Blackrod are the new champions of the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League and lifted the Premiership’s trophy on Saturday evening after beating Ribblesdale Wanderers by 65 runs at their Vicarage Road home.

The Premiership title race went down to the final day, with captain Joey Pryle and Co holding off the challenge of defending champions Little Lever, who kept up their end of the bargain by beating Farnworth by five wickets at home.

The gap was six points heading into Saturday’s 22nd round of fixtures, so any Blackrod slip-up and Little Lever could have capitalised. But that’s how it stayed.

Blackrod were given a scare by Ribblesdale when they slipped to 75-6 having been inserted, but club stalwart Thushendra De Zoysa steered them to 131 all out with a composed 62 from number three. In defence, Blackrod’s win was evident quickly, with new-ball duo Matthew Readey (5-37) and Joe Speak sharing nine wickets. Ribblesdale were bowled out for 66.

Both Blackrod and Little Lever won 17 of their 22 matches. Little Lever bowled Farnworth out for 103 as Curtis Anderton, Josh Hill and substitute professional Luke Procter claimed three wickets apiece. Adam Carter top-scored with 29 not out in a successful pursuit.

The Premiership title was the only thing decided across both divisions on Saturday.

In the top-flight, Blackrod, Little Lever, Padiham and Salesbury will play in the 2025 Lancashire Knockout Cup alongside Hamer Cup champions Read, who also won the Championship title and were promoted alongside Atherton.

Ribblesdale Wanderers and Astley Bridge were relegated, while Lostock were also on the winners list for this summer having secured the Birtwistle Cup T20 title.

In the Championship, Read had long since been crowned champions, but Atherton secured the second promotion place off the field last week when Walkden were deducted 96 points for fielding a trio of ineligible players at various stages across the summer.

They dropped from third place to finish bottom.

As it worked out, Atherton would have secured second place naturally.

They had assumed second place prior to the sanctions being imposed on Walkden and won again on Saturday.

They beat Oswaldtwistle Immanuel by four wickets at home, chasing 90, to end the season with 13 wins from 20 games. Mohammad Nazim claimed four wickets to bowl Oswaldtwistle out for 89 before Bajan pro Shayne Moseley top-scored with 24 in reply.

Read’s South African sub-pro, Ockie Erasmus, returned one of the season’s standout individual performances as he hit a superb 134 off 125 balls in their 45-over 267-7 at home to Baxenden before claiming 6-25 from 10.5 overs of spin to bowl their visitors out for 112, securing a 155-run success.

It was Read’s 19th win in 20 league games, and they only lost twice all season across all competitions in securing a league-and-cup double.

In the Premiership, fourth-placed Salesbury and Kearsley, in ninth, played out a tie, with both sides bowled out for 53 in a fixture which saw a wicket fall off the first ball of each innings.

Kearsley batted first, with Lewis Pearson taking the new ball for Salesbury and impressing with 5-23. In reply, Salesbury fell from 37-5 as Naveed Gondal starred with a new-ball 6-21 from 8.2 overs.

Hosts Farnworth Social Circle sealed fifth place ahead of Tonge, who they beat by 64 runs defending 162 all out. Bajan pro Jameel Stuart top-scored with 53 before Dave Mather claimed a new-ball 5-42 to bowl Tonge out for 98 and secure win number 13.

Eighth-placed Eagley’s 10th win was achieved by 36 runs at third-placed Padiham, who were bowled out for 146 chasing 183. Sub-pro Evan Williams top-scored with 43 in Eagley’s 182 all out before striking twice in a successful defence. But spinner Luca Doyle stood out with 5-37.

Hosts Astley Bridge consigned Ribblesdale Wanderers to bottom place in the Premiership as they ended the season by beating Lostock by seven wickets chasing 102. Irfan Puda was superb for 6-27 from 13.5 overs as Lostock were bowled out for 101 before a number of useful contributions underpinned a successful chase.

In the Championship, hosts Brinscall beat Feniscowles by 56 runs to finish third with nine wins from 20 games.

They jumped over both Baxenden and Earby having posted 197-9. Opener Dhanushka Lakshan’s 47 was the best of a series of valuable contributions before Sri Lankan pro Madura Madushanka claimed four wickets in Feniscowles’ 141 all out.

Seventh-placed Barnoldswick beat Walkden by 64 runs at home for an eighth win of the season.

Adil Khan top-scored with 55 in Barnoldswick’s 212 all out, to which sub-pro Cosmond Walters contributed 53. Walters also struck three times in Walkden’s 148 all out, but Wasique Ali stood out with 5-22.

And Cherry Tree, bottom for much of the season, capped an impressive end to the season with a fourth win in succession and finished eighth with eight wins.

They won at Whalley by 88 runs having posted 151 all out. Sub-pro Aneeq Hassan top-scored with 64 and struck once in Whalley’s 63 all out. Kurt Smithson took the new ball and claimed three wickets.

Meanwhile, Farnworth Social Circle pro Stuart finished as the Premiership’s leading run-scorer for the second year running with 1,005 from 22 matches. Little Lever left-arm spinner Anderton was the leading wicket-taker, with 78.

In the Championship, Baxenden pro Ben Gorton was the leading run-scorer with 803 and Walkden’s Mustafa Bashir the top wicket-taker with 66.