Farnworth Social Circle are the early table-toppers in the Premiership division of the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League having beaten Atherton by 44 runs on Saturday.
Visitors Social Circle were indebted to a superb all-round display by Bajan professional Jameel Stuart, who hit 56 in their 45-over total of 223-7, also including 54 from Chris Barrow. The pair hit six sixes between them. Stuart then returned five wickets with his off-spin as Atherton were bowled out for 179.
Captain Christian Walsh’s side (34 points) have won three games from three this season and lead Read by two points. They have also won all three having beaten Padiham at home by 84 runs.
Joe Marshall hit 53 and South African overseas amateur Zadian Muller 50 in Read’s 233 all out before Chris Holt struck three times in Padiham’s 149 all out. Muller took the new ball and claimed two wickets, capping his excellent day.
Social Circle and Read are the two top-flight sides who have won all their matches so far, but Barnoldswick, Oswaldtwistle Immanuel and Astley Bridge have all done so in the Championship.
Barnoldswick and Oswaldtwistle are the only two sides across both divisions who have gained the maximum 36 points available. Both claimed home wins on Saturday.
Barnoldswick won by 61 runs against Earby. Australian professional Trent Riddell top-scored with 67 in 229-7 before Fezaan Imtiaz claimed four wickets in Earby’s 168 all out.
Oswaldtwistle’s excellent start to the summer continued as they bowled Walkden out for 86 and won by eight wickets.
New professional Zohaib Khan was the chief destroyer for Oswaldtwistle with 6-31. Australian overseas amateur Luke Sirianni top-scored with 24 in reply.
Astley Bridge beat Brinscall (178-9) by six wickets at home as they comfortably chased 179. Captain Syd De Silva and South Africa OA Ulli Bronkhorst were in the wickets and runs.
De Silva claimed two wickets and opened the batting with 41, while Bronkhorst also struck twice with the ball before finishing the chase with 50 not out.
Back in the Premiership, defending champions Blackrod claimed their first win of the season after two defeats. They won at Kearsley, bowling their hosts out for 185 and achieving their target for the loss of six wickets.
Sri Lankan pro Navod Paranavithana claimed five wickets with his spinners before compatriot Thushendra De Zoysa steered the pursuit with 66 not out.
Salesbury won a thriller at Little Lever, by two wickets chasing 174. They have now started the season with a win, a loss and a tie.
Seamer Callum Boardman took the new ball and claimed five wickets in Little Lever’s 173 all out before new South African Connor Nel top-scored with a brisk 85.
He was then part of a collapse from 141-4 to 160-8. But wicketkeeper Tom Stones hit the winning runs, finishing 12 not out.
Tonge’s second win in three came by six wickets away at Farnworth (174-9).
Captain Connor Lord took the new ball and struck three times before South African OA Justin Gilliland opened the batting with a measured 80 not out in reply.
Farnworth have now lost all three games, yet they remain one place above bottom side Eagley, who were weekend winners for the first time in 2025. They won at Lostock by nine runs, defending a 159-target.
Eagley’s 158-9 saw wicketkeeper Jack Wainman top score with 26 from number seven – one of four individual scores in the twenties. In reply, Lostock were bowled out for 149, slipping badly from 59-0. James Richards, Sri Lankan pro Chaamikara Hewage and Luca Doyle all struck three times.
In the Championship, Ribblesdale Wanderers won for the second time and sit on the shoulders of the leading trio.
They beat Baxenden by 54 runs at home having posted 204 all out. Australian OA Jordon Kelly top-scored with 68 before Sri Lankan pro Heshan Dhanushka and Mikey Worthy each took three wickets to help bowl Baxenden out for 153 – a home win by 51 runs.
Salesbury secured an impressive but nervy win by two wickets on the road this weekend, putting a frustrating start to the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League season behind them after a tie first week at Tonge and then a defeat to Read.
They bowled Little Lever out for 173 before averting danger when they fell from 141-4 to 160-8.
Salesbury finished fourth in last season’s Premiership and have therefore qualified for this season’s Lancashire Knockout competition, which starts for them this Sunday. That is added to their league, Hamer Cup Birtwistle Cup T20 campaigns.
After an early-season speed bump, they are now motoring.
Talking of motoring, we chatted to captain Pete Richardson shortly after the game on Saturday evening. He was at the wheel on the way home from Bolton, acting as chauffeur to South Africans Garnett Tarr and Connor Nel, the club’s professional and overseas amateur.
So we took the opportunity to chat to all three.
Nel top-scored with an excellent 85 off 69 balls from number four, the standout innings in the chase. Earlier, he had also struck twice with the ball.
A native of Bloemfontein, this is 19-year-old Nel’s first season playing in England.
“It’s been really good so far,” he said. “The people have been good to me, it’s great fun and the guys practice hard. I think we can take this league this year.”
Captain Richardson gave his view on a win which had started with new-ball seamer Callum Boardman claiming 5-46 from 11 overs.
Little Lever, who had won their first two games, recovered from 49-5 thanks largely to Cameron Murray’s well-paced 63 off 72 balls from number four.
“It wasn’t the best start to the season, but it’s nice to finally get a win,” said the skipper. “A bit nervy at the end, but yeah, all good.
“Connor played an unbelievable innings that set it up for us. Sadly he didn’t manage to get a hundred, but it was a really good knock.”
On new-ball seamer Boardman, he said: “It took him a couple of weeks to get into his stride, but it looks like he’s fully firing now, which is great to see.”
And in terms of their summer’s ambitions, Richardson added: “Even though we’ve had a tough start, we just want to push up as high as we can in the league and compete on all fronts.
“We will all say that from our team, we’ve had two really poor games to start with. But we’ve just beaten Little Lever, who will be up there competing.
“We’ve shown what we can do.”
Salesbury start both their T20 and Lancs Knockout campaigns this weekend, and Richardson said: “We were disappointed last year with our efforts in the T20.
“I feel like we’ve done well in that previously, so it’s something we really want to have a good go at this time.”
One man who will clearly be key to their hopes of silverware will be batting professional Tarr, who is in his second season with the Ribchester Road club.
“It was very enjoyable for me last year,” said Tarr, who this winter has captained a South Africa Emerging Players XI. “It’s a great club and a good league. That’s why I came back.
“I was a bit up and down with my form last year, but it was a bit wet and not the nicest time to bat. I’m a lot happier with the weather this year, for sure!”
Salesbury will tackle a triple header this weekend.
They open their Birtwistle T20 Cup account away at Oswaldtwistle Immanuel on Friday before hosting Lostock in the league on Saturday. On Sunday, they travel to Egerton in the first round of the Lancashire Knockout.
