Baxenden went eight points clear after beating Cherry Tree at Back Lane.

The Blackburn side, fourth at the start of play, were restricted to 180-8 from their 45 overs.

That score was built around Mark Hadfield’s excellent 65.

The opener faced 106 balls and hit eight fours and two sixes in a quality knock – but Tree’s top order didn’t take off.

Scott Friend made 15 but the big blow was the removal of in-form pro Paul Turner for just one.

Nigel Robbins made a crucial mid-order 27 and Scott Friend chipped in with 20 to keep the board ticking over.

And then skipper Jon Baldwin (17) and Andreas Sudnik (15 not out) gave Tree the momentum to get up to 180.

Bash pro Babar Naeem was the bowling star with 6-56.

In reply, Callum Waddington was in no mood to hang around and he hit six fours in making 27 from just 25 balls.

Naeem hit 42 in boundaries on his way to 57 and Ian Austin made 45 before a flurry of wickets briefly put the pressure on.

But Mark Rishton hit an unbeaten 27 to steer Bash home.

Bash had been knocked off the top by Read when they were beaten a month ago but Rishton said: “We bounced back from that defeat well.

“When you lose it is about how you respond and we are in a good position at the moment.

“But I think everyone can beat everyone else so we can’t afford to relax.”

Cherry Tree

M Hadfield ct Swindells B Naeem 65
S Friend ct Payne b Naeem 15
P Turner b Naeem 1
J Bolton ct Austin b Naeem 3
N Robbins ct Rishton b Naeem 27
M Friend lbw b Sudworth 20
J Baldwin ct Rishton b Naeem 17
D Lord ro 3
A Sudnik not out 15
L Cunningham not out 2
Extras 12
Total (8 wickets) 180
I Austin 6 1 0 0, L McIntosh 13 5 45 0, B Naeem 17 2 56 6, G Sudworth 9 0 47 1.

Baxenden

C Waddington ct Friend b Lord 27
B Naeem ct Lord b Robbins 57
I Austin b Robbins 45
M Rishton not out 27
L McIntosh b Robbins 9
S Payne ct Friend b Sudnik 11
D Cronshaw not out 0
Extras 7
Total (5 wickets) 183
J Baldwin 5 0 22 0, D Lord 5 0 33 1, A Sudnik 11 1 4 1, J Bolton 3 0 1 0, L Cunningham 3 0 24 0, N Robbins 9.5 2 32 3.

Baxenden won by 5 wickets.