RICHARD Palmer was a happy man after his Whalley side surged into the last four of the Ramsbottom Cup thanks to a six wicket win at Great Harwood yesterday.

Palmer, who has guided Whalley into fourth place in the Ribblesdale League, saw his men restrict Harwood to 175-7 - but after losing two early wickets, Whalley got home thanks to half-centuries from Mark Fallon (50 not out) and Lee Kearsley (63).

Cup holders Baxenden made certain of a last-four appearance as they beat Earby.

They bowled Craig Walton’s men out for 125 - and then got home by six wickets, while Read also made the semi-finals after their convincing win over Clitheroe.

Salesbury borrowed former Edenfield pro Raheel Majeed for their tie with Ribblesdale Wanderers in the absence of injured Susantha Pradeep - but he was powerless to prevent a Wanderers win.

The Red Caps were 162-9 at the end of their overs - and Wanderers got home with two wickets to spare.

Clitheroe v Read

Clitheroe
J McDowell ct Lightbown b Lowes 7
A Pearce ct O'Connor b Hornby 2
Nadir ct Jamal b Driver 41
N Ashraf ct Jamal b Hornby 12
T Aziz run out 2
C Bowness ct O'Connor b Eastham 0
S Rashid LBW Eastham 0
J Houldsworth b Driver 9
A Hutchins LBW Driver 0
M Glover b Lowes 6
J Marquet Not Out 2
Extras 20
Total (all out) 101. E Lowes 8.1 3 13 2, J Marshall 8 4 14 0, Hornby 10 2 20 2, W Driver 9 2 22 3, W Eastham 8 2 17 2. Read
E Artingstoll LBW Marquet 15
S Marshall b Marquet 4
W Driver LBW Marquet 0
M Jamal ct Ashraf b Nadir 16
K O'Connor LBW Nadir 23
S Hornby Not Out 24
J Marshall Not Out 4
Extras 19
Total (5 wickets) 105. Nadir 10 3 27 2, J Marquet 10 5 15 3, A Hutchins 1 0 6 0, S Rashid 2 0 11 0, J Houldsworth 2 0 14 0, C Bowness 1.4 0 12 0, M Glover 1 0 3 0. Read won by 5 wickets.

Earby v Baxenden

Earby
Chris Walton b Nixon 4
Craig Walton LBW Naeem 53
Azmat ct Mills b Swindells 5
P Baistow b Naeem 4
J Martin LBW Naeem 0
M Haines b Molloy 12
I Clarkson ct Rishton b Payne 3
R Craddock ct Nixon b Payne 25
M Kegg st Caunce b Payne 5
J Alcock Not Out 6
J Hargreaves b Naeem 0
Extras 6
Total (all out) 125. F Nixon 6 1 11 1, B Swindells 7 2 20 1, Naeem 8.1 2 22 4, S Molloy 5 0 35 1, S Payne 10 2 35 3. Baxenden
D Mills LBW Craddock 5
Naeem LBW Kegg 46
S Payne ct and b Craddock 1
D Cronshaw Not Out 57
M Rishton ct Chris Walton b Kegg 0
C Waddington Not Out 8
Extras 10
Total (4 wickets) 127. R Craddock 8 0 38 2, J Hargreaves 6 1 25 0, M Kegg 6 0 32 2, J Alcock 2 0 15 0, Azmat 4 1 13 0. Baxenden won by 6 wickets.

Great Harwood v Whalley

Great Harwood
M Howarth ct Davies b Fitzhenry 30
Shahabuddin b Younas 79
R Whalley LBW Fitzhenry 10
P Houldsworth ct Younas b Gorton 8
A Ullah run out 1
I Haworth LBW Fitzhenry 27
P Swanney Not Out 10
J Crabtree ct Kearsley b Fitzhenry 5
S Maher Not Out 0
Extras 5
Total (7 wickets) 175. Younas 10 3 25 1, D O'Neill 10 0 41 0, N Hussain 5 0 12 0, D Fitzhenry 9 0 36 4, S Gorton 10 0 28 1, R Palmer 6 0 29 0. Whalley
Younas ct Whalley b Thomas 33
R Lamb ct Howarth b Houldsworth 4
M Davies LBW Houldsworth 1
L Kearsley b Maher 63
M Fallon Not Out 50
D Fitzhenry Not Out 16
Extras 10
Total (4 wickets) 177. Shahabuddin 10 1 30 0, S Maher 10 2 22 1, P Houldsworth 10 3 26 2, S Welsh 6 0 21 0, A Ullah 2 0 10 0, D Thomas 4 0 22 1, M Howarth 2 0 22 0, I Haworth 2.4 0 22 0. Whalley won by 6 wickets.

Salesbury v Ribblesdale W

Salesbury
W Cook ct Trotter b Varley 0
Majeed LBW Britcliffe 31
J Watson ct Wajihuddin b Varley 0
P Blackman b Clarkson 5
D Chadwick b Wajihuddin 13
J Rawlinson LBW Wajihuddin 15
R Sharples b Howard 26
J Rawson b Kerr 35
I Rabagliati Not Out 6
T McDermott st Rain b Kerr 13
Extras 18
Total (9 wickets) 162. B Varley 9 0 29 2, M Clarkson 10 3 29 1, I Britcliffe 9 0 37 1, Wajihuddin 10 4 22 2, D Howard 10 2 27 1, S Kerr 2 1 9 2. Ribblesdale Wanderers
A Marsh ct Majeed b Chadwick 9
S Trotter ct Rabagliati b Majeed 19
Wajihuddin ct Grogan b Sharples 39
D Howard ct Cook b Majeed 11
J Rain Not Out 40
B Varley ct Grogan b McDermott 4
S Kerr ct Cook b Sharples 8
M Briggs LBW Majeed 2
M Pratt b Sharples 0
M Clarkson Not Out 13
Extras 18
Total (8 wickets) 163. R Sharples 10 2 26 3, D Chadwick 8 0 30 1, R Grogan 10 0 42 0, Majeed 10 3 18 3, T McDermott 9.5 0 38 1. Ribblesdale Wanderers won by 2 wickets.