THE Ribblesdale League title race is set to reach fever pitch this weekend as the top three enter their own triangular tournament.

The double header of fixtures takes champions Read to both Clitheroe, who they currently share the leadership with, and third placed Great Harwood.

Although by the close of play on Sunday the season will still only be at the halfway point, the outcome of this weekend's games could make the picture much clearer.

Read and Clitheroe are level on points at the top and both captains know that victory on Sunday will boost their confidence for the second half of the season.

Read captain Warren Eastham said: "I would be more than happy with 10 points from the weekend. If we can take points off the top sides it puts us in a stronger position.

"We are quietly ticking along and winning games, going into every one with confidence.

"I think people don't fancy us because we're not getting the bonus points, but for me it's all about going out and just winning games.

"It's a big weekend, it's a cup final weekend for us. Great Harwood will be up for beating us because of the friendship and banter between Peter Sleep and Russell Whalley, who left Rishton at the same time to go to different Ribblesdale League clubs.

"Clitheroe have got a strong side and Neil Bolton is getting plenty of runs, he's found a rich vein of form.

"But our lads like going to Clitheroe, it's one of our favourite places because it's a good batting track."

And Clitheroe captain Bolton, who hit 94 against Whalley last weekend, admitted: "They have got a stronger batting line-up, there's no question of that but I think we edge it with our bowling.

"The new pro Mark Gillespie has given us someone with the ability to knock off the last few batsmen and it's given us bonus points that could make a massive difference.

"It will be a good test for us and will show us where we're at. A win would be fantastic but there's still a long way to go in the league.

"We haven't played the top sides yet apart form Great Harwood, because of rain, and against Settle we were struggling. Read beat all the top sides last year so have to start as favourites."

Although Read have only lost one league game so far, they will be looking to bounce back from defeat in the Lancashire Knockout Cup at Wallasey on Sunday.

Eastham was encouraged that his side racked up 249 runs against the Liverpool Competition winners, but Andrew Turner was left stranded on 76 not out with five overs left.

"We can gain confidence from scoring that many runs," said Eastham. "We had Terry Little missing but ran them close."

For the Great Harwood game Oliver Newby will return to the Read side, fresh from making his Lancashire first team debut in the Twenty20 Cup last week.

However, county duty rules him out of the visit to Clitheroe on Sunday and Nick Marsh will take his place.

Tomorrow, in the first leg of the double header, Clitheroe go to a Blackburn Northern side keen to improve on their inconsistent from during the first half of the campaign.

After hosting Read, Great Harwood go to Padiham on Sunday, while fourth placed Ribblesdale Wanderers are away to Settle then host Edenfield.