While Baxenden and Great Harwood are eyeing trophies, Oswaldtwistle Immanuel admit they are just trying to stay off the bottom spot.

Bash are still in with a shout of the league title after closing the gap at the top to three points after a double win weekend.

And Harwood have their sights set on the Twenty20 Cup after reaching the semi-final, where they face Settle at home a week today.

For Immanuel, though, the battle is to keep climbing the table and avoid the wooden spoon position.

"We do well with the resources we have at our disposal," said pro Chris Cook-Martin.

"At the start of the season, most teams tipped us to finish bottom and last season we finished second-off-bottom so the aim was always to finish higher than that.

"We started off well this season but then it went pear-shaped although this weekend we have done a lot better.

"Gerard Metcalf, who has been playing with an injury, and Imran Abid bowled really well in tandem against Ribblesdale Wanderers on Saturday and that won us the game.

"Then we pushed Baxenden close on Sunday and put in much better performances so the aim now is to build on that.

"We lost good players like Daniel Metcalf and Andrew Metcalf at the end of last season so we just now do the best with what we have.

"Opener Oliver Jones has probably been the find of the season as he has batted well and consistently and is a strong fielder."

Jones got 52 against Bash as the teenager has amassed 437 league runs – 516 in all competitions.

Cook-Martin himself, in his second season at New Lane, has done well with the bat with 767 runs and 660 in the league.

"I am pleased but, because I am just a batting pro and don’t bowl, I want to get to more than 1,000 runs.

"I am not sure what will happen next season.

"I would like to stay and have had talks but, if the committee want a bowling pro or an all-rounder, then I will get back to the amateur ranks at Rawtenstall. I will just see what happens."

But first he is looking at a clash with leaders Barnoldswick where Ossy hope to catch the pacesetters on an off-day tomorrow.

Barlick have lost two of the last three matches and so allowed Read to take over at the top and Bash to close in to keep it as a three-way race for the title.

"We played Barnoldswick earlier in the season and we weren’t far off." said the Immanuel pro.

"The thing is with us is that we are always the underdogs so we go into most games with no pressure and nothing to lose.

"We have done quite well against the top sides this season so hopefully we can get their top batsmen out early on. Our wicket is not the best and hopefully we can make use of that."

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Cook-Martin thinks the current leaders will last the pace.

"I think Read will probably win it. Any teas with Will Driver and Jon Harvey in will be tough to beat.

"They have got quality amateurs and so I think they will probably do it.

"I would like Baxenden to win the league as I have a lot of friends there but it might be too much."

Bash won’t be giving up hope as, after looking out of the title race with a five-game losing run, they have regrouped and saw off Earby and Immanuel this weekend to put themselves firmly back in contention.

Lewis McIntosh is the bowler in form with 40 wickets so far this season and he took 12 over the weekend to seal a double win.

They will be hoping Ossie do them a favour this weekend while they make the trip to defending champions Clitheroe, who have themselves hit a bit of form with a double win over the weekend, against Settle and Salesbury.

Great Harwood couldn’t stop Read’s charge to the top as they struggled with the bat at home on Sunday, making just 47 in a day to forget at the crease. Read won by seven wickets to help them displace Barlick at the top.

The day before Harwood pro Syed Shahabuddin made 53 and took 7-14 as Harwood saw off the challenge of struggling Salesbury by 64 runs.

Fifth placed Harwood make the trip to Cherry Tree tomorrow.

Read will be looking for their first trophy of the campaign as they take on Ribblesdale Wanderers in the Ramsbottom Cup final on Sunday.