WESTHOUGHTON’S superb start to the Bolton Cricket League season saw them win a sixth successive match - against Eagley - to remain top with 36 points.

Matty Morris (57) and Rob Houghton (48) put on 99 in an opening partnership, before Agha Salman hit 95 and Rob Brown a half-century as they reached 280-6, Harvey Seigne taking 4-106 for Eagley.

Asif Hussain (95) and Seigne (50) helped Eagley to 138-2, but later in the innings four wickets fell for five runs with Kamran Younas taking 4-88 and they ended 56 runs short, leaving them in ninth place on 15 points.

In second place, on 34 points, are Farnworth Social Circle, who slipped from 59-2 to 119 all out with Adnan Mufti taking 5-26 for Walkden.

With Joe Ducker recording figures of 5-14 for Circle, Walkden were bowled out for 77, leaving then in last place with five points.

Horwich are third with 29 points having amassed 304-5 with Joe Baldwin batting through the innings for 106 not out.

Josh Little hit a half-century and Jordan Higham scored 32 from 12 balls.

Shah Ali made 55 in Little Hulton’s 149, Jack Berry taking 6-18, leaving Little Hulton in 13th position on seven points.

In fourth place are Lostock on 28 points. Akbar ur Rehman (60) and Robbie Holgate, who finished 67no, were the main contributors as Lostock reached 121-2 but the later batsmen were unable to capitalise and they ended on 193-7, with Dan Higham taking 3-42.

Ross Sutton, with 46, was top scorer for Farnworth who won by three wickets, and are sixth on 22 points. Rehman took 3-39 for Lostock and Adam Syddall chipped in with 3-62.

Only nine Bolton League players have taken nine wickets in a match and scored a half century, the most recent being Rod Estwick in 1986.

On Saturday, Astley Bridge’s professional Lesiba Ngoepe became the 10th, taking 9-24 to reduce Atherton from 68-1 to 104 all out, then hitting 51 as Bridge won by six wickets.

This win puts Bridge in fifth place on 27 points and leaves Atherton in joint 10th along with Kearsley and Tonge.

Blackrod and Little Lever both have 18 points, with Lever winning this weekend’s match by four wickets chasing Blackrod’s 139, Curtis Anderton taking 3-24 and Aneeq Hassan returning 3-45.

Tonge scored 142, with Chesney Hughes making 40 of those. Ben Chapman took 3-19 for Kearsley and George Higham 4-41.

Yashoda Lanka, with 78no, hit more than half of Kearsley’s runs as they won by four wickets.

On Sunday, both Bolton League clubs exited the Royal London National Knockout at the group semi-final stages.

Westhoughton lost to Leigh by six wickets, with Morris hitting 94 in their 238-9, and chasing Furness’ 152 Walkden lost three wickets on five runs, repeating the feat 45 runs later to leave them 50-6.

Harry Morgan, who had taken 4-21 in the first innings, led the recovery but they still finished 19 runs short.

In the T20 on Friday, Akbar ur Rehman hit 95 in Lostock’s 164-4, then took three wickets as Farnworth were dismissed for 119.

Marlon Welcome Goodman scored 86 out of Westhoughton’s 161-8. Atherton were in the game at 99-2 but finished 126-8.

Kearsley’s 121 was easily surpassed as Ngoepe smashed 63 from 28 balls to give Astley Bridge a nine-wicket victory.

Adnan Mufti’s half-century steered Walkden to victory chasing Blackrod’s 111, and in the final match Craig Naylor’s 53 for Tonge was in vain as Brett Pelser (73) and James Enslin (53) took Horwich to a nine-wicket win.