SETTLE made an excellent start to the season with home wins for both the first and second teams over the Easter weekend.

With a perfect batting strip for the Senior Division match on a glorious day in front of a crowd thirsty for action, skipper Tom Strickland called correctly against Padiham and sent in new overseas amateur Danyl Husbands and Robbie Davidson to open the innings.

Husbands eased the first ball of the season through mid-wicket and the pair were only separated 65 runs later when Davidson fell to a catch on 23.

New pro Ashen Silva then made 20 before being stumped, making way for Tom Davidson.

There followed an unbroken 163-run partnership in which Husbands and Davidson both reached outstanding centuries, each in their distinctive style.

Davidson (107no) was first to his ton, smashing seven fours and nine sixes as the fielders could only watch in despair as the crowd roared approval.

Without the burden of captaincy, he indulged in some brutal free hitting with his second 50 coming in just 20 balls.

Meanwhile Husbands made stylish progress at the other end with a fine range of strokes until, with pleasing symmetry, he hit the last ball of the innings for his first six to carry his bat for his own century.

The Barbadian’s 103 not out was a perfect opener’s performance and he will surely not be an amateur for many more years.

Facing a total of 267-2, Padiham made good progress to 45 before Eddy Read struck.

There was also a wicket for Will Davidson, but it was the paid man Silva who spun his way through Padiham’s line-up to return figures of 6-74 from his 16 overs.

Strickland and Husbands took two catches apiece as Padiham closed on 205-8.

In Division One, Settle seconds took maximum points on Sunday afternoon against newly promoted Brinscall. The hosts’ openers Harry Snowden (28) and Ryan Hodgson (48) put on 74 for the first wicket, leading to entertaining knocks from Simon Tarbox (62) and Ryan Sumner (49) as Settle reached 236-8.

Tarbox then crowned his top batting performance with a return of 6-31 from eight overs, while Joseph Handy took 2-31 as the visitors faded away to 130 all out.

This Saturday Lawrenson Cup holders Settle seconds take on Baxenden at home in the first round of this season’s competition, while on Sunday the firsts travel to Whalley for their league fixture.

PETER METCALFE

* Earby and Barnoldswick's first teams both cantered to victories on Saturday.

Opener Abdul Saddique and wicketkeeper Majid Inaya each hit centuries to lead Barlick to a 252-run win against Feniscowles at Victory Park on Saturday.

Saddique scored 120, Inaya hit 104no and Jack Rietschel chipped with 65 as Barnoldswick scored 365-3.

In reply, Feniscowles crashed to 113 all out, as Chalana De Silva took 5-57 in 16 overs. Rietschel and captain Jonathan Beech took three and two wickets apiece.

Earby put in an excellent bowling performance to win by nine wickets at Baxenden.

Earby's Jovaun Van Wyngaardt took 5-25 in 12 overs against the Baxenden batsman, while Safyan Ahmed and Girvacques De Jager took three and two wickets apiece as Baxenden were skittled out for 85.

Matthew Nutter clattered two sixes and 10 fours off 35 balls to score 60no as Earby cruised to victory in just 10 overs.

Earby 2nds, who scored 219 all out, won by 65 runs against Ribblesdale Wanderers on Saturday, while Barnoldswick 2nds, chased down at 179 to win by one wicket in a tight game against Stacksteads 1sts on Sunday.