What happened in latest round of Bolton Cricket League action

With all teams having now played 11 matches, Horwich sit second, three points behind, with Social Circle third, a further two adrift.

On Saturday, a 92-run partnership between Kimani Melius and Marlon Welcome-Goodman rescued Westhoughton from 24-3 against Astley Bridge as they went on to post 192. David Cryer took 3-31.

Bridge reached 66-1 but Welcome Goodman took 4-11 and they were dismissed for 119.

Horwich were in trouble at 140-7, with Zain Abbas taking 3-52 and Daniel Hughes 3-25 for Atherton. However Jordan Higham hit 45 not out, including an invaluable 45-run last wicket partnership with Lewis Haydock, in a total of 224-9.

In the second innings Atherton were again strong favourites at 137-2 thanks to a 93-run partnership between Saif Ur Rehman (77) and Callum Barlow (58), however Haydock took 4-55 and Brett Pelser 3-39 to dismiss them for 208.

Lostock’s good run continues, and they move into fourth place above Little Lever thanks to a three-wicket win against them. Lever were indebted to replacement professional Agha Salman who hit 79 in their 134 all out, Tom Sheen and Usman Tariq both taking three wickets for Lostock.

At 93-6 Lostock looked in trouble, with Salman taking 3-43, but Alex Senior and James Evans rescued them.

Little Hulton were struggling at 33-6 against Tonge, but a 69-run partnership between Saj Patel (39) and Sarfaj Bhochaka (36) helped them to a total of 127. Alex Rodzoch took 3-16 and Connor Lord 3-22 before Tonge overtook this score for the loss of four wickets.

Despite Cameron Murray’s half century Kearsley could only muster 106 all out against Blackrod. Akash Senarathna recorded the best figures of the day, 8-35, then hit 60 in a century partnership with with Tush De Zoysa as Blackrod raced to an eight-wicket victory in 14 overs.

Walkden hit the biggest score of the day with 297-4 before Darcy Lever were dismissed for just 59.

Callum Waring scored 34 of Darcy Lever's 59 runs

A 16- run partnership between Asim Bhatti (118) and Akbar Rehman (71) provided the backbone of the innings, then Tariq Maqsood took 5-18.

Due to Covid, Farnworth and Eagley were unable to play, and the points for the match will be decided after each club has completed 14 matches before the league splits into the top eight and lower seven.

In second XI action, the leading five clubs have all but secured their places in the top section with 12 points now separating fifth-placed Astley Bridge from the rest.

Westhoughton’s hopes of leading the table at the split took a blow with a six-wicket defeat at the hands of Astley Bridge.

Batting first they posted a very useful looking 208-7, but Bridge had other ideas and chased the score down with six overs to spare. Ady Cooper was the star of the chase with an unbeaten 99, with Haaris Akhtar making 37 and Rob Hitchen 26*. Jamie McAndrew had led the Westhoughton charge with 47 as Ian Pilkington and Harry Honour both added 39 with Ramesh Patel taking 5-69.

Darcy Lever grabbed the chance to go back to the top with a five-wicket win over Walkden, although having dismissed their visitors for just 90 they might have expected an easier win. Mehran Anwar took 7-27 and Adil Sajjad 3-6 for Darcy before Walkden’s Barty Pickles took 3-54 as Salman Younis, 36 not out, saw Darcy home.

Horwich RMI closed the gap on third place as they romped to a six-wicket win at Atherton. The home side were all out for 168 thanks mainly to Dan Hudspith’s 45 and Matt Nolan with 40 as Will Pennington took 4-26. Jake Swindells then led RMI home with an unbeaten 89.

Lostock posted back-to-back wins for the first time season with a 99-run win at Victory Road over Little Lever.

Batting first they made 225-9, Harry Jackson making 53 as Hassan Subhari took 5-45. Having taken 3-10, Simon Anderton then played pretty much a lone hand with the bat with his undefeated 65 providing more than half of the Lever reply of 126 with three wickets each for Tom Mills, Louis Greenhalgh and George Jackson.

Tonge ruthlessly took advantage of a depleted Little Hulton to win by 178 runs at Castle Hill. Despite Steven Marshall’s 5-63, Tonge made an imposing 259 all out with Shehzad Arif hitting 98.

Danny Holt then took 4-30 as Little Hulton collapsed to just 81 all out in reply.

Blackrod made 207-8 against Kearsley at Vicarage Road, Matthew Westhead making 69 as Neil Thompson picked up 4-39.

George Banks, 51, and Paul Gregory, 40, gave Kearsley some hope but Jacob Ashworth’s 5-41 helped bowl them out for 161 and secure a 46-run success.