Read will be playing Premiership cricket next season in the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League - and they are going up as champions of the second tier.

Will Wrathall’s side sealed their place at the top of the Championship - something which has long since seemed inevitable given their exceptional form - with a 98-run home victory over Atherton on Saturday as they successfully defended their 273-5.

Read’s 16th win in 17 games centred around captain Wrathall’s opening 107 before South African overseas amateur, Zadian Muller, took the new ball and claimed 5-53 in Atherton’s 175.

Atherton have now lost ground in the promotion race. They are third, 15 points adrift of second-placed Walkden, who won at Feniscowles by eight wickets.

Walkden capitalised on Atherton’s misstep to take a potentially decisive step towards promotion as they beat Feniscowles by chasing 161.

Hosts Feniscowles, now bottom of the table, were bowled out for 160.

Walkden and Atherton have three games remaining in the battle for promotion.

In the Premiership, nothing was decided on Saturday. But the title race was realistically whittled down to a two-horse race between Blackrod and Little Lever, while Astley Bridge gave themselves a chance of avoiding relegation.

Astley Bridge’s win at Padiham by 21 runs all but ended their hosts’ hopes of winning the title.

Bridge jumped off the Premiership’s foot having posted 249-6 thanks to a middle order 83 from South African overseas amateur Ulli Bronkhorst and Ishy Patel’s brilliant maiden hundred - 107 not out off 90 balls from number seven - as the visitors recovered from 66-5. 

In reply, Padiham were bowled out for 228, slipping from 163-1 after Sri Lankan substitute professional Anuk Fernando’s opening 103. 

He was the second wicket to fall, caught off Ismail Patel, who claimed four wickets in support of Irfan Puda’s superb 6-56.

Bridge’s fourth win from 19 games means they are now 12 points - the equivalent of a win - behind third-bottom Lostock with three games remaining.

They play each other in the final round of the season on September 21.

At the top, Blackrod (185 points) and Little Lever (171) are battling it out for the NWCL’s holy grail with three rounds and 36 more points to play for.

Third-placed Padiham’s aforementioned defeat means they are now 25 points off the pace, while fourth-placed Salesbury were beaten at home to Blackrod, who they trail by 31 points.

Blackrod’s 15th win was achieved as they bowled Salesbury out for just 82 in defence of 153-8.

Wicketkeeper Zak Burton top-scored with 39 from number eight for the leaders, who were struggling at 94-6.

In skittling Salesbury to secure a 71-run success, Sri Lankan pro Navod Paranavithana, Matthew Readey and Joe Speak all claimed three wickets apiece.

Champions Little Lever won a thriller at Ribblesdale Wanderers by seven runs having been bowled out for 158.

That included Adam Carter’s lower middle-order 48 as he helped them recover from 111-7.

Wanderers were in control at 112-4 in the 35th over but finished on 151-8 as spinner Curtis Anderton claimed three wickets.

Little Lever won for the 14th time this season, while Ribblesdale dropped to the bottom of the table and need a miracle to survive.

Ninth-placed Kearsley won for the ninth time this season. They increased Lostock’s relegation fears with a seven-wicket away success.

Former first-class bowler Naveed Gondal had a good day. He took the new ball with his left-arm seam and returned four wickets in bowling Lostock out for 112, before contributing in the chase with an unbeaten 35. Opener Cameron Murray top-scored with 37.

Kearsley are level on 109 points with Eagley, who are eighth.

They are soaring at present, winning their fourth successive game, their eighth in all - this one at home against Farnworth Social Circle by six wickets chasing 100.

Eagley bowled seventh-placed Social Circle out for 99. James Richards took the new ball and claimed four wickets.

Pakistani pro Ayaz Tasawar then led the pursuit with an unbeaten 41. Richards also capped a memorable day with 15no and the winning boundary.

Elsewhere, Tonge replaced Farnworth in fifth place with a six-wicket home win against them - their 11th victory.

Farnworth posted 198-4, including Simon Booth’s 79.

Four Tonge bowlers claimed a wicket apiece. Sri Lankan pro Hashan Dumindu was one of them, and he top-scored in a successful reply with an unbeaten 79.

Back in the Championship, Baxenden and Earby tied, with both sides finishing on 174.

Earby’s South African OA, Stefan Breuninger, claimed four wickets to bowl the hosts out before Baxenden’s Matthew Austin matched him as Earby finished on 174-9. Evan Dobson’s opening 52 for Earby was not quite enough.

Cherry Tree jumped off the bottom of the Championship with a remarkable fifth win of the season, away at Oswaldtwistle Immanuel by 29 runs defending a target of just 89.

Seamer Andreas Sudnik claimed a hat-trick - all three lbws - in a brilliant 5-15 from 9.5 overs of seam as Oswaldtwistle were shot out for 59.

Zain Abbas, who had earlier top-scored with 32 in Cherry Tree’s 88 all out, took the new ball and claimed four wickets.

And, finally, Barnoldswick bowled hosts Whalley out for 62 in an eight-wicket away win.