Clitheroe and Read clinched double Bank Holiday wins to take control at the top of the Houldsworth Ribblesdale League Senior Division.

With ten games gone, the pair boast a 17-point advantage over champions Barnoldswick, who are picking up the pace after a slow start to their title defence.

Certainly, Clitheroe, champions in 2010, are good value for their lead and grabbed a maximum 24 points with wins over Oswaldtwistle Immanuel and Ribblesdale Wanderers.

‘Ossie’ were swept aside by 144 runs before Kashif Siddique dominated Wanderers with a superb all-round performance.

The Pakistani star finished with 8-28 to help dismiss their visitors for only 95.

Siddique then hit an unbeaten 43 as Clitheroe passed their target losing only one wicket.

Read haven’t lifted the senior league trophy since the last of their three successive wins in 2004.

But they have been runners-up in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and now hold an almost identical record to Clitheroe. Just two bonus points separate the teams.

Read amassed nearly 500 runs in two days, beating Earby and Padiham with something to spare.

Joey Marshall (77), Mohammed Jamal (72) and Conor Lowes (70) helped them to 273-9 against Padiham, despite Chris Holt’s best efforts.

Holt took 8-117 and made 68 but Padiham lost by 113 runs. Indeed, spare a thought for the Arbories outfit’s paid man.

Holt achieved another half-century/fifer double (88 and 5-86) last Saturday, only for Great Harwood to register a four-wicket win.

‘Barlick’ doubled their win tally to suggest it would be foolish to write off their chances of retaining their title.

Whalley were routed by ten wickets and Earby brushed aside by seven wickets 24 hours later.

Brooksbottom, despite continuing  ground problems, enjoyed their best weekend since arriving in the Ribblesdale League.

Their battle of the newcomers against Euxton proved a one-sided affair.

Brooksbottom’s 277-6 was the second highest score of the weekend before they routed their bottom-of-the-table opponents for 89.

Against fourth-placed Edenfield last Sunday, Brooksbottom’s bowlers were again on top form. 
Edenfield were skittled out for 66 in 30 overs before their visitors reached their target after just 11.5 overs.

Salesbury, the last club admitted to the top flight before this year’s additions, now look to have found their feet.

Twice wooden spoonists after gaining promotion for 2010 and third from bottom in 2012, the Ribchester Road side are mid-table with four wins from their ten games, with only three defeats.

Professional Susantha Pradeep was too good for Cherry Tree with 5-49, followed by a match-winning 84 out of 148-6.

Settle Seconds lost to Cherry Tree by seven wickets, but not before David Hulse hit a marathon 43 runs from 98 balls, with fine support from John Tarbox (23) and Neil Handy (19) in a total of 121.

Eddie Read bowled unchanged for Settle Firsts at Ribblesdale Wanderers, taking 4-73.

Facing 171-6, there was good work from Peter Cook (13) and Aneeq Hassan (33), and an excellent rearguard 35 from Tom Strickland was not enough as Settle could only make 131.

On Sunday, Mansoor Amjad (5-51) and Andrew Davidson (4-23) hustled visitors Salesbury out for 114 but Hassan (78) was the only man to get double figures as Settle lost by four runs.