Farnworth seconds have been confirmed as Anthony Axford North West Cricket League Conference Premiership champions with two games still to play.

The Lavender Road side won by 10 wickets against Ribblesdale Wanderers as Mehr Khan took a sensational 7-19 after bowling the opposition out for 51.

Little Lever also lost on their visit to Read as the hosts’ Elliot Lowes scored an unbeaten 97, while Salesbury won by seven wickets as they hosted Astley Bridge. Salesbury’s Daniel Rawson took 6-27 in Astley Bridge’s 126 all out with Jake Bailey top-scoring with 43.

Farnworth Social Circle won by 10 wickets as they visited Foulridge firsts. The latter were bowled out for 105, with Keane Mulligan taking 6-35. David Tonge top-scored for Social Circle, scoring an unbeaten 68.

Burnley Belvedere won by 40 runs against Barrowford firsts to put themselves in a very good position to stay in the top division next season. Burnley’s Mohamad Sudees top-scored with 55 as Imran Karim took 7-35 for Barrowford. The latter’s Ather Waheed also scored 46.

Moving on to the league tables, all teams have played 18 games with the exception of Read and Burnley Belvedere, who have played 19.

Farnworth are top with 176 points, Read second with 151, Little Lever are third with 149, fourth is Farnworth Social Circle, with 147 points, and Salesbury are fifth on 137.

Other places: 6th - Barrowford (123 points), 7th - Burnley Belvedere (119), 8th - Cherry Tree (117).

The bottom three are Ribblesdale Wanderers, in 10th with 99 points, and Astley Bridge (92) and Foulridge (56) are confirmed to be relegated into Conference Two.

Promotion to the Premiership is between three clubs - Padiham who recovered from 25-3 to overtake promotion rivals Burnley Beldevere’s total of 111, with Jimmy Gray taking 4-35, and Walkden, who posted 256-9 (Salman Younis 54) before dismissing Blackrod for 64 (Adil Sajid 4-20 and Imran Ali 5-33).

Bilal Ahmed took 4-11 as Atherton were dismissed for 43, Barrowford overcoming this for the loss of three wickets.

Ayyan Mehmood’s 121 played a large part in Kearsley’s 310-9, Michael Wright taking 4-48 for Chatburn before hitting 42 when his team replied with 116, Mohmedruhan Tirmizi taking 3-15.

Darren Parr recorded the best figures of the day, 6-12, with Foulridge bowled out for 44. Lostock then eased to a nine-wicket victory.

Oswald Immanuel beat Tonge by five wickets chasing chasing 80. Syed Shah took 4-42 for Tonge and Waseem Hussain 3-16 for Ossy.