Lamar Springer at the top of the order helped Brinscall jump off bottom spot with a convincing chase of 173 at mid-table Cherry Tree.
Their fourth win in 17 came with a confidence belying a struggling side. Cameron Fish and Robson Matthews equally shared eight wickets to bowl Cherry Tree out for 172 before Springer opened the batting and hit five sixes in 106 balls.
He shared an unbroken third-wicket 142 with Sri Lankan pro Ravindu Rathnayake, who contributed 57 not out.
Fifth-placed Walkden’s eighth win came at bottom side Oswaldtwistle Immanuel, by 29 runs defending 204.
Indian OA Soham Panvalkar top-scored an excellent middle-order 89 off 93 in Walkden’s 203 all out, recovering them from 99-6.
It hasn’t been the easiest of seasons for Farnworth, but they’ve certainly had a good few days thanks to an impressive Saturday victory and being able to secure the statement signing of former captain Ross Sutton.
Farnworth claimed arguably the most impressive victory of Saturday’s round of Anthony Axford North West Cricket League action, one which all but confirmed their top-flight status for 2027.
They chased down a 260-target at home to a Blackrod side who are also down in the bottom half of the table, winning by six wickets.
Substitute professional Mohammad Moshin, who has been playing his cricket in Ireland this summer and is formerly of Woodbank, scored an outstanding 127 not out from 72 balls, including seven sixes.
He earlier struck twice with the ball as Blackrod posted what looked to be a very competitive 259-9 from their 45 overs.
But it wasn’t enough to prevent eighth-placed Farnworth from winning for the seventh time in 17 games.
“It was a great win,” said captain Tayler-Jay Heyes, who then announced the return of all-rounder Sutton from Westhoughton for the remainder of the season and beyond.
“We’re a few missing at the minute, and we’re weak with the ball with who we’ve got missing.
“So we elected to bowl and give ourselves a target because we feel we’re strong with the bat. Thankfully it paid off.
“Chasing 260, we knew that players would need to turn up. But it was gettable if they did. And the pro was unbelievable.
“He bowled really well as well in the first innings. But, with the bat, it was something else. He played the game really well. He got himself in before unleashing.”
Farnworth’s position on the fringes of a relegation battle was harnessed with a run to the semi-finals of the Hamer Cup. They were beaten by Atherton in that last weekend.
“Consistency’s been our issue,” reasoned opening batter Heyes. “It’s what we’ve really struggled with.
“Saturday was no different, and it was why we were chasing 260 and not 180. But, like I said, key players turned up. Chris Baxendale went beyond 10,000 league runs with his 51, and I managed to get 37. Dharmik Patel got 20-odd at the top.”
On Saturday, Farnworth were missing Ben Chapman, who has taken a job in pro football, while Simon Booth has been battling with illness in recent weeks.
But, away at Tonge this coming Saturday, they will have Sutton back in their ranks after almost two seasons away at Westhoughton. Sutton captained Farnworth in 2024, the season before he left.
“It’s his boyhood club, and we’re delighted to have him back,” said Heyes.
“Myself and a few others have asked him to come back because we needed him to come and help us out and dig deep. Thankfully he’s agreed.
“It makes us a completely different side again because he will open the bowling and stuff.”
Heyes added: “Saturday was massive for us. Had we lost, we’d have been in a relegation battle. But it’s given us a bit of breathing space, and hopefully we can kick on and end the season well in these last five games.”
