SETTLE kept their Senior League title ambitions alive with a hard-earned win by four wickets at Padiham.

Rain reduced the game to a 27-over contest and Padiham were made to fight hard for their runs when they batted first.

Asif Hassan found the conditions to his liking and his spell of 5-37 went a long way to restricting the home side to 116-8.

Overseas player Imran Khalid (2-31) gave him good support as only opener Jordan Baczkiewicz (31) and Ben Heap (21) threatened to dominate the bowling.

Hassan was dismissed cheaply in Settle's reply and Khalid, the league's leading runscorer with 1,131, departed for a second ball duck. Both were victims of Toby Burrows (3-43).

Robbie Davidson didn't let their departures worry him as he raced to 30 off 15 balls, with two sixes and four fours. His brother Will continued the good work by striking an unbeaten 58 from 52 deliveries which saw his side safely to their target. His innings included two sixes and seven fours.

The win keeps Settle 11 points behind leaders Clitheroe whose pro Janaka Gunaratne smashed his way into the Houldsworth Ribblesdale League record books when he became the first player in the league's 122-year history to hit six sixes off one over as they defeated Ribblesdale Wanderers by 54 runs.

Gunaratne ended 79 not out after his onslaught on the bowling of Ian Britcliffe in the final over of the innings. The 34-year-old followed up with 8-41 to seal his side's win.

Earby are bottom of Section A after a six-wicket defeat at Salesbury. They lost their first three wickets with just 18 on the board and declined to 79-7 before Lee Parkinson (22) provided a welcome late flurry.

Luke Hipgrave (38) was the only batsman in the top order to have any answer to the pace bowling of Andrew Mercer (6-41).

Earby's total of 122 never seriously challenged Salesbury who eased to victory with Susantha Pradeep making 48. Pro Dave Crotty took 2-25 for Earby.

Barnoldswick suffered another Section B defeat despite another half-century from in-form opener Abdul Saddique. His 59 was the cornerstone of Barlick's 129-5 in a 28-overs contest.

Baxenden knocked off the runs with two overs to spare. Opener Kurt Smithson made 53 and Matthew Schofield (48)

Settle second team kept their heads above water in Division One, picking up five points in their home defeat by Burnley Belvedere.

Ben Mitchell and under-15 Adam Strickland made early inroads to the visitors’ innings, but Settle were frustrated by solid middle-order batting.

Jason Paul (4-31) relieved the situation, and Mitchell and skipper Kieren Ashley picked up two wickets apiece as Belvedere were 155 all out.

Settle’s reply started shakily at 19-3, but a 72-run partnership between Nick Cokell (25) and under-16 Benjamin Hulse (33) put the hosts back on track. Hulse performed well beyond his years, facing 83 balls, while Ashley (15) and James Pickard (13) kept up the chase.

But in the end the lower order was left with too much to do, Settle closing on 126-9.