Ribblesdale League Saturday round-up

The brilliant Sri Lankan was a one-man pain in the backside for Earby as he wrecked them with both bat and ball – but while he was performing miracles at The Applegarth, Earby’s West Craven rivals Barnoldswick were laying down a real marker of their title ambitions on a day that could prove to be pivotal.

The Senior League crown is now for leaders Barnoldswick to lose after two significant results.

The Victory Park outfit played their part beating out-of-form Baxenden and received a major boost when Whalley defeated second-placed Read.

In a match reduced to 28 overs per side after heavy overnight rain threatened to leave the leaders kicking their heels, Barnoldswick limped to 105-9 against the unchanged bowling of Lewis McIntosh and Babar Naeem.

Liam Bedford top scored and remained unbeaten on 24 with only three other batsman reaching double figures.

McIntosh finished with 5-66 from his 14 overs while Naeem claimed the other four wickets for 35.

In reply, Baxenden, beaten in the Ramsbottom Cup the previous weekend and struggling in the league, made 29 before Naeem became the first wicket to fall.

The visitors then slumped to 38-5 despite Mark Rishton's attempts to anchor the innings. Andrew Caunce (20) helped Rishton add 28 for the sixth wicket before Caunce fell leg before to Jaffar Nazir.

Rishton offered dogged resistance but when he was finally out for 27, the innings closed six runs short.

Barlick now lead the table by 18 points from Read, beaten by 34 runs at Station Road by a Whalley side who bounced back to form after their bad weekend.

Professional Stuart Hornby removed the dangerous Kamran Younas for just six when Whalley batted first. The home side struggled to make headway, notably against Warren Eastham who claimed 5-34 from 11 overs. Mark Fallon top scored with 50.

However, Read also found batting tough, especially against Younas who atoned for his low score with a fine bowling display.

Eastham top scored with 24 as Younas took 8-48 from 20.5 overs and Read were dismissed for 115.

Whalley are fourth but remain 16 points adrift of third placed Baxenden.

But while there was drama at the top, Salesbury started their own party with a remarkable win at Earby.

The home side were going along quite nicely after the early loss of Craig Walton for two and Ali Azmat for 27 and were 94-2 and looking well set.

But Pradeep had Chris Walton well caught by Peter Blackman for 46 before he bowled Aron Pollard with a shooter and Matthew Haines to complete a hat-trick.

A dot ball followed before Pradeep knocked over Jonny Martin to make it a quadruple-wicket maiden – and his four wickets in five balls feat saw Earby suddenly wobbling at 94-6.

As the carnage was developing at the other end Richard Craddock watched on before making an important 26 and Iain Clarkson hit 17 as Earby managed to get up to 135 all out with Pradeep finishing with 5-40, while stand-in skipper Stephen Brown claimed three cheap wickets.

Will Cook and James Watson were cheap departures as the Red Caps replied and Peter Blackman, Joe Rawlinson and Ian Rabagliati also failed to hang around with Pradeep, who was batting with aplomb, and Salesbury were 58-5 and on the back foot.

But Kevin Moss, promoted from the seconds, batted really well and sensibly for 17 to aid Pradeep and with Edward Foster also keeping his head, the professional was able to steer Salesbury home and finish unbeaten on 79.

Bottom of the table Settle gained only their third win of the campaign thanks to a superb bowling performance from Andrew Booth.

Settle were dismissed for 156 at fellow strugglers Oswaldtwistle but won by 50 runs.

Booth finished with 6-14, claiming the last four wickets in four balls.

Champions Clitheroe went down by six wickets to Great Harwood with Syed Shahabuddin claiming 6-38 as Clitheroe were 93 all out.

Russell Whalley then hit 54 as Harwood cantered home.

In the day’s other game Ribblesdale Wanderers defeated Padiham by 38 runs.

Barnoldswick v Baxenden

Barnoldswick
M Nutter ct Naeem b McIntosh 16
A Saddique ct Rishton b Naeem 8
U Saddique ct Payne b Naeem 11
P Beech b McIntosh 3
R Nichols ct Swindells b Naeem 16
L Bedford Not Out 24
Nazir ct Nixon b McIntosh 2
L Hodgson b McIntosh 4
M Garner st Caunce b Naeem 5
A Khan ct Riley b McIntosh 2
S Howarth-Hynes Not Out 4
Extras 10
Total (9 wickets) 105.

