Baxenden's title hopes suffered a setback as Blackburn Northern boosted their own chances of winning the Veka Ribblesdale Senior League crown for the first time since 1981.

Fourth bottom last season, Northern handed out a 76-run beating to Baxenden after a fine bowling display by their Indian professional, Devendra Bundela.

Northern were skittled for for 130 as Bash pro Jonathan Fielding took 4-67 at Pleckgate Road.

Only Naeem Ashraf, whose arrival this year has been one of the key differences for Blackburn, offered any resistance with a quality 73.

However, the visitors never recovered from losing three quick wickets and were eventually humbled for just 54 thanks to Bundela's 5-28.

Padiham took full advantage to move clear in top spot with a nine-wicket success at bottom of rhe table, Barnoldswick.

The home side was restricted to 124 and helped by Kashif Siddique's 76, Padiham reached their target for the loss of only one wicket.

Clitheroe's chances of retaining their are still alive. But they would have been all but over but for the consistency of Josh Marquet.

He gained another five-wicket haul and Mark Hargreaves also chipped in with 5-23 as Oswaldtwistle Immanuel were skittled for just 50 at New Lane.

Clitheroe still made hard work of the run chase and eventually limped home with only four wickets to spare.

Immanuel pro Ahmer Saeed took all six of the Clitheroe wickets to fall.

But with their second team also taking full points, Clitheroe gained their first 24 maximim points haul of the season.

Read still have their sights on some silverware and accumulated the day's highest total against Earby.

Will Driver and Jamie Marshall hit half centuries out of 235-3.

Andrew Rushton claimed 5-41 as Earby could only manage 162 in reply.

The closest finish of the day came at Church Meadow where Great Harwood improved their own title chances as they won by five runs.

The visitors batted steadily to make 174-9 with Peter Sleep scoring a well-crafted half-century.

For the home side, Terry Braithwaite was the star turn taking a hat-trick.

Wanderers pro Joe Scuderi took on the brunt of the Harwood attack and almost batted his side to a remarkable victory before falling to Sleep. who worked huis magic with the ball, to restrict Ribblesdale to 169-8.

Settle scored only their third win of the season as they beat Whalley.

The Station Road side could muster only 112 and thanks to 68 from Settle pro Jeeva Kulatunga, the Dales side got home with seven wickets down.