FLIXTON extended their lead at the top of the table to 11 points in typical, hard-hitting fashion in a rain-affected game at home to Adlington.

Chasing the visitors’ respectable total 224-8, the Manchester side had reached 128-2 when rain interrupted proceedings after 32 overs with Ashley Perry and Alton Beckford still at the crease – professional Steve Lang having led the reply with 56.

When they returned – the target having been revised down to 207 after the loss oif five over – Flixton needed 79 from 11 overs, which Perry and Beckford achieved with two overs to spare.

Beckford, who had been dropped on 10, finished with 66 not out with Perry at the other end unbeaten on 45 – the pair having plundered 18 and 16 off two particularly productive overs.

It was tough on Adlington who had recovered from a poor start that saw them on the ropes at 47-4 to post 200-plus.

Ben King top-scored with 40 going in at number nine and Mark Halliwell (34) and Stuart Plowes (33) batted well preventing the Flixton attack - Steve Hammond (4-69) and Luke Perry (3-66) – having it all their own way.

Elton’s hopes of keeping the pressure on Flixton were washed out in a rain-affected game at Leigh Lane, where Lostock won by a seven-wicket margin.

David Flanagan (3-38), Conner Hicklin (2-15) and Aaron Mullins (2-7) supported by some excellent fielding helped the visitors bowl out the Bury side, who started the day second in the table, for 150 - Chris Read (43) and Adam Stansfield (36) the pick of the batsmen.

It was a gettable target which, reduced to 115 because of the rain interruption, Lostock reached for the loss of just three wickets, Mullins leading the way with an unbeaten 56 and Daniel Cockton chipping in with 37. Mark Goddard was the pick of the Elton bowlers with 3-14.

Bury replaced their local rivals in second spot with a quickfire victory at Golborne, where the action was over and done with by 4.45pm.

Golborne, who were 27-8 at one stage, made it to 80 before being bowled out in the 32nd over –Josh Hallion (25) the only one of the home batsmen to show any serious resistance to the bowling of Matt White (5-10) and Alex Breckin (3-11). Twenty-eight of the 80 runs were extras.

It was no contest for Bury, who knocked off the required runs for the loss of just one wicket inside 14 overs – Simon Belston finishing unbeaten on 50.

Atherton moved into third place with a fairly routine seven-wicket win at Little Hulton, where Jamar Griffith again showed his all-round abilities, taking 4-35 in support of Rashon Primus (4-14) to dismiss the home side for 103 before hitting an unbeaten 67 as the reigning champions strolled to victory.

Daisy Hill captain Mark Wood called it right when he won the toss and elected to bat first at home to Astley and Tyldesley.

Craig Atherton top scored with 43 as Daisy posted 197 – Wood (24) and Amjid Khan (23) adding what proved to be valuable runs against a bowling attack of Travis Wadsworth (3-63) and Simon Nicklin (3-26).

It was a target A&T never looked like threatening in the face of tight bowling by Stephen Hodgkinson in particular and paid for their lack of urgency when the predicted downpour halted their innings at 81-3 (Wadsworth 42no) – 48 runs short of the revised total of 129.

Darcy Lever slipped up at home to Blackrod, who had Tush De Zoysa to thank for a nine-wicket win.

De Zoysa took 6-30 from 12 overs as Darcy, who were fourth going into the game, were bowled out for just 85, then hit an unbeaten 61 as the visitors took just 17 overs to secure the points.

Edgworth’s revival continued with a 46-run victory at home to Swinton Moorside in another of the rain-affected games – their sixth successive win in all competititons.

Guy Haynes (54no) and professional Liam Watkinson (40) led the way as Edgworth reached 195-8 from their 48 overs and although Callum Flynn (33no) looked comfortable at the crease, the visitors managed just 79-3 chasing a revised target of 124 from 25 overs.

Winton fell 29 runs short of the revised target they were set at Walshaw where the home side batted assuredly to reach 223-9, Jack McClung (67), Gavin Nicholl (39) and Darren Foy (37) again making their presence felt.

Rowan Bricker (35) and Justin Cramash (22no) led the Winton reply but it was nowhere near enough and when he rains came after 26 overs, they had reached just 117-5 – when they needed 146.

It was the other way round a Worsley where Standish, initially chasing he home side’s total of 179-9 managed to overhaul the adjusted target of 128 with four wickets to spare. Paul Smith (46) and Simon Hall (26) led the way after Michael Gould had taken 5-23 off eight overs to prevent the home side running away with it, Tony Kelly (47) and Niall Burke (45) having got their eyes in.

Daisy Hill 197 Astley and Tyldesley 81-3.

Daisy Hill won by 48 runs (revised target).

Darcy Lever 85 Blackrod 87-1 Blackrod won by 9 wkts.

Edgworth 195-8 Swinton Moorside 79-3 Edgworth won by 46 runs (revised target).

Flixton 210-2 Adlington 224-8 Filxton won by 8 wkts (revised target).

Golborne 80 Bury 82-1 Bury won by 9 wkts.

Elton 150 Lostock 125-3 Lostock won by 7 wkts (revised target).

Little Hulton 103 Atherton 104-3 Atherton won by 7 wkts.

Walshaw 223-9 Winton 117-7 Walshaw won by 29 runs (revised target).

Worsley 131-6 Standish 179-9 Worsley won by 4 wkts.