RIBBLESDALE Wanderers remain confident they can complete a league and cup double, despite seeing their 11-point lead at the top of the Jennings Ribblesdale League evaporate over the past fortnight.

A five-point victory over Read followed by a run-rate defeat to neighbours Clitheroe saw Wanderers slip two points behind defending champions Padiham, who chalked up a win double over Read and Baxenden.

But Wanderers skipper Terry Braithwaite insisted: "It's out of our hands to some extent.

"But two points is always retrievable depending on what Padiham do and depending on the weather.

"We still think we can do it and the pro still thinks we can do it.

"We need a minimum of 12 points out of 14. If we get 14 Padiham have got to do something similar.

"They have a tough game on Saturday but so do we against Cherry Tree in a repeat of the cup final.

"All we can do is win our last two and hope they don't. Obviously we're hoping that Great Harwood can beat them and I think there will be some hot lines between the three grounds this weekend."

While Wanderers entertain out-of-sorts Cherry Tree on Saturday, Padiham face third-placed Great Harwood, who can still lift the title themselves.

That fixture gives Wanderers added hope as the season heads for a thrilling climax in this weekend's final double-header.

"I'm looking forward to it," said Braithwaite, whose side visit bottom club Blackburn Northern on Sunday, while Padiham visit Barnoldswick, and Great Harwood are at Cherry Tree. "Only three or four weeks ago Padiham lost two on the trot when you would never have thought it, to put us in front.

"There have been plenty of twists and turns and I'm sure there will be another one."

Last season Wanderers and Clitheroe lost the chance of pipping Padiham for the title in a last-day washout.

And Braithwaite was left ruing the weather again on Sunday when Clitheroe had just enough runs on the board to get them home in a rain-affected finish.

"We never saw the rain coming on Sunday or we might have laid our stall out differently.

"We feel if we could have finished the game we could have won. With someone 70-odd not out at one end, needing six or seven an over for 11 overs is gettable," he said.

There were no such problems on Saturday, however, when professional Shahid Nawaz scored an unbeaten 114 to break the league run record of 1,373 in a season as Read were beaten by 33 runs.

"He wants to carry on. He's 100 in front now and with two games to go he could get nearly 1,600," added Braithwaite, who is hoping to celebrate on all fronts on Sunday night.

If sides finish level on points at the end of the season, the title will be decided on runs per wicket. Padiham currently lead the way with a run rate of 25.87. Great Harwood are on 24.48 and Ribblesdale Wanderers 22.65.

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