SETTLE picked up two valuable home wins at the weekend, climbing to third place in the Senior League with their fourth win of the season, and sailing through to the second round of the Lancashire Cup.

Saturday’s match was reduced to 37 overs and saw Salesbury reach 145-6, recovering well from 47-4, with pro Imran Khalid and Asif Fazal picking up two wickets apiece.

Openers Tom Davidson (35) and Fazal (31) then patiently set about the reply as a prelude to some mighty hitting from the unbeaten pair of Will Davidson (35 runs from 23 balls) and Tom Strickland (24 from 21), with the target reached inside 34 overs.

Northern Premier League side Leyland were Sunday’s victims in a surprisingly one-sided cup clash. The visitors struggled to 133-9 from their 45 overs, with the Davidson brothers showing their all-round skills, as Will took 3-20 and Tom 3-25 including South African pro Richard Frenz caught by keeper David Worthington for just nine.

Khalid contributed 2-25 as all three bowlers kept a tight rein on runs.

Tom Davidson got Settle off to a flyer with 16 from 12 balls before being well caught in the deep, before Khalid (63) and Fazal (37) knuckled down to a 104-run partnership with the pro scoring at a run a ball.

It was then left to Will Davidson to hit a six from the second ball he faced to bring the entertainment to a close with 18 overs to spare.

Settle will travel to meet Greater Manchester League side East Lancs Paper Mill in the next round on June 12, but this weekend they visit Ribblesdale Wanderers who have lost four out of their five games this year.

Barnoldswick’s bowlers set up their comfortable six-wicket win at Read in a match reduced to 25 overs per side.

Mohammed Saffii struck two early blows to remove Read’s Joe Marshall and Mohammed Zafrai for ducks.

Read, despite a top score of 19 from Ravi Jangid, never truly recovered as opening bowlers Saffii (3-27) and Abdul Saddique (3-21) were backed up by Sri Lankan Shashrika Pussegola (4-21) as Read were dismissed for 79.

Openers Umar Saddique (26) and Abdul Saddique (19) shared a stand of 46 to give the Barnoldswick innings a sound base before Saffii finished things off with a brisk 23 not out.

Earby’s woes continued as they crumbled to a 49-run defeat against Great Harwood. Their batsmen had no answer to the bowling of Paul Houldsworth (6-25) and Stuart Marler (3-36) as they were dismissed for 80. Only Daniel Helliwell (29) and opener Luke Hipgrave (15) made double figures.

Great Harwood’s batsmen had found the going far easier as they compiled a total of 129-4 in their 25 overs. Ashen Silva made 52 as Jake Hargreaves (2-59) and Anton Muller (2-64) were the only two bowlers used.