Barnoldswick and Settle seal semi-final places (From Craven Herald)

Barnoldswick and Settle seal semi-final places

7:20am Thursday 21st June 2012 in Ribblesdale League

Barnoldswick and Settle both clinched places in the semi-finals of the Ramsbottom Cup on Sunday.

Senior Division leaders Barnolds-wick stayed on course for a league and cup double by defeating holders Ribblesdale Wanderers by six wickets, while Settle triumphed by 24 runs at Clitheroe.

The possibility of a Barnoldswick v Settle final is still on the cards as they have been kept apart in the semi-finals.

Barnoldswick will play Oswald- twistle Immanuel who had a surprise six-wicket win over Edenfield, while Settle face league champions Bax- enden who defeated Whalley by five wickets.

Professional Michael Erlank was the mainstay of Ribblesdale’s 214 at Barnoldswick with 89 before being bowled by home captain, Matt Nutter.

Ribblesdale were also indebted to tail ender, Max Cole’s lusty 33 not out at the end of the innings.

Barnoldswick professional Imran Khalid took 4-43 from his ten overs while Nutter claimed 3-54 from nine.

In their reply, Ian Britcliffe dismissed the top three Barnoldswick batsmen, including Khalid for a duck.

However, Wanderers couldn’t displace Umar Saddique whose undefeated 90 and Nutter’s (53) moved Barnoldswick to within two more victories of their first Ramsbottom Cup triumph since 1985.

Settle, who last lifted the trophy in 2005, beat Clitheroe by 24 runs at Chatburn Road.

Their innings got off to a great start as Aneeq Hassan made 83 and was well supported by Robbie Davidson (30).

The batting then faltered alarmingly with pro Mansoor Amjad run out cheaply and the normally reliable Tiarnan Hamill departing first ball.

Tom Strickland’s cautious 12 brought stability but more wickets tumbled in the quest for quick runs leaving Settle on 189 all out, boosted by Clitheroe’s generous donation of 32 extras.

The Chatburn Road side responded with their own sound opening partnership.

Stuart Lemon tled the way with 43, but they too ran into trouble as Settle’s bowlers kept things tight.

Eddy Read (1-30) once again rose to the occasion helped by the usual tight-fisted containment expected from Andrew Davidson.

Hamill declined his usual wicket-keeping gloves to take two wickets, but it was Tom Davidson, bowling for the first time since injury, and Amjad who cleaned up with three wickets each.

Settle’s youth policy certainly paid off in the field with three stunning slip catches, topped by a sensational final catch by William Davidson.

He hurtled round the boundary edge to home in on a steepler, then dived full length and held it a fraction of an inch above the ground.

Clitheroe were dismissed for 165 with six overs to spare to leave the Marshfield men sitting pretty in all three competitions after they won their Twenty/20 bowl-out.

Torrential rain washed out all the games in all three divisions last Saturday.