THE Ribblesdale League’s flagship Ramsbottom Cup final will be between Read and Ribblesdale Wanderers after the two sides came through their tough semi-finals in style on Sunday.

But while there was delight for those two, the dreams of Baxenden and Whalley were left shattered by their defeats.

Batting first on a baking hot day at Station Road, Whalley posted 183-7 from their 50 overs with Lee Kearsley top scoring with 40.

They were confident of defending that total and when Ribblesdale Wanderers’ professional Muhammad Wajihuddin was third man out with the score on 52 Whalley were favourites.

But David Howard played a marvellous innings to turn the tie around. Howard made 62 not out from 104 balls to steer his side over the line in the final over.

There were real fireworks at Back Lane as Read’s batsmen put Baxenden to the sword in some style.

Professional Stu Hornby led the way for Read as he clattered 120 from 121 balls hitting 13 fours and three sixes, while Mohammad Jamal crashed six sixes and four fours in his 31-ball 67.

Will Driver’s 57 and Jon Harvey’s 46 further boosted Read and they closed on 307-4.

The batting feast was not over, though, as Babar Naeem made a glorious 118 and Mark Rishton made 46 but the run rate was too much for Bash to cope with as Joe Marshall claimed 5-28 and Hornby picked up three wickets as they were all out for 225.

And the teams are all set for the final, which will be played at Padiham’s Arbories on Sunday, July 31.

Padiham have plans in place for the day and intend to provide beer tents and extra food outlets for the showpiece.

Baxenden v Read

Read
J Harvey b Swindells 46
Hornby b McIntosh 120
W Driver st Caunce b Naeem 57
M Jamal Not Out 67
A Rushton b Naeem 0
C Lowes Not Out 2
Extras 15
Total (4 wickets) 307.

L McIntosh 10 0 77 1, F Nixon 5 1 28 0, M Rishton 7 0 54 0, S Payne 10 0 29 0, B Swindells 6 0 32 1, Naeem 10 0 59 2, S Molloy 2 0 18 0.

Baxenden
C Waddington LBW Hornby 3
Naeem b Eastham 118
M Rishton ct Laycock b Marshall 46
D Cronshaw b Eastham 1
L McIntosh b Marshall 15
D Mills ct Lowes b Marshall 10
S Payne ct O'Connor b Marshall 0
A Caunce st O'Connor b Marshall 14
B Swindells LBW Hornby 0
S Molloy ct Jamal b Hornby 1
F Nixon Not Out 0
Extras 17
Total (all out) 225.

Hornby 4.3 0 24 3, E Lowes 2 0 19 0, W Eastham 10 0 45 2, J Harvey 3 0 23 0, W Driver 9 0 46 0, A Rushton 5 0 29 0, J Marshall 7 0 28 5.

Read won by 82 runs.

Whalley v Ribblesdale Wanderers

Whalley
Younas ct Kerr b Wajihuddin 36
R Lamb b Clarkson 14
M Davies ct Briggs b Braithwaite 1
L Kearsley ct and b Howard 40
R Palmer b Britcliffe 23
S Gorton LBW Britcliffe 22
D Fitzhenry ct Briggs b Howard 17
N Hussain Not Out 11
C Mahon Not Out 3
Extras 16
Total (7 wickets) 183.

B Varley 7 1 29 0, I Britcliffe 10 3 38 2, Wajihuddin 9 1 32 1, M Clarkson 7 1 17 1, J Braithwaite 7 2 12 1, D Howard 10 1 41 2.

Ribblesdale Wanderers
A Marsh ct Fitzhenry b Younas 28
C Jackson LBW O'Neill 1
Wajihuddin ct O'Neill b Fitzhenry 18
D Howard Not Out 62
J Rain ct Palmer b Younas 32
B Varley ct Younas b Gorton 21
S Kerr Not Out 3
Extras 19
Total (4 wickets) 184.

D O'Neill 10 3 33 1, N Hussain 5 1 22 0, Younas 10 2 21 2, D Fitzhenry 10 1 33 1, S Gorton 9 1 36 1, R Palmer 5.1 0 21 0.

Ribblesdale Wanderers won by 6 wickets.