The two Farnworth second XIs cannot be separated at the top of the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League Conference Premiership after the latest round of matches.

Farnworth and Farnworth Social Circle sit at the top with 104 points apiece, with only 11 points separating first and fifth place.

A close game at Bridgeman Park saw visitors, Barrowford firsts defeat Farnworth by 30 runs.

Barrowford recovered from 60-6 to being dismissed for 136 after Muhammed Raheel top-scored with 45 after Mehr Khan took 5-41. Farnworth were then bowled out for 106 with Scott Mather scoring 43.

Farnworth Social Circle won by 187 runs as they hosted Read at Piggott Park.

Batting first, Social Circle scored 292-5 off their 45 overs with Andrew Lane top-scoring with 106, followed by a 50 from Archie Walsh and a 44 not out from Chris Walsh.

Farnworth SC dismissed Read for 105 with Marsden Mulligan taking 4-34.

The first game of the division last weekend saw Foulridge firsts visit Astley Bridge at Sharples Park.

After winning the toss, Foulridge elected to bat first which saw them score 258-6 off their 45 overs. Opener Jonathan Swarbrick scored 62, however, Rashid Rasheed stole the show after scoring 108 and putting Foulridge in an excellent position to win the game.

After being 9-2, a 156-run partnership between Ady Cooper (93) and Zain Ahmed (70) gave Astley Bridge something to work with, however, nobody else managed to put a good knock together and they closed on 219-7 as Jabbran Sajjad took 4-49.

Cherry Tree hosted Ribblesdale Wanderers which saw the hosts being dismissed for a respectable 185 after Kevin Reed top-scored with 76. In response, Ribblesdale were bowled out for 154, with John Rain top-scoring with 74.

The final game of the division saw Salesbury host Burnley Belvedere seconds at Ribchester Road. Salesbury scored 192-9 off their 45 overs with Daniel Rawson top-scoring with 34 after Ali Zar took 5-51. Burnley were then dismissed for 153, with Ali Zar top-scoring with 58 after Daniel Rawson took 4-39.

It is a similarly tight situation in the Conference second division, where Burnley Beldevere are on 122 points, Padiham on 111, Baxenden 109, Oswaldtwistle Immanuel 107, Barnoldswick 106 and Blackrod 104.

Muhammad Yahah’s 7-25 went a long way to Beldevere dismissing Barnoldswick for 45 before securing a nine-wicket victory.

Elsewhere, Liam Simm led the way with 44 in Padiham’s 126, Monty Cort 7-42, but Whalley were then dismissed for 86, Cort top-scoring with 31, Jimmy Gray taking 4-34 and Harry Starkie 3-22.

Mohammad Tirmizi (178no) and Shahzeb Pervez (78) put on 277 together in Kearsley’s 298-2. The only performance of note in Oswaldtwistle’s 170 was a half-century for Anthony Dignan.

Andrew Booth took 3-10 to help restrict Walkden to 155-5, but this proved to be 50 too many for Chatburn, Jamie Birtwell Jones hitting 49, Mehran Anwar taking 5-24 and Imran Ali 3-27.

Foulridge lost their last five wickets for one run, Mikey Craig with 5-13 in their 102 all out before Eagley overtook this for the loss of four wickets.

Another team to collapse significantly were Tonge. Chasing Brinscall’s 192 (Adam Read 42no), they were 61-4 and then 69 all out, Dhanushka Lakshan taking 5-26.

Aaron Patel picked up 4-45 in Atherton’s 137-9, Lostock winning a rain-affected match by six wickets, James McLoughlin on 71no.

Another match to be slightly affected by the weather was Blackrod’s four-wicket win against Earby, for whom Ben Cocker was leading scorer with 40 out of 159.

* The ECB T20 Area final will see Lostock Spitfires host Carnforth tomorrow (2pm).