FARNWORTH Social Circle, Westhoughton, Lostock and Horwich reached the last eight of the Anthony Axford Indoor Competition on Sunday.

Defending champions Social Circle and Westhoughton easily beat Atherton and Blackrod, respectively, while Tonge gave Horwich a decent test and Lostock won a close-fought match with Daisy Hill with just two balls to spare.

Westhoughton got the action started at Bolton School, posting 108-4 with Danny Naylor scoring 35 not out and Matthew Morris 31.

Joe Speak took 2-31 before his side got off to a reasonable start scoring 11 off the first two overs.

An almighty collapse saw them lose all their wickets in the next four overs, scoring just 19 in the process against good bowling by Simon Ashcroft (2-8) and new signing Matthew Morris (2-2).

Daisy Hill and Lostock then took centre stage with the former scoring 73-4.

They lost opener Imtiaz Cheema in the first over with the score on two before slowing building up a competitive total with top scorer Mark Chilton scoring 28 not out ably supported by Stephen Hodgkinson with 17 not out.

Lostock timed their reply to perfection with Rob Holgate scoring with 25 not out.

Social Circle then made short work of Atherton, using just six of their allotted overs and losing only one wicket getting the 55 runs needed for victory.

Top scorer for Atherton was captain Callum Barlow who was run out for 23, and the pick of the Social Circle bowlers were Billy Coleman with 2-13 off his three overs and Ryan Ayres' 2-22.

Ayres also top scored with 27 not out and Paul Walsh took the only wicket to fall in the FSC innings when he bowled David Tonge for 12.

The final game of the day saw Phil Cavill’s young Horwich side take on Tonge who gave a good account of themselves scoring 100-3.

Nigel Partington scored 26 not out and Iqbal Gulzar 21 with Horwich's Dean Morris taking 2-18 off his three overs.

The first three Horwich batsmen, Cavill, Lewis Haydock and Morris all had to retire upon reaching 25.

The only wicket to fall came when the score was on 74 and the target was reached with two overs to spare.

The competition continues on Sunday with the quarter-final schedule as follows:

12.30pm Eagley v Kearsley, 1.45pm FSC v Lostock, 3pm Farnworth v Westhoughton, 4.15pm Walkden v Horwich.