Blackrod will win this season’s Anthony Axford North West Cricket League Premiership title with a final-day win at home to relegated Ribblesdale Wanderers on Saturday.

The Vicarage Road side are six points clear of champions Little Lever with one round remaining and 12 points to play for. Little Lever host Farnworth in their final fixture of 2024.

Both sides won their penultimate games on Saturday to maintain the status quo.

Blackrod (199 points, 21 games) survived a scare to beat Kearsley at home by 17 runs.

They slipped from 127-4 to 147 all out following Thushendra De Zoysa’s 76. In reply, Kearsley fell from 42-0 to 130 all out as Sri Lankan professional Navod Paranavithana claimed four wickets.

Little Lever (193 points, 21 games) were much more comfortable winners away at relegated Astley Bridge - by 69 runs defending their 193-9.

Sub-pro Luke Procter top-scored with 52 for the visitors, before Curtis Anderton starred in bowling Bridge out for 124 with a superb 6-41 from 15 overs of spin.

Both Astley Bridge and Ribblesdale Wanderers will be playing Championship cricket next season.

Ribblesdale were involved in a remarkable game at home to third-bottom Lostock, who they could have moved level with had they beaten them.

That looked likely when they bowled Lostock out for 80 - four wickets apiece for sub-pro Ruhan Pretorius and Ian Britcliffe. But Tom Sheen’s brilliant new-ball 6-14 from seven overs secured Lostock’s safety as the hosts were bowled out for just 37.

In the Championship, Atherton seized the initiative from Walkden in the race for the second promotion spot behind champions Read, who won again.

Atherton (159 points, 19 games) jumped to second with a five-wicket win at Feniscowles chasing 111.

Zeeshan Alsam claimed a new-ball 5-21 in bowling bottom side Feniscowles out for 110, before captain Jack Welch top-scored with 32 in response.

Atherton are two points clear of Walkden (157 points, 19 games) after they lost at home to seventh-placed Oswaldtwistle Immanuel, who defended their 127 all out to win by 28.

Pro Mini Bhada top-scored with 59 before striking three times to bowl Walkden out for 99. But the standout performance with the ball came from Australian overseas amateur Luke Sirianni with 6-39 from 14.3 overs to seal a seventh win.

If Atherton beat Oswaldtwistle at home on Saturday, with a full 12-point haul, they will be promoted. Walkden are at Barnoldswick.

Will Wrathall’s second century in three weeks - added to a 97 in between - set up Championship winners Read for their 18th win in 19 games, this one at home to Brinscall.

Captain-opener Wrathall’s superb 105 underpinned an imposing 271-4 before he struck three times with the ball in bowling Brinscall out for 202 to seal a 69-run win.

Back in the Premiership, third-placed Padiham claimed their 14th win from 21 games as they bowled Farnworth out for just 30 in a nine-wicket win.

Toby Burrows and sub-pro Kieran Grimshaw claimed five wickets apiece for Padiham in running through Farnworth before South African OA, Zander van Tonder, top-scored with 30 in a straightforward pursuit.

Sixth-placed Farnworth Social Circle’s 12th win came at fourth-placed Salesbury by 44 runs.

Bajan pro Jameel Stuart had one heck of a day with a top-score of 71 in 221-7 before he claimed 7-50 from 15 overs of spin to bowl Salesbury out for 177.

Ninth-placed Eagley’s strong end to the season continued as they won for the ninth time, this one at home to fifth-placed Tonge by just seven runs in a low-scoring thriller.

Tonge captain Connor Lord impressed with six wickets in bowling Eagley out for 80, before Pakistani sub-pro Babar Hussain Agha helped spin Tonge out for just 73 with an excellent 5-20.

Earby’s 10th win from 20 hoisted them to fourth in the Championship.

Their last game of the season - they have a free weekend on Saturday - saw them win at Whalley by 62 runs. Sri Lankan pro Raveen Yasas top-scored with 94 not out in 200-4 before South African OA Stefan Breuninger claimed four wickets in bowling Whalley out for just 138.

Ninth-placed Cherry Tree won at Barnoldswick by eight wickets chasing 95.

Their seventh win from 19 games came as Zain Ul-Hassan claimed four wickets in bowling Barnoldswick out for 94. Opener Charlie Elwood top-scored with 66no in the chase.