BRADSHAW may have chased down a big total at home to Farnworth Social Circle but their four-wicket victory was ultimately in vain.

Although they were triumphant, Farnworth’s win against Eagley meant nearest challengers Bradshaw cannot catch them now at the top.

Social Circle chose to bat first and reached 56 before Andrew Lane’s wicket was the first to fall. David Tonge (29) departed with one more added, to bring Jake Scicluna and Ryan Ayres together. They put on 176 for the third wicket, before Ayres went for 73.

Scicluna eventually departed for 89 as Social Circle reached 281-7, Sachithra Serasinghe taking 4-80.

And after coming in at three with Bradshaw on 2-1 Serasinghe then proved immovable at the crease, scoring an unbeaten 191 in their successful chase.

Horwich RMI were convincing winners at Heaton, putting on 237-7 and then bowling their hosts out for 102.

Muhammad Irfan had little back-up in Heaton’s bowling attack as Brett Pelser scored 85 for Horwich. Irfan also led the way with the bat, coming in at 10 and top-scoring with 18 while Horwich’s five bowlers – Lewis Haydock, Liam Bones, Harry McManus, Fazil Hassan and Adam Knowles – each took two scalps.

Lostock’s low total of 139 proved enough to beat Walkden.

Tahir Maqsood took 6-47 for Walkden and Rob Holgate and Mark Cregan each scored 42 but, with little support elsewhere in the line-up, Lostock did not look like they had given themselves much to defend.

Maqsood was also Walkden’s leading scorer in the reply with 37 not out. But, with David Flanagan’s five-wicket haul, their final wicket fell on 124 with Walkden 15 runs short.

Qaiser Abbas had the starring role as Westhoughton beat Kearsley by 57 runs.

He was unbeaten on 115 as they scored 209-8, Dave Mather taking 5-103 for Kearsley.

Abbas then weighed in with 5-64 as Kearsley were bowled out for 152.