Earby professional Fahid Rehman hit an unbeaten 102 as they beat Great Harwood to move above them in the Senior Division.

Richard Craddock won the toss and invited Great Harwood to take first use of the Applegarth pitch.

Craddock opened the bowling and conceded just one run off his first four overs.

His accuracy was the perfect foil to Jake Har- greaves’s wicket taking.

He dismissed both openers, Ian Haworth and Paul Clifford as the visitors were made to struggle.

Great Harwood professional Tiian Cloete and Patrick Swanney came together and settled things down with a third-wicket stand of 70 in 17 overs.

Cloete brought up his half- century off 63 balls but fell four balls later caught off the bowling of Danny Kegg.

Hassan Pazeer came and went without scoring, but skipper Paul Houldsworth (26) added 58 with Swanney before the returning Cradd- ock bowled him.

Paul Whalley hit two sixes as he made 17 off eight balls before he was removed by Iain Clarkson.

Paul Walker made a brisk 24 while Swanney was unbeaten on 75 to leave Earby chasing 208 to win.

Earby sent Chris Walton out to open with Rehman and they got the innings off to a rapid start.

Ben Dowling’s first ball flew down the leg side for five wides and the Earby batsmen took another nine runs off the first over.

The scoreboard continued to rattle along as 17 came from his second over.

Stuart Maher was also proving expensive as Earby raced to 44-0 after four overs.

Great Harwood hoped they had put a break on the scoring when Maher bowled Walton for 30, but Rehman found a good ally in Rory Robinson, back after a spell in the second team.

Robinson played the support role in a second-wicket stand of 122 before being bowled by Paul Clifford for 38.With the total on 157 with half the overs remaining, Great Harwood needed to remover Rehman to have any chance, but the pro marched on.

Rehman completed his century, an innings which contained 18 fours, as Earby wrapped up victory. The pro has now scored 859 league runs.

Clifford picked up 2-37, but surprisingly pacemen Dowling (0-52 off five overs) and Stuart Maher (1-51 off nine overs) posed no threat to the Earby batsmen.

Earby visit third-placed Read on Saturday.