IT was another clean sweep for Settle’s Ribblesdale League teams at the weekend, including a Ramsbottom Cup quarter-final victory.

The first team have now won all ten Senior Division matches this season and are eighteen points clear with a game in hand. Batting first against Baxenden at Marshfield, the middle order gave Settle a solid foundation with Ashen Silva (29) and Tom Davidson (20) making good starts. Dante Niles (37) hit his best score of the season but it was Benjamin Hulse coming in at seven who transformed the game with his maiden fifty at this level.

With so many talented batsmen up the order, Hulse has often remained unbeaten with promising scores as the overs have run out. He made the most of his opportunity, hitting 51 at quicker than a run a ball, with seven fours and a lot of his trademark sprinting between the wickets.

The visitors did well to bowl Settle out, but the damage had already been done with the total on 192. Skipper Will Davidson picked up an early Baxenden wicket with a cheap return of 19 runs from ten overs, but it was the pair of overseas spinners who dominated the bowling. Silva claimed 4-32 while Niles bagged his first five-wicket haul for the club with spectacular figures of 5-13. He also rounded off a great all-round day with three catches as Baxenden went down for 107 from 35 overs.

Cherry Tree were looking to avenge their recent close league defeat, in the cup match at Settle on Sunday.

They shook the home side early on, but Silva (31) and Tom Davidson (39) once again proved reliable in the middle order. Harry Snowden’s unorthodox 23 from 16 balls meant Settle could close on 166-8 from their 40 overs.

In the reply, Eddy Read could count himself unlucky with close lbw decisions and missed chances, while at the other end Snowden clean bowled an opener with his first ball and took 3-14 in two spells. Tom Davidson picked up a caught-and-bowled while Silva, Niles and Will Davidson took two wickets apiece in a fluctuating match which at one point looked to finish a lot closer than a 64-run win for Settle, who now march on to the semis with the final at Marshfield in prospect.

Another club batting landmark was reached when Joe Pickles hit his maiden century for the 2nd XI at Baxenden. His unbeaten 105 came from 92 deliveries and included eleven fours and a couple of sixes. This achievement was supported by John Tarbox’s 54 not out, his second half-ton in as many matches, and 46 runs from skipper Dan Strickland.

Facing a total of 266-3, Baxenden shut up shop at an early stage. Tarbox took 3-26 and Harris Dinsdale 2-20 from ten overs each, while spinner Gus Ogden picked up two more. Pickles could not be kept out of the action with three catches to his credit as the hosts shuffled along to 150-8 at the close.

Settle’s Development XI beat Barnoldswick in the Division Three T20 competition for the Craven group. Jason Paul and Harvey Green took two wickets each as Barlick reached 89-8. Green’s unbeaten 38 from 30 balls then saw Settle home inside 15 overs. Earby are the next T20 guests on Friday, followed by Baxenden in the league on Sunday.

This Friday the 1st XI travel to Read in their T20 campaign, moving on to Feniscowles in the league next day. The seconds are at home to Feniscowles in Division One.