Matthew Readey and Sri Lankan professional Navod Paranavithana starred as Blackrod took a significant step towards the Premiership title with a 68-run victory at neighbours Lostock in this weekend’s Anthony Axford North West Cricket League.

Matches took place on Saturday and Sunday, with title rivals Salesbury and Little Lever playing twice - both winning one and losing one.

In the Championship, Read’s march to the title continued with victory over second-placed Walkden. South African substitute professional Ockie Erasmus returned an eye-catching 8-28 from 14 overs.

Blackrod were carried to their 14th victory in 17 as opener Paranavithana’s watchful 65 underpinned 178-8, before new-ball seamer Readey claimed a superb 6-43 from 15 overs in Lostock’s 110 all out reply.

With five games remaining, Blackrod have 170 points, 16 clear of second-placed Salesbury (154), 22 clear of Padiham (148) and 24 ahead of champions Little Lever (146).

Lostock, losers against Blackrod on Saturday, are third-bottom and 11 points and one place clear of Ribblesdale Wanderers in the battle against relegation.

On Saturday, Salesbury lost by five wickets at mid-table Eagley, whose sixth win was notable.

Luca Doyle returned 5-23 as Salesbury were bowled out for 136, before Will Shuttleworth’s 41 anchored a successful chase.

On Sunday, Salesbury won at Little Lever by 30 runs thanks to a superb all-round display from their substitute professional Jordan Neil, who underpinned 253-7 with a run-a-ball 80 before striking four times in the home side’s 223 all out.

The weekend had started well for Little Lever. On Saturday, Josh Hill claimed a superb 7-46 from 11.5 overs, bowling Kearsley out for 165.

In reply, Indian OA Nipun Gaikwad anchored a chase which fell to 33-2 with a composed 75, ensuring a five-wicket win.

In the Championship, Erasmus-inspired Read (163 points) now just need two more wins from their remaining five games to seal promotion. They won at second-placed Walkden (135) by five wickets.

Erasmus’s ‘eight-for’ was the best bowling return in this season’s Championship, though four Premiership bowlers have bettered him so far in 2024.

He bowled Walkden out for 153 before captain Will Wrathall top-scored with an opening 36 in reply.

More intriguing is the race for the second promotion place. Only 12 points now separate Walkden from third-placed Atherton (123), who did not play on Saturday. They play each other at Atherton this coming Saturday.

In the Premiership, third-placed Padiham raced to win number 12 on the back of a polished bowling display, which saw each of their five bowlers used take at least a wicket in bowling Ribblesdale Wanderers out for 91.

South African overseas amateur Zander Van Tonder claimed three wickets, while Sri Lankan sub-pro, Anuk Fernando, added an unbeaten 50 in pursuit to an earlier wicket.

The chase - achieved with seven wickets in hand - deepened Wanderers’ relegation fears. They remain second-bottom.

Social Circle claimed the Farnworth bragging rights, winning by four wickets at their neighbours, pursuing 168.

Their second summer win against Farnworth was achieved thanks to prolific Bajan pro Jameel Stuart’s four wickets in limiting their hosts to 167-9, before an unbeaten 71 steered the pursuit.

Farnworth are sixth, one point clear of Social Circle. Both have won 10 times this campaign.

Hosts Tonge, in fifth, had to recover from 69-6 to beat bottom-side Astley Bridge by 72 runs - their 10th win.

Shoyab Haji had a good day. He top-scored from number eight with a counter-attacking 41 in 149 all out before striking once with the new ball in Astley Bridge’s 77 all out. George Leather claimed four wickets.

Bridge will realistically have to win four of their remaining five games to preserve their Premiership status.

In the Championship, mid-season signing Kurt Smithson’s new-ball 6-51 from 12 overs helped give Cherry Tree some respite at the foot of the Championship, the former Oswaldtwistle Immanuel captain contributing to win number four - this time at home to neighbours Feniscowles by a 113-run margin.

Owen Elwood’s 66 stood out in Cherry Tree’s imposing 215-5 before Smithson ran through Feniscowles, who were bowled out for 102.

Fifth-placed hosts Brinscall won an enthralling clash with Earby by three wickets chasing 144 - win number seven.

Sri Lankan pro Madura Madushanka impressed with 5-38 as Earby were limited to 143-8, though Brinscall’s new-ball bowler Atiq Shah built early pressure with a notable seven successive maidens in returning 1-11 from nine overs.

Madushanka also top-scored in reply with 36, though when he fell to 123-7 there was still work to do. It was done by captain Sam Maclachlan and James McVittie, who finished 14 and 16 not out respectively.

Oswaldtwistle - winners by 85 runs at home to Barnoldswick to go sixth - were in some early trouble at 45-5 before going on to win for the sixth time.

Pro Mini Bhada stood out with a well-paced 89 to underpin 165-9 before he was one of four bowlers who struck twice as Barnoldswick crumbled to 80 all out. Captain Niall Heyes also struck twice and affected the run-out of sub-pro Kieran Grimshaw.

Meanwhile, the match between fourth-placed Baxenden and Whalley was abandoned following a fielding accident late in the visitors’ chase of 150.

At the time, Whalley were in control at 137-6, with captain Frankie Jackson 47no.

Earlier, Simon Hanson’s first five-wicket haul - 5-45 - was the key performance in bowling Baxenden out for 149, with home pro Ben Gorton top-scoring with 51.