THERE was drama in the middle of the division where Eagley won the duel with Little Lever for who would be playing in the top division next season.

With Heaton getting the point they needed to sure of playing in the top flight when their home game against Golborne was abandoned, it came down to Eagley and Little Lever for who would take the final place in the higher section.

And it was Eagley who claimed it despite losing at home to Farnworth as Little Lever failed to get the win which would have seen them leapfrog the Dunscar side.

Eagley started the day in the prized 10th position knowing that if they beat Farnworth on their own ground there would be nothing Little Lever could do about it.

Lose however, and the Victory Road side would jump above them if they could beat Bradshaw at home.

In the event neither side could get the precious win leaving Eagley able to look forward to a season playing the top sides and Little Lever facing a season in the lower league.

Eagley gave a good account of themselves against a Farnworth side who fielded a full-strength side and showed no signs of having one eye on their big Lancashire Knockout final the following day.

The home side posted 180-7 mainly thanks to two valuable innings by young Will Shuttleworth and veteran Mike Ward.

Eighteen-year-old Shuttleworth capped a memorable season which has also seen him shine at age-group inter-league level with a majestic knock of 70.

Opener Ward scored 44 to get his side off to a confident start and deputy pro Ahmed Said added 28.

Eagley then applied the pressure on Farnworth with the ball and had the visitors reeling at 75-6 and then 111-7, Farnworth pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi scoring 39 after returning to Britain following a trip home to Sri Lanka.

But, as so often with Farnworth, they found a way to get over the line and came up with two matchwinners in Chris Wilson and Ian McLellan at the end.

Eagley could not shift either of them as number nine Wilson scored 27 not out and number 10 McLellan once again proved how difficult he is to get out when he needs to occupy the wicket as he finished unbeaten on 26, the pair guiding their side to a two-wicket win which sees them finish fourth in the table.

Eagley, whose deputy pro Said took 4-75, now needed Bradshaw to do them a favour. And the Rigbys side duly obliged with a 61-run win at Little Lever which looked unlikely when the visitors posted 123-7 (Atiq Uz-Zaman 27, Asher Zaidi 24; Kamran Younis 4-56).

Little Lever could not get started as they found sub pro Zaidi hard to play. He took 5-16 off 11.3 overs and only two batsmen got into double figures, Simon Anderton with 14 and his nephew Curtis Anderton who finished 18 not out in what could be his final game as he plans to quit playing.