RIBBLESDALE Wanderers kept up their pursuit of leaders Cherry Tree with maximum points from their two weekend games.

On Sunday, professional Shahid Nawaz scored 53 and took his personal to over 1,000 runs for the season. Wanderers scored 138-4 after dismissing Settle for 137.

The previous day, Nawaz set up his weekend with 117 and Mark Briggs scored 72 off 73 balls as Ribblesdale amassed 223-6. Baxenden's reply reached just 145 with Spencer taking six wickets.

Ribblesdale now trail Cherry Tree, who were handed seven points on Sunday when Baxenden walked off the field claiming the pitch was too dangerous, by one point.

Earby professional Jonathan Harvey was also in the runs with 109 backed up by Stephen Pickles 60 as the Applegarth club beat Read with Peter Sleep scoring 63.

Padiham completed a good weekend with a comfortable victory over bottom club Blackburn Northern.

Phil Metcalfe rattled up 57, professional Mark Harvey scored 67 and John Hartley was 61 not out in Padiham's 239-3 declared. Northern were left hanging on at 100-9 after Kasim Ali captured four wickets for just two runs.

Edenfield struggled to 104-9 with Paul Houldsworth taking 5-17 and Great Harwood secured a nine wicket win.

Barnoldswick took maximum points in the lowest scoring game of the weekend after bowling Oswaldtwistle Immanuel out for 84. They knocked off the winning runs with just three wickets down. Mark Fallon scored 63 as Whalley reached 158-9 and dismissed neighbours Clitheroe for just 135.

Barnoldswick and Clitheroe played out the second tie of the season with Ian Scothern scoring 72 as Barnoldswick set a target of 165-8. Clitheroe were bowled out on 165 with professional Benjamin scoring 79 but Barnoldswick's John Pickup taking eight wickets for just 28 runs.

Earby professional Jonathan Harvey scored 77, but the club's lower order batsmen did not back him up as they reached 183-8. Padiham's John Hartley took 5-74 and the Arbories club secured a comfortable five wicket win.

Whalley's professional Graham Knowles scored 56 as his side easily defeated Edenfield with Mark Fallon taking 5-47.

Oswaldtwistle took maximum points from Read with Duncan Watson's off spin capturing seven wickets for 38 runs. In reply Russell Whalley rattled up 70 not out as Oswaldtwistle secured a nine wicket win.

Cherry Tree took five points from Settle with Mick Veevers scoring 61. Rain stopped Blackburn Northern getting the points after they set Great Harwood a target of 172-6 with Darren Walton leading the way on 51. Harwood were 110-7 when the rain came with Matthew Cheesbrough 62 not out.

Results - Saturday: Baxenden 145 (0), Ribblesdale Wdrs 223-6 (7); Blackburn Northern 172-6 (2), Great Harwood 110-7 (2); Clitheroe 165 (3), Barnoldswick 165-8 (5); Earby 183-8 (0), Padiham 185-5 (5); Edenfield 139 (0), Whalley 210-9 (7); Oswaldtwistle 126-1 (7), Read 123 (0); Settle 155-9 (0), Cherry 158-6 (5).

Sunday: Barnoldswick 88-3 (7), Oswaldtwistle 84 (0); Cherry Tree 188-5 (7), Baxenden 77-7 dec (0); Great Harwood 108-1 (5), Edenfield 104-9 (0); Padiham 239-3dec (5), Blackburn Northern 100-9 (0); Read 214-7 (0), Earby 257-6 (5); Ribblesdale Wdrs 138-4 (7), Settle 137 (0); Whalley 158-9 (7), Clitheroe 135 (0).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.