FARNWORTH extended their gap at the top of the Premiership Division to 15 points after a routine win against Heaton.

The Bridgeman Park outfit bowled their visitors out for 138 in the first innings, thanks to the impressive bowling of Kamran Younas (4-60), Imran Mirza (3-40) and Dan Higham (2-13).

Raheel Majeed was the only batsman of note, hitting 37.

Jon Kerrigan batted all the way through in reply, scoring 78 not out, and Mirza added 22 as the victory was wrapped up inside 20 overs with five wickets to spare.

Losses for Kearsley, Westhoughton and Farnworth Social Circle meant Farnworth extended their lead at the summit of the table on a perfect day for the league leaders.

However, skipper Simon Booth claims his side still have a lot of work to do before they can start to taste their first title in five years.

“It’s never over,” said Booth. “We still have to win four games out of six which is a big ask in itself.

“We still have some tough fixtures to come. We have to go to Horwich, which is a place we never do well at, Lostock is a new place and Farnworth Social Circle – that is a huge game for the club and they will do their best to knock us off our perch.

“If we were to lose two or three in a row and those behind us put a run together then who knows what can happen, we just have to try to keep on winning.

“Heaton have always been a bit of a bogey team for us in recent years so it was good to get a win against them. It was kind of a perfect day with the other results."

Walkden dashed Kearsley’s title hopes with a narrow 21-run victory.

Dave Mather bowled a six-wicket haul for the Springfield Road side as the visitors were all out for 113 in the first innings.

Tayler Heyes top scored with 23 and Jonathan Fowler also hit 22, batting in eighth.

Kearsley’s response looked in trouble from the off as their top three batsmen fell for 11 runs.

Tahir Maqsood (6-23) and Fowler (3-20) were turning the screw with the ball which saw the hosts bowled out for 86 – Cameron Murray top scored with 28 with the bat.

Bradshaw replaced opponents Westhoughton in third place in the table following a comfortable 82-run win at St George’s Oval.

The Rigbys outfit made a decent start to the first innings as openers Stuart Hornby (20) and Tom Liversedge (19) put on a 42-run opening wicket partnership.

Sachithra Serasinghe then added 42 as the score was boosted up to 142 before they were bowled out.

Oliver Newby (4-43) and Qaiser Abbas (6-34) did the damage with the ball.

But then the shock of the day came as Bradshaw bowled their visitors out for 58.

Scott Howarth (4-13), Marwan Mohammad (4-22) and Phil Dickinson (2-23) formed the bowling attack which rocked the Howfeners.

Only Higham, batting in eighth, managed to score any runs of note, hitting 23.

Results

Eagley 152-3 Farnworth Social Circle 151, Eagley won by 7 wkts.

Farnworth 144-5 Heaton 138, Farnworth won by 5 wkts.

Kearsley 86 Walkden 113, Walkden won by 27 runs.

Lostock 158 Horwich 161-5, Horwich won by 5 wkts.

Westhoughton 58 Bradshaw 140, Bradshaw won by 82 runs.