01-07-2025
Social Circle's Stuart hits league's first double ton
Championship leaders Ribblesdale Wanderers were indebted to the exploits of Sri Lankan professional Heshan Dhanushka as he starred with bat but mainly ball during a double winning weekend in the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League.
Ribblesdale won at Oswaldtwistle Immanuel on Saturday and beat Baxenden at home on Sunday, sitting on 107 points with eight wins from 12 games.
Advertisement
That they are now 17 points clear of second-placed Whalley is largely thanks to Dhanushka.
On Sunday, they bowled Baxenden out for 94, with Dhanushka's off-spin accounting for 8-43 from 15 overs - the summer's best bowling return by anyone in the top two divisions of the NWCL.
He then top-scored with 50 in a successful reply, achieved for the loss of four wickets.
On Saturday, he claimed 5-2 from 3.4 overs against Oswaldtwistle, including three wickets in four balls, to bowl the hosts out for 93. Again, in response, he top-scored with 39 and fashioned a recovery from 16-3 to seal a four-wicket triumph.
Advertisement
Premiership leaders Read recovered from last week's first defeat to win a nervy clash at bottom-side Lostock by two wickets.
The summer's 10th round brought Read their ninth win, surviving a regular loss of wickets in a pursuit of 153. Opener and captain Will Wrathall top-scored with 30.
Lostock had been limited to 152-9 in 45 overs. Chris Holt starred for Read with 6-31 from 13 overs. He then contributed 18 to the chase, sharing 46 for the first wicket with Wrathall.
Read, who claimed 10 points, are sat on 102 from 10 games, 12 clear of second-placed Farnworth Social Circle (90).
Social Circle's Bajan professional Jameel Stuart amassed a sensational unbeaten 202 from 126 balls with 18 sixes in 352-5 at home to shellshocked Padiham, leading a recovery from 41-4.
Advertisement
Stuart's assault from number four saw 152 runs scored in fours and sixes and represented the first first-team double century in the three-year history of the NWCL, with Padiham later 229 all out.
Dave Mather returned five wickets and Stuart 4-20 from 5.4 overs to help FSC claim the full 12 points with a 123-run success.
The Championship's bottom side, Walkden, were on the right side of the London Bus Syndrome - you wait ages for one and then two come along at once.
Having lost their first eight matches of the season, they have won their last two. They jumped off the bottom courtesy of an impressive win at promotion-chasing Cherry Tree, by two wickets chasing 194.
Advertisement
Indian overseas amateur Haider Saqlain was their hero with 6-52 from 14 overs in Cherry Tree's 193-9 and a top-score of 44 from number three in reply. However, a 63-run partnership, from 115-6, between Mirza Suhail and Salman Younis proved key for Walkden.
Cherry Tree dropped out of the top two promotion places in the second tier, replaced by Whalley, who claimed an eye-catching come-from-behind win at Earby having been bowled out for 90.
Their seventh win in 10 was achieved by 35 runs in a contest which saw only one batter make it beyond 20.
Whalley pro Levi Wolfenden starred with 7-36 from 12 overs as Earby were bowled out for 55, including Matthew Nutter's 24 not out.
Advertisement
Wolfenden had top-scored in Whalley's 90 with 15 though was one of five wickets for South African OA Jared Bone. Unfortunately for Bone and Earby, it meant little.
Whalley may be 17 points adrift of Ribblesdale but have two games in hand.
Back in the Premiership, Little Lever claimed a sixth league win of 2025, by eight wickets at home against Farnworth as they impressively reeled in a target of 216 and now sit third on 79 points.
Adil Nisar claimed three wickets in Farnworth's 215-8 before opener Cameron Murray and Pakistani professional Mohammad Junaid were in aggressive mood in sharing an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 147 to seal a home win. The pair hit five sixes each, Murray 88 off 67 balls and Junaid 79 off 47.
Advertisement
Champions Blackrod (75 points) secured their sixth win, by 18 runs at Eagley, who were bowled out for 161 in reply to 179-5.
Thushendra De Zoysa top-scored for Blackrod with 59 before Bajan OA Renaldo Holder took the new ball and struck five times.
Kearsley also won for the sixth time, this one by 55 runs at home to Salesbury, who were bowled out for 100 in reply to the home side's 155 all out.
Indian pro Ajay Rohera opened and top-scored with 47 before new-ball duo Irfan Kareem and Mustafa Bashir shared nine wickets to leave Salesbury well short. Kareem claimed five of those.
In mid-table, Padiham are fifth, Kearsley sixth - both on 70 points - and Tonge seventh, just a point behind.
Advertisement
Tonge's fifth win was achieved by nine wickets at home to Atherton, successfully replying to the visitors' 127 all out thanks to an unbeaten 71 from South African OA Justin Gilliland. He shared a first-wicket 127 with Alex Rodzoch (49).
Earlier, Tonge captain Connor Lord and Hasib Patel struck four times apiece with the ball.
Barnoldswick are into the top four in the Championship thanks to their sixth win in nine, by four wickets chasing 149 at Brinscall.
Wasique Ali stood out with five wickets in bowling Brinscall out for 148 before Australian pro Trent Riddell top-scored with 44 in a reply only briefly threatened at 5-1.
Advertisement
Baxenden have a won five, lost six record from their 11 games. They beat Astley Bridge at home by five wickets on Saturday in a strong reply to 207 all out.
Matthew Austin took the new ball and returned four wickets for Baxenden, who were then indebted to Harris Masood's measured 60no from number four in reply. Pro Ben Gorton had also opened with 48.
