A week after taking nine wickets for Clitheroe, Tanwir Afzal hit a century against them to throw the Houldsworth Ribblesdale League title race wide open again.

This time the Pakistani all-rounder earned his money as Settle’s paid man, making 116 out of the home side’s 286 all out.

Tom Davidson fell six runs short of his own ton while Josh Marquet claimed 7-92 from 14 overs for the visitors.

Opener Kashif Siddique hit 63 in the run chase before becoming one of Dickon Morris’ three victims.

Wickets fell frequently and Clitheroe eventually finished 100 runs short, slumping to only their second defeat of the campaign.

Champions Barnoldswick made the most of Clitheroe’s rare slip by completing a 55 run win at Brooksbottom.

Bowled out for 130, the Victory Park side possibly wondered if their total was enough.

However, sub professional, Adnan Rasool – recruited from Burnley CC – weighed in with 5-36 and the home team were bowled out for 75.

Despite recording a victory, Barnoldswick still trail by 25 points with 11 games to go

Read’s patchy form of late saw them lose further ground due to a two wicket defeat at Salesbury. Joey Marshall and Mohammad Jamal hit half centuries for the visitors.

However, they had no one to match Salesbury professional Susantha Pradeep’s superb batsman ship, who made an unbeaten 110 out of their winning total of  215.

There was an even tighter finish at the Cliffe in the game between Great Harwood and Euxton.

Chasing 256, Harwood’s reply turned into a duel between rival South Africans, Tiaan Cloete and Ulricht Van Duyke.

Cloete kept the home team in the game with 114 and while Van Duyke snapped up seven wickets, Harwood hit the winning runs with two balls to spare.

Baxenden won at Cherry Tree, Oswaldtwistle at bottom of the table Padiham, Ribblesdale Wanderers over Earby and Whalley at home to Edenfield.