L McIntosh 14 0 66 5, Naeem 14 6 35 4.

Baxenden
Naeem ct Garner b Nazir 10
D Mills ct Garner b Nichols 14
M Rishton b Nichols 27
L McIntosh ct Nichols b Nazir 2
S Payne LBW Nichols 2
L Riley ct Garner b Nichols 0
A Caunce LBW Nazir 20
B Swindells b Nazir 4
R Hurley ct Khan b Nichols 1
S Molloy b Nichols 1
M Nixon Not Out 2
Extras 16
Total (all out) 99.

R Nichols 13.5 1 47 6, Nazir 13 2 36 4.

Barnoldswick won by 6 runs.

Clitheroe v Great Harwood

Clitheroe
Siddique ct Swanney b Shahabuddin 0
J McDowell ct and b Shahabuddin 2
J Banks b Shahabuddin 8
N Ashraf ct Houldsworth b Shahabuddin 4
M Coulter b Houldsworth 16
C Bowness b Shahabuddin 0
T Aziz b Houldsworth 31
P Gaskell ct Sardar b Shahabuddin 5
F Butt ct Maher b Houldsworth 7
J Marquet b Houldsworth 4
A Hutchins Not Out 0
Extras 16
Total (all out) 93.

Shahabuddin 13 5 38 6, S Maher 9 4 12 0, P Houldsworth 8.4 2 15 4, A Ullah 4 0 15 0.

Great Harwood
M Houldsworth b Marquet 7
Shahabuddin b Siddique 5
J Crabtree b Siddique 4
R Whalley ct Bowness b Hutchins 54
A Ullah Not Out 7
P Houldsworth Not Out 8
Extras 9
Total (4 wickets) 94.

Siddique 16.2 4 60 2, J Marquet 10 4 15 1, A Hutchins 6 2 10 1.

Great Harwood won by 6 wickets.

Earby v Salesbury

Earby
Chris Walton ct Blackman b Pradeep 46
Craig Walton ct Rawlinson b Foster 2
Azmat ct Foster b Marsh 27
R Craddock b Brown 26
A Pollard b Pradeep 0
M Haines b Pradeep 0
J Martin b Pradeep 0
M Windle b Pradeep 6
I Clarkson ct Pradeep b Brown 17
M Kegg b Brown 4
J Hargreaves Not Out 0
Extras 7
Total (all out) 135.

E Foster 7 0 16 1, P Blackman 7 2 20 0, A Marsh 5 0 30 1, Pradeep 13 3 40 5, S Brown 8.4 1 23 3.

Salesbury
W Cook ct Craig Walton b Clarkson 2
Pradeep Not Out 79
J Watson b Hargreaves 2
P Blackman LBW Clarkson 8
J Rawlinson LBW Windle 5
I Rabagliati b Windle 2
K Moss ct Craig Walton b Craddock 17
S Brown ct Martin b Craddock 1
E Foster Not Out 8
Extras 12
Total (7 wickets) 136.

I Clarkson 7 0 19 2, J Hargreaves 5 2 11 1, M Windle 7 2 20 2, Azmat 9 0 24 0, M Kegg 3 0 20 0, M Haines 4.2 0 15 0, R Craddock 4 0 17 2.

Salesbury won by 3 wickets.

Edenfield v Cherry Tree

Edenfield
P Gallagher ct Boyle b Lord 72
G Smithson ct Hadfield b Bolton 0
J Lester ct Turner b Bolton 6
Read ct S Friend b Bolton 4
J Kelly ct Hadfield b Sudnik 18
A Barnes ct S Friend b Jones 35
M Burns ct S Friend b Bolton 4
J Flitcroft ct Akhtar b Bolton 2
C Slinger b Bolton 0
J Hampson ct Baldwin b Lord 1
A Rushton Not Out 0
Extras 13
Total (all out) 155.

J Bolton 13 3 30 6, D Lord 8 3 17 2, A Sudnik 6 0 32 1, J Baldwin 2 0 16 0, M Hadfield 5 0 32 0, G Jones 7 0 26 1.

Cherry Tree
M Hadfield ct Smithson b Read 0
Turner b Rushton 12
S Friend ct Kelly b Read 16
J Bolton ct and b Read 5
N Robbins ct Burns b Smithson 5
N Boyle b Read 0
S Akhtar b Smithson 15
D Lord b Read 4
J Baldwin ct Flitcroft b Smithson 11
G Jones ct Barnes b Read 2
A Sudnik Not Out 7
Extras 8
Total (all out) 85.

