FAST bowler Liam Bones shone as league leaders Farnworth Social Circle made light work of beating bottom club Eagley by eight wickets on Saturday.

The left-armer was unplayable in returning fine figures of 7-18 from 16 overs as the home side reached just 89 all out after failing to recover from 13-3.

Eagley pro Agar Salman could not repeat his 95 from last week and was out for just a single run with top scorer being Asif Bhojani (21).

Social Circle reached 91-2 comfortably in reply with top scorers David Tonge (40) and pro Rameez Alam (21) in a match that was all over by 5.20pm.

Third-placed Westhoughton kept up the pressure at the top with a 155-run win thanks to a century from Atiq Uz-Zaman at Little Lever.

Uz-Zaman hit an unbeaten 124 and was supported by in-form professional Qaiser Abbas who hit 59 as the Howfeners posted a daunting 267-3; Mark Martin the only bowler to have any joy with 2-36.

Abbas then shone with the ball to take 5-27 and was joined by Matt Fanning (3-27) as Little Lever were bowled out for 112 – Josh Hill top scoring with 33.

Second-placed Bradshaw also won – by 99 runs at home to Greenmount.

Anthony Jones hit 10 fours and three sixes on his way to 73 for the hosts while skipper Saeed Anwar Jnr (41) and Nick Lester (39) weighed in as Bradshaw reached 210.

It might have been a bigger total but for good bowling from Phil Heaton (5-87) with Phil Ingram also taking three wickets.

But Bradshaw’s bowlers were also in good nick and Steve Foster (5-43) and Mohamed Jameel (2-15) helped skittle the visitors out for 111.

Greenmount could only send out 10 batsmen due to Steve Ashworth being unable to bat after injuring a finger attempting a catch in the field in the hosts’ innings.

Former Bradshaw wicketkeeper Chris Evans top scored with 21 for the visitors and Jack Harrison scored 20 not out.

Farnworth completed a clean sweep of victories for the top four with an 11-run triumph at Egerton.

Captain Simon Booth (51) hit a half century and Scott Mather chipped in with 42 as the Lavender Road men posted 182-8 despite some economical bowling from Amal Dalugoda (4-45) and Amal Athulathmudali (2-44).

Egerton made a fight of their response with Will Halton hitting 62 and David Morris Jnr scoring 44.

But three wickets apiece for Adil Nisar (3-17) and pro Carl Raubenheimer (3-44) restricted them to 171-9.

David Cryer returned figures of 7-64 and Rick Northrop top scored with 41 for Astley Bridge in their four-wicket win at home to Thwaites Hamer Cup winners Heaton.

The visitors posted 125 with pro Humayun Farhat scoting 73 of those but despite tight bowling from Danny Reeve (4-31), Heaton could not avoid defeat as the hosts reached 128-6.

Elsewhere, Sabah Ghaus took 6-69 and Grant Cordin 3-46 to help Kearsley to a six-wicket win at Tonge.

The hosts reached 120 with Aaron Fletcher (26) and Sri Lankan Chanaka Ruwansiri (22) the top scorers.

But Kearsley pro Chesney Hughes (46) and Joe McCann (35) saw their side home to reach 124-4 despite Gulam Abbas’s (2-20) best efforts.

Walkden enjoyed a comfortable nine-wicket home victory against Horwich.

The hosts scored 93-1 in response to Horwich’s 92 all out.

 

Saturday’s results

Egerton 171-9 Farnworth 182-8. Farnworth won by 11 runs.

Eagley 89 Farnworth Social Circle 91-2, Farnworth SC won by 8 wkts.

Bradshaw 210 Greenmount 111. Bradshaw won by 99 runs.

Astley Bridge 128-6 Heaton 125. Astley Bridge won by 4 wkts.

Walkden 93-1 Horwich 92. Walkden won by 9 wkts.

Tonge 120 Kearsley 124-4. Kearsley won by 6 wkts.

Little Lever 112 Westhoughton 267-3. Westhoughton won by 155 runs.