Barnoldswick know that if they are to retain the Senior Division title they won last season they need to beat leaders Clitheroe at Victory Park this Sunday.

Currently the gap between the sides is 12 points, but Barnoldswick certainly aren’t giving up the fight.

They showed that on Saturday when they beat the least competitive Baxenden side for many years by three wickets.

The undoubted hero of their latest success was Matt Nutter.

He was pressed into action as makeshift opening bowler with Saj Akhtar and responded by taking (5-50).

With Akhtar picking up 5-43, Baxeden were dismissed for 97. They stepped up to the plate when professional Imran Khalid opted to rest his shoulder in readiness for the following day’s Lancashire Cricket Board Cup tie.

In reply, Barnoldswick set off like a house on fire and reached 50-1 in no time at all, mainly due to Nutter’s 40 runs, which included three sixes.

The, by now, customary wobble then set in, with only Umar Saddique (12) and captain Luke Hodgson (14) adding anything of note.

However, with seven wickets down, Chris Lemon entered the fray and, with his early formative years spent in South Africa obviously felt at home in the high veldt above Accrington, smiting a huge match-winning six.

In an innings lasting only 19.1 overs, Gary Sudworth took 3-31 and Kurt Smithson (4-43).

Settle are third after continuing their winning run with a 100-run win at Cherry Tree.

Batting first they posted a total of 182 thanks largely to Laurence Read.

The opener batted determinedly for a fine 82, but once he departed the wickets started to tumble A late flurry of 22 from Eddy Read was the next highest score.

When Cherry Tree batted they found Settle’s stand-in professional Tanwir Afzal virtually unplayable.

He took an astonishing 8-22 as Cherry Tree were uprooted for 86.

Earby made it a hat-trick of wins for the Craven sides with a four-wicket victory over Edenfield at Applegarth.

Skipper Richard Craddock won the toss and invited Edenfield to bat first.

Fraser Phillips and pro Paul Gallagher looked comfortable until Craddock took himself off and put Lee Parkinson on.

The move worked perfectly as he trapped Gallagher lbw for 17 with the final ball of his first over. Jake Hargreaves removed Phillips also and Edenfield captain Adam Barnes was caught by a diving Hargreaves off the bowling of Parkinson for 18.

Young spin bowler Ian White, making his debut for the first team, was thrown the ball and showed no sign of nerves .

Bowling with Parkinson he helped apply the brake.

In his third over White beat Joseph Flitcroft with turn and clean bowled him for one. He followed up by dismissing Mark Burns in his next over.

Edenfield were 74-7 when Parkinson removed Greg Smithson and Chris Hanson.

Shahrukh Khan and Glenn Carroll added a valuable 37 before Khan went for a big hit off White and Rory Robinson took a spectacular boundary catch.

Edenfield were eventually all out for 124 with Parkinson (4-37) and White (3-33) the pick of the bowlers.

Earby had their sights set on an early finish, Chris Walton and Fahid Rehman opened the innings, but things didn't go quite to plan.

Rehman was traped lbw for just three leaving him nine runs short of his 1,000 for the season.

With Walton, Iain Clarkson and Rory Robinson dismissed cheaply, Earby were wobbling at 72-4.

In-form Matt Wilson ensured there was no crisis and hammered 41 as his side wrapped up victory.

o Barnoldswick’s brave run in the Lancashire Cricket Board Cup came to an end when they suffered a five-wicket defeat against the Central Lancashire League side Heywood Biwater.

The opposition had to arrive at 11 am for a 1.30pm. start, in order to park within 10 minutes of Victory Park due to the Ride with Brad cycling event and rugby League matches.

On a superb batting track, Barnoldswick made 235-7 in their 45 overs with several players getting out when well set.

Professional Imran Khalid (48), Umar Saddique (40), Liam Bedford (34), Abdul Saddique (34), and Matt Nutter (20) were the major run scorers along with Paul Beech, who made 35 not out.

If Khalid had taken more care and not got carried away, then Barnolds- wick could have made more.

In reply, Heywood Biwater were reeling at 20-2 and, if Ross Zelem had been caught off a hard chance, they would have been 30-3.

However, Zelem rode his luck and compiled a fine 71. Danny Pawson scored 85 and was well backed up by captain Bobby Cross, who made 38 not out as Heywood reached their target with 11 balls to spare.

The wicket takers were Nutter (2-45), Abdul Saddique (2-36), and Akhtar (1-30).