TWO weeks ago you wouldn't have got a bet on Read retaining their Veka Ribblesdale League title.

Such was their advantage at the top of the table that the only interest seemed to revolve round whether or not Warren Eastham's men could go through the summer unbeaten.

Settle bravely refused to write off their title bid - faith which proved to be well found as they thumped Read on Sunday.

But the North Yorkshiremen also needed help from elsewhere, and 24 hours earlier Blackburn Northern duly obliged to claim the scalp everyone wanted as they brought Read's winning start to an unlikely end with a comprehensive 81-run success.

"I said to the guys that there was no pressure on us and all the pressure was on them to remain unbeaten for the rest of the season," said Northern professional Gareth Flusk, whose unbeaten 89 and return of 5-29 was key to Read's undoing.

"I told the guys to go out and enjoy it but also said 'why shouldn't be the ones to cause an upset?'. We have worked really hard in the nets and sometimes we have lost games rather than the other team being better than us.

"If we produce to our ability we can cause upsets, which we have done once or twice this season, and we proved that again. It was an excellent team win."

With Farooq Butt claiming four wickets and Neil Weaver making a run-a-ball 27 in a half-century stand with Flusk others played their part.

But Flusk's all-round performance proved the difference and the South African could not have chosen a better time to confirm his return to form as he hit eight four and fours sixes in a 95-ball stay.

"I have been having an average run but I got a big score the weekend before and it was a challenge for me," he added.

"You talk about big players producing in the right games and if they are going to be the league champions then this is the team you set your standards against.

"I was very happy with my performance, but I was also well supported at the other end."

Beating Read should do wonders for Northern's confidence and on Sunday they duly held their nerve to beat Padiham in a tight finish, despite another century from the record-chasing Kashif Siddique.

With Flusk picking up another five-wicket haul, that made it maximum points from the weekend and three wins on the bounce to lift the Pleckgate Road club into mid-table.

"It was a nice way to end the first half of the season," said Flusk.

"We are placed nicely in joint seventh and mid-table and above is the way to go for us.

"We have had a few games we haven't been happy with and we want to try and redress that balance in the second-half and win the games we think we should. We have got some good people on board and we just want to play to our ability."

Flusk is in his second season at Northern after posting close to 1,000 runs and taking 74 wickets last year, when the Blackburn side finished 10th.

And he believes the same again would bring even greater rewards for Mel Gillibrand's men this summer.

"I would like to go over and above that if I could," said the 29-year-old Easterns all-rounder.

"And if I can achieve similar results personally, I can see the team ending up further up the table. I'm really happy with the team and the progress we have made on last year."