CLITHEROE put down a real marker to the rest as they beat Read to extend their Houldsworth Solicitors Ribblesdale League lead to 13 points on the biggest day of the season so far.

The pair, who have grown quite a rivalry over the past few seasons, were both well up for a game that everyone had been waiting for – but Read just didn’t click as Clitheroe turned the screw with the ball.

Kyle O’Connor’s men made a brisk start with the skipper himself free scoring his way to 15 before he got a snorter from Josh Marquet and nicked through to Matt Coulter.

Elliot Artingstoll went for a duck and when Joey Marshall fell for 16 Read were 39-3 and in a spot of bother.

But their day was to get much worse.

They collapsed to 65-7 as Jack Dewhurst got a mean off-cutter going to cause the home batsmen plenty of trouble.

At that stage three figures appeared unlikely for Read but Warren Eastham joined professional Mohammed Jamal in the middle and they built something of a recovery.

Jamal was unlucky though with the score on 98 as his restrained knock of 43 was brought to an end by a Kashif Siddique delivery that stayed so low it was almost subterranean.

Eastham made 22 before being last man out and while 116 was more than Read seemed set for, they knew deep down it was well below par.

But at least Eastham and Jamal had given then something to bowl at and Read were delirious on the third ball of the reply when Siddique went leg before to Jon Harvey.

Siddique clearly didn’t think it was out as he took an age to depart, repeatedly showing the edge of his bat to the umpire but forget whether the official was right or wrong in his call, Siddique’s decision to try and sweep on one knee against the accurate Harvey on an unpredictable track was misguided.

And his decision to later confront the official on the field at the end of the game was also one that he may regret when the cold light of common sense kicks in.

Stuart Lemon looked in good touch and had made 28 when he was smartly stumped by O’Connor off Harvey and when Paul Turner was trapped leg before by Elliot Lowes Clitheroe were wobbling on 56-3.

Peter Dibb nicked Lowes through to O’Connor and Jack Dewhurst holed out for six after doing all the hard work and it was 76-5 and game on. Farouk Butt had been hit in the face while fielding and was showing no sign of batting so the pressure was on the visitors.

But Tom Lord and Matthew Coulter batted beautifully to finish the job off.

Lord was a study in common sense as he prodded and poked his way through a tough spell before launching his match clinching assault on Harvey in the 31st over.

He launched three sixes into Whalley Road to take his side across the line and clear at the top.

There was an equally big game at the other end of the table as Padiham won for only the second time this season to drag Cherry Tree into the drop zone.

A solid batting display took Cherry up to 182-9 at The Arbories with Kevin Hitchon claiming four wickets to take his weekend tally to nine in two games.

Cherry’s Paul Doherty maintained his remarkable run of never being dismissed in the Senior League as he was not out at the end. Doherty was played a couple of dozen games in the first team since his debut in 1999 – and has always been the not out batsman.

Chris Holt’s 66 led the Padiham reply but the stars of the show were Phil Edmondson (43 not out) and Naveed Ashraf (23 not out) as they took their side home with a 59-run stand for the eighth wicket. Matt Wilson hit a magnificent 140 as Earby piled on the runs against Settle. The former Colne skipper starred on the Applegarth before being run out as Earby posted 297-3 before restricting the Dalesmen to 273-9. That in itself was cruel on Settle pro Mansoor Amjad, who made a glorious 161 not out in vain.

Stuart Maher smashed the last ball of the game at Baxenden for six to seal a win for Great Harwood.

Chasing 163-9, Harwood were on the back foot in a game reduced to 36 overs and with Gary Sudworth bowling the final over and the last pair at the wicket it seemed as though Bash would claim the win.

But Maher had other ideas as he launched the spinner on the final ball to claim the victory.

Barnoldswick ended Ribblesdale Wanderers’ recent good run as they won by five wickets chasing 205 at Victory Park, while Oswaldtwistle Immanuel shot into third spot thanks to victory at Salesbury.

Susantha Pradeep claimed six wickets for the Red Caps as Lewis Mildenhall top scored with 47 in Immanuel’s 168 all out total.

Andreas Sudnik claimed three wickets and Neil Weaver picked up two in two balls on his way to three wickets and the Red Caps slipped to 141 all out.

Euxton lifted themselves out of the drop zone as overseas amateur Ulricht Van Duyker starred with bat and ball at Edenfield.

The South African claimed 5-16 as Edenfield were dismissed for 90 then hit an unbeaten 47.

Brooksbottom’s long awaited home debut ended with defeat at the hands of Whalley. Work on the Brox outfield overran thanks to the bad spring weather but the new boys finally got the all-clear to return home and Whalley enjoyed the experience. They restricted the home side to 118-8 in 31 overs before Richard Lamb’s 49 not out steered Whalley home.