SECOND XI: Bradley takes hat-trick as Farnworth beat Burnley

Salesbury had a comfortable victory at home to Barrowford firsts to move to first place. The visitors managed to recover from 97-8 to 162 all out, after Ather Waheed top-scored with 56. In reply, Salesbury had a shaky start, being 24-3, but Benjamin Riley (69 not out) and Callum Grantham (54) managed to get them over the line to win by six wickets.

Burnley Belvedere seconds also lost their first game of the season, as they visited Farnworth. The latter were dismissed for 161 after Aaqib Javed top-scored with 49; Aadil Hussain picking up 4-23. Burnley were then bowled out for just 50 after Farnworth skipper, Sam Bradley shone with the ball, taking 7-3, which included a hat-trick.

Read had a convincing victory as they visited Cherry Tree. The visitors were bowled out for 224, with Henry Higson scoring an impressive 85. Cherry Tree were then dismissed for 71 after George Wrathall (4-27) and Curtis Noone (4-20) both took four wickets apiece.

Farnworth Social Circle continued their poor start to the season with another loss, this time at home to Feniscowles firsts. Social Circle were dismissed for 66, with Feniscowles bowler, Marc Brennan, taking an impressive 6-28. Feniscowles would then chase the target and win by five wickets.

In a high-scoring game, Walkden came out on top in their visit to Padiham. The visitors scored an impressive 311-9 off their 45 overs, with Salman Younis (95no) and Mehran Anwar (67) top-scoring. Padiham would then make 270-8 in reply, with Rhys Meehan top-scoring with 96.

Foulridge top the second division with 62 points from six matches, Ribblesdale Wanderers follow with 60 from five. Last Saturday, Burnley Belvedere fell one run short of Astley Bridge’s 147, despite Hamid Khan taking 5-18 and hitting 41. James Northrop was top scorer with 41 for Bridge, then Hasim Akhtar took 3-31.

Ribblesdale Wanderers were top scorers in the division with 247-9, Stewart Trotter (108) and Andrew Hutchins (61) putting on 167 together, Dinusha Jayasekara taking a creditable 3-28. Andy Scambler made 40 in Brinscall’s 129, Mackenzie Burgess with 3-28.

From 67 without loss Hafeez Ul Wahab’s 5-4 reduced Blackrod to 135-9. Barnoldswick recovered from 9-5 to post 72, Ewan Philips taking 5-20 and Owen Moss 4-29.

Baxenden were 72-8 at one point, but finished in 122, Darren Parr, Aaron Patel and Charlie Knight with three victims apiece. Aaron Berriman’s 44no then steered Lostock to a seven-wicket win.

Into the third division, where Whalley have 50 points from five matches - two more than Eagley from the same number of games. Eagley dismissed Earby for 74 (Oliver Tuck 7-22 and Seb Wilcox 3-19). At 51-7, Eagley were in a spot of bother but went on to win without losing another wicket (Tom Chapman 3-29 and Jason Lockley 3-31).

In the most intriguing match of the day, Sarath Babu and Tom Johnson both hit centuries in a double-hundred partnership in Foulridge’s 284 (Jack Ashton 4-38). Chatburn had collapsed to 23-6 before Jamie Birtwistle Jones slammed 158 from 114 deliveries. With nine wickets down the match appeared to be over, but a last-wicket partnership realised a further 55 runs. However, Birtwistle Jones was the last man out with just 36 required from 26 balls. Muhammad Rauf and Faisal Mahmood had both taken three wickets early in the Chatburn innings.

From 50-0, Feniscowles seconds could only progress to 116 as Obid Khan took 5-32 and Said Oryakhil 3-11. The game was in the balance with Kearsley on 100-8, but no further wickets were to fall, Khuram Mahmood the pick of the bowlers with 3-25.

Tonge were another team to stage a remarkable recovery, Syed Shah (77) and Rob Tully (53) putting on 126 as, from a position of 55-5, the innings ending on 204. Ed Burrow’s 66 was comfortably Whalley’s main contribution in their 153, Marcus Dawson taking 4-16.