The Premiership title race in the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League will go down to Saturday’s final-day showdown between the top two teams, Farnworth Social Circle and Little Lever.
On Saturday just gone, champions and leaders Social Circle were beaten away by nine wickets at the hands of Kearsley, who chased 67 with comfort.
Second-placed Little Lever were home winners against Farnworth, meaning the gap between the top two is now 11 points with 12 to play for.
They face each other at Social Circle’s Piggott Park home.
In the Championship, Eagley are all but promoted thanks to a home win over Atherton, by eight wickets. They lead third-placed Baxenden by 12 points with as many to play for and also have a superior net run-rate, the first separator when teams are level on points.
Back in the Premiership, Barnoldswick are all but relegated despite beating Padiham by 10 wickets. They trail third-bottom Astley Bridge by 12 points with an inferior net run-rate.
Staying in the top flight, fifth-placed Kearsley’s 13th win in 21 was achieved as they bowled Social Circle out for 66 thanks to new-ball pair Irfan Kareem and Mustafa Bashir, who shared all 10 wickets. Kareem led the way with 6-26 from 11.2 overs.
In reply, opener Mohmedruhan Tirmizi top-scored with 51 not out.
Little Lever, who played without a professional or overseas amateur, then did their bit to take the title race to a thrilling finale, beating Farnworth at home by two wickets chasing 190.
To keep things alive, they need a maximum 12-point win, which would include bowling Farnworth out. And they did it for 189 off the last ball of the 45-over innings thanks to Thomas Walker, who had Yasir Rashid stumped by Zak Burton.
James Richards and Curtis Anderton, meanwhile, struck three times apiece.
Opener Cameron Murray top-scored with 68 in a reply which got nervy when it fell from 175-6 to 175-8. But Andy Flear’s 22 not out saw Little Lever home. For Farnworth, sub pro Jacques Snyman contributed 79 and four wickets.
In the Championship, Eagley’s 14th win of the season has put them on the verge of a top-flight return at the first time of asking. They beat Atherton at home by eight wickets chasing 108.
Atherton were bowled out for 107 as Harvey Seigne claimed 5-25 from 11 overs before contributing 34 not out to the chase. Sri Lankan sub pro Roshan Lakmal top-scored with an unbeaten 40. They shared an unbeaten 66 from 45-2.
Champions Earby won again, for the 16th time in 2026. They brushed Walkden aside by six wickets chasing 88.
American pro Utkarsh Srivastava had a good day with four wickets and 50 opening the bowling and batting. His new-ball partner Joseph Robinson also claimed four wickets each with the new ball to bowl Walkden out for 87 before a comfortable chase.
There were wins for mid-table duo Cherry Tree and Ribblesdale Wanderers.
Cherry Tree beat bottom-side Brinscall by nine wickets chasing 93 at home for their eighth win.
Local pro Mini Bhada claimed an excellent 6-46 from 14.2 overs to put the skids under Brinscall, who were bowled out for 92. Australian overseas amateur Hudson Walshaw then led the chase from the top of the order with 65 not out off 40 balls.
Ribblesdale Wanderers won for the ninth time, by 32 runs at Oswaldtwistle Immanuel, who finished with 180-9 chasing 213.
Ribblesdale’s 212-9 was underpinned by Sri Lankan pro Heshan Dhanushka’s patient 68 before captain Travis Blezard led the way with three wickets in defence.
Back in the Premiership, Read confirmed third place in the table with win number 14, by six wickets at home to Astley Bridge chasing 206.
Bridge were bowled out for 205. James Evans led the way with three wickets, while three other bowlers struck twice. One of those was Sri Lankan pro Sehan Weerasinghe, who then top-scored with 60 in reply. Opener and captain Will Wrathall also contributed 57.
Salesbury jumped up to fifth with success over Tonge – win number 12, this by 64 runs.
Sri Lankan sub pro Thikshila De Silva starred with an excellent 113 off 84 balls in Salesbury’s 165 all out, fashioning a recovery from 17-4. Liam Parkinson then stood out with 5-18 from 13 overs as Tonge were bowled out for 101.
Barnoldswick won for the sixth time this season, this one by 10 wickets away at Padiham, who had been bowled out for only 75.
Barnoldswick captain Jonathan Beech – 5-30 from 10 overs – and new-ball partner Fezaan Imtiaz shared nine wickets before openers Owais Shah and Adil Khan (23) knocked off the runs without complication. Shah led the way with 53.
Blackrod jumped to ninth, and secured safety, with their sixth win, this one by 43 runs away at bottom-side Lostock.
Little Lever are running it back to 2023 as they bid to completing what would be a stunning Premiership title heist in the North West Cricket League this weekend.
The Victory Road club have employed their previous title-winning professional of three years ago, Jake Lehmann, as a substitute for absent JP King for this Saturday’s decider against current leaders and defending champions Farnworth Social Circle.
Currently playing county cricket for Hampshire, Australian batter Lehmann has agreed to line up at Piggott Park alongside South African overseas amateur Jade Smith, who is flying into the UK especially to play.
Lehmann will be playing for Hampshire in a Rothesay County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge from Tuesday to Friday, with his county battling against relegation.
It will then be silverware he chases after Little Lever’s two-wicket win chasing 190 at home to Farnworth on Saturday just gone kept their hopes alive, coupled with defeat for Farnworth Social at Kearsley.
Social Circle are 11 points clear with 12 available. So Little Lever need a maximum points win to pinch a title which has, for a few weeks, looked beyond them.
“It’s very exciting,” said their captain Josh Gent.
“Nobody would have given us a chance before Saturday. But to have one is very pleasing.
“We’ve had our backs against the wall – pro’s gone home, our overseas has gone home. But that’s when we play our best cricket.”
Asked whether he went into Saturday’s penultimate-round fixture with any hope of winning the title, Gent continued: “You’ve always got to believe.
“We always thought that if we kept winning, then Social Circle would slip up somewhere along the line. And it’s been shown.
“They’re a good side, we’re a good side, but we’ve been beaten three times and them only once before Saturday. To go through a full season only losing once is pretty much unheard of, really, so I fancied them to lose.
“And the game that I actually fancied them to lose was at Kearsley, who have got the best bowling attack in the league. On their day, they can bowl anyone out.”
That’s exactly what fourth-placed Kearsley did. They bowled Social Circle out for 66 and won by nine wickets.
“We’re absolutely made up to have a chance,” said Gent.
“All the pressure’s going to be on Social Circle on Saturday. They won it last year, and it’s theirs to lose this time.
“It’s a home game for them, they’ll have everyone there. Imagine me lifting the trophy in front of them and running around. They wouldn’t like it, would they!
Considering how close Social Circle were to the title on Saturday, it would be remarkable if they didn’t win it.
They needed just one point from their remaining two games, and even with their defeat at Kearsley it required Little Lever to gain the full 12 points to keep the race alive.
That involved them bowling Farnworth out, which they did for 189 with the very last ball of the innings on Saturday thanks to a Thomas Walker wicket of Yasir Rashid, stumped by Zak Burton.
They played the fixture without either a professional or overseas amateur.
Curtis Anderton’s spin accounted for three wickets, as did James Richards with his seam, before opener Cameron Murray top-scored in the chase with 68.
There were a few nerves when the reply slipped from 175-6 to 175-8 before Andy Flear’s 22 not out, including a late six, got them over the line.
Farnworth’s sub pro Jacques Snyman was excellent for 79 and four wickets in a losing cause.
