Not even rain could beat runaway leaders Little Lever as they closed in on the inaugural Anthony Axford North West Cricket League Premiership title with a seven-wicket home win against Feniscowles during a disrupted Saturday.

Josh Gent’s side made it 13 straight wins chasing a revised 97 in 25 overs. Curtis Anderton and Andy Flear struck three times apiece as Feniscowles were bowled out for 116. Unbeaten Australian pro Jake Lehmann underpinned a routine chase with 39.

The maximum 12-point haul took the Victory Road side to 148 - 36 points ahead of Eagley with 10 rounds remaining.

Eagley replaced Farnworth, who lost at Read, in second. Eagley beat Earby (87 all out) by eight wickets at home for win number eight. Pakistani professional Ayaz Tasawar claimed 4-19 from 14 overs. Having taken the new ball, he later underpinned the chase of a revised 66 with 28. Junior left-arm spinner Luca Doyle also impressed with three wickets.

Three games were rained off. Two bottom-half clashes were abandoned in the first innings. Brinscall were 170-6 after 39 overs hosting Atherton and Cherry Tree 148-6 at home to Baxenden. Opener Sam Maclachlan top-scored for Brinscall with 62, Ross Bretherton and Mark Hadfield hit 52 apiece for Cherry Tree.

Astley Bridge and Padiham also took three points each. Hosts Bridge were 79-5 after 16 overs chasing a revised 144 after Padiham’s 192-7 in 38. Callum Clarke opened with 58 for Padiham and Lesiba Ngoepe claimed five wickets.

Below Little Lever, only 12 points separate second-placed Eagley (112) and Kearsley (100) in eighth. Kearsley’s eighth win in nine matches came by seven wickets at home to Settle (104 all out) as they chased a revised 82. Neylan Chauhan claimed 5-49 from 11.5 overs before captain Cameron Murray hit an unbeaten 44.

Farnworth Social Circle are third after they beat Walkden by six wickets chasing a revised 114. Walkden fell from 115-3 to 142 all out, Jameel Stuart and Bradley Barrow claiming four wickets apiece. Barrow got opener Harris Khan for 60 before FSC opener Elliot Colclough hit an unbeaten 48.

Salesbury are fifth having beaten Ribblesdale Wanderers at home, thanks to South African sub pro Jacques Snyman’s brilliant all-round effort. He opened with 114 not out off 68 balls in 175-6 in 29.4 overs. Ian Britcliffe claimed all six wickets for a Wanderers side whose target was 195 off 30 overs and then 177 off 25. They finished on 110-9, including Snyman’s 5-53.

Blackrod (163 all out) are sixth following a 14-run win at local rivals Lostock, who finished on 84-7 pursuing 99 in 20 overs. Indian pro Ankit Lamba opened with 68 for Blackrod, whose new-ball duo Matthew Readey and Saminda Senapathi (4-40) shared seven wickets.

Indian sub pro Chirag Khurana claimed a brilliant 4-6 from 2.4 overs as Barnoldswick claimed an unlikely 44-run win at Tonge, bowling the hosts out for 67 as they chased a revised 112 in 26 overs. Tonge, having earlier restricted Barnoldswick to 139-8 in 37 - Khurana made 34 -slumped from 30-1.

Oswaldtwistle Immanuel beat bottom-half rivals Whalley by six wickets chasing a revised 105.

Levi Wolfenden hit 66 in Whalley’s 118-3 in 33.4 overs before Sagar Vijay Trivedi’s unbeaten 33 led the way for Oswaldtwistle.