Read 16 3 29 6, A Rushton 6 0 30 1, G Smithson 9.1 3 25 3.

Edenfield won by 70 runs.

Oswaldtwistle Immanuel v Settle

Settle
J Seedle ct Clare b Sipocz 18
W Davidson b Sipocz 5
Rawlinson LBW Sipocz 0
T Hamill ct Groom b Sipocz 0
R Davidson LBW Sipocz 18
P Cook ct Hussain b Metcalf 32
D Worthington b Abid 12
E Read b Smithson 57
L Read st Groom b Metcalf 2
A Booth b Smithson 10
J Tarbox Not Out 2
Extras 22
Total (all out) 156.

S Sipocz 10 2 36 5, K Smithson 7.3 2 23 2, I Abid 14 1 55 1, G Metcalf 12 0 47 2.

Oswaldtwistle Immanuel
O Jones b Read 21
R Hussain b Unsure 0
O Clare ct Davidson b Read 22
Cook-Martin b Booth 32
N Payne ct R Davidson b Read 1
P Dignan ct Seedle b Booth 10
I Abid ct Cook b Booth 0
G Metcalf Not Out 5
K Smithson ct Cook b Booth 0
S Sipocz b Booth 0
M Groom LBW Booth 0
Extras 15
Total (all out) 106.

Rawlinson 17 3 40 1, E Read 13 3 40 3, A Booth 3.5 0 14 6.

Settle won by 50 runs.

Ribblesdale Wanderers v Padiham

Ribblesdale Wanderers
C Jackson LBW Howells 4
S Trotter ct Davies b Howells 3
Wajihuddin ct Mehmood b Holt 36
D Howard b Mehmood 17
J Rain b Holt 37
B Varley b Holt 37
S Kerr b Holt 8
M Briggs b Howells 8
M Pratt Not Out 9
J Braithwaite Not Out 10
Extras 21
Total (8 wickets) 190.

M Howells 12 1 62 3, S Davies 4 0 22 0, Holt 18 3 57 4, N Mehmood 11 1 42 1.

Padiham
K Hitchon LBW Britcliffe 25
Holt ct Britcliffe b Wajihuddin 37
N Mehmood ct Jackson b Wajihuddin 6
J Bushel Varley 28
C Clarke b Varley 19
P Shirtcliffe ct Rain b Wajihuddin 13
M Howells b Varley 5
L Anderson ct Braithwaite b Wajihuddin 1
S Meehan ct Howard b Varley 3
S Davies b Kerr 0
Extras 7
Total (all out) 152.

B Varley 14 3 49 4, Wajihuddin 21 3 75 4, I Britcliffe 8 3 23 1, S Kerr 0.2 0 0 1.

Ribblesdale Wanderers won by 38 runs.

Whalley v Read

Whalley
Younas LBW Hornby 6
R Lamb ct O'Connor b Eastham 26
R Palmer ct Lowes b Hornby 12
L Kearsley ct Hornby b Eastham 15
M Fallon ct Marshall b Eastham 50
S Gorton Not Out 24
D Fitzhenry ct Lowes b Eastham 5
N Hussain ct Jamal b Eastham 3
J Galling Not Out 1
Extras 6
Total (7 wickets) 149.

Hornby 16 5 50 2, E Lowes 5 3 17 0, J Harvey 6 3 11 0, A Rushton 5 2 13 0, W Eastham 11 2 34 5, W Driver 2 0 19 0.

Read
J Harvey ct Hussain b Younas 4
Hornby ct Palmer b Gorton 12
W Driver ct Hussain b Younas 12
K O'Connor ct O'Neill b Younas 0
J Marshall LBW Younas 4
M Jamal st Galling b Gorton 1
A Laycock ct Lamb b Younas 23
A Rushton b Younas 2
W Eastham LBW Younas 25
C Lowes LBW Younas 8
E Lowes Not Out 8
Extras 10
Total (all out) 115.

Younas 20.2 6 47 8, D O'Neill 3 0 14 0, S Gorton 11 3 21 2, D Fitzhenry 3 0 12 0, R Palmer 3 0 11 0.

Whalley won by 34 runs.