FARNWORTH Social Circle took a giant step towards securing the Bolton League Second XI Premiership title as a crushing win over second-placed Astley Bridge extended their lead at the top to 14 points with just 21 more points to play for.

Batting first they posted a handy 211-9, thanks in the main to Christian Walsh (51), Michael Knight (35) and Michael Daley (31) with the Bridge bowlers sharing out the wickets.

A great spell of 5-29 by Simon Harrison undermined the Bridge reply with only Bilal Patel (23) and Jamie Cooper (27) getting going in a total of 138.

Horwich RMI consolidated their grip on third place with a 10-wicket win against Bradshaw at the Recreation Ground.

Tim de Gelder played pretty much a lone hand with 24 as his side collapsed to just 70 all out against the bowling of Andy Taylor (4-21), Kaleem Asghar (3-19) and Jacob Whittaker (3-18).

Phil Cavill, with 50 not out, and Jake Swindells then raced to the target in just 13 overs.

Little Hulton are doomed to relegation but their latest defeat saw them come agonisingly close to snatching a win against Kearsley, losing out by just two runs.

Umar Rathore led the chase with 55 but with the next highest score only 16 they were bowled out for 112 with Joe Capstick taking 6-43 for Kearsley.

Kearsley, too, had struggled for runs with 34 from Darren Whittle and Chinath Shivakumar (21) top scoring in a total of 114-9, with Rathore completing a good all-round game with 4-29.

The remaining relegation spot remains between Heaton, Westhoughton and Farnworth.

With Westhoughton losing to Darcy Lever, Farnworth closed the gap on the other two with a 19-run win against Heaton. Farnworth were struggling on 74-6 before a stand of 112 between Dave Rushton (62no) and Stephen Bradley (40no) helped them recover to 186-6 as Jake Corrigan took 4-32.

Corrigan then hit 23 to support the efforts of Nikhil Malni (33) and Tom Sleigh (21no), but Abdullah Ishaq (4-19) and Joe Rushton (4-50) helped bowl them out for 167.

Westhoughton lost a close game to Darcy Lever who came out on top by just two wickets.

Having posted 130 batting first Seb Miller, with 4-29, and James Burrow (3-47) almost snatched a win but Sajawal Khan (27) and Mohammed Hussein (21) helped Darcy to edge home.

Miller had earlier top-scored with 26 as his side struggled to 130, with Arslan Javad taking 5-23.

Lostock have guaranteed promotion and almost the Association title as their 10-wicket win against Tonge leaves them 21 points clear at the top with the same number of points left to play for.

And as the clubs in joint second – Adlington and Walkden – play each other in the final game of the season, only one could mathematically catch them and pinch the title.

Their latest win was a comfortable 10-wicket effort over a depleted Tonge despite battling knocks from Hasib Patel (36) and Nathan Brooks (33) as the visitors managed just 105.

A century opening stand between Ryan Crombie and Asghar Ali, who both hit an unbeaten 37, took Lostock to the verge of their first trophy in the BCL.

Adlington kept up the chase with a six-wicket win against Daisy Hill as they chased down a target of 154, thanks mainly to Mick Flatters, who hit 62, and Joe Leather, with an unbeaten 61, seeing them home.

Earlier, Daisy Hill had made 153-7 with the main contributions coming from Chris Charters on 58 and Joe Leeming (43).

Walkden stay in contention courtesy of a narrow six-run win at Little Lever.

Chasing a target of 176, Callum Rushmore, with 35, Don Heyes (29) and James Barlow (26) kept them in with a shout but Mo Razzaq’s 4-47 helped to restrict them to 169.

Razzaq also starred with the bat, hitting 50 in the Walkden innings of 175 with James Wilson adding 36 and Tom Gaskill 33 as Jon Pendlebury picked up 5-22.

Eagley’s slump continued as visitors Golborne comfortably beat them by a margin of 83 runs.

Batting first Golborne managed to reach 166 all out, despite the efforts of Will Owen, who took 3-48, with the main contributions coming from George Corfield (46) and Jordan Close (48).

Corfield was then one of three bowlers to take three wickets in the Eagley reply, returning figures of 3-33 to give good support to Ben Lyon (3-9) and Jamie Foster (3-22) as they collapsed to 83 all out. Craig Faulkner, with 31no, provided the only real resistance.

Last Sunday’s Stafford Trophy quarter-finals were decimated by the weather but three of the games were completed by bowl outs with Farnworth Social Circle, Westhoughton and Darcy Lever progressing to the semi-finals, with Heaton and Little Hulton playing this weekend.