BAXENDEN'S one-wicket defeat by Barnoldswick looks like a minor aberration on their march to the Veka Senior League championship.

It enabled second-placed Read to reduce the gap at the top to 36 points but there is little likelihood that Baxenden will not be crowned champions.

However as Bash learned cricket can be a highly unpredictable sport and few would have envisaged them dropping to defeat at Barnoldswick.

Baxenden batted first and posted 153 all out on a mixed day for the batters.

They lost opener Callum Waddington and Ian Austin in quick succession with Waddington facing 18 balls for nine runs.

And all-rounder Ian Austin for a duck second ball.

But visiting pro Baber Naeem and Mark Rishton started to give Bash's innings some bulk and until Naeem was trapped in front by Butt when he had made 23.

Rishton was out for 20 and Lewis McIntosh faced 19 balls but failed to get set and was out for three runs.

Simon Payne added 31 runs off 64 balls before he heard the death rattle after a delivery from Iqbal.

But David Cronshaw (25) and Gary Sudworth (30) helped Bash to 153 before Swindells (1) and Russell Haworth departed quickly at the bottom of the innings to Iqbal, who ended the day with 4-35.

Baxenden got into the opposition before they had many on the board in their reply with Dominic Bulcock claiming the wickets of both openers for a duck and nine respectively.

But then Braithwaite (14), Butt (15) and Nutter (26) stood up for the middle order.

Beech then went for a duck to a Naeem caught and bowled but David Scothern (25) and Adil Khan put Barlick into a position to win the game.

Scothern (25) eventually fell to the combination of Naeem and Austin after facing 68 balls.

And Bash must have thought they were heading for victory when Iqbal was trapped in front by Naeem for a duck and then the same player caught and bowled Akhtar for one.

But Khan and last man Sheraz helped their side to limp over the line for a one-wicket win.

Khan was unbeaten on 44 and Sheraz was four not out when the target was reached.

In the other games Great Harwood were comfortable 117 runs winners over Edenfield.

Harwood posted 220-7 batting first with Russell Whalley notching a half century from 50 balls and Alan Amer hitting a quickfire 68 from just 46 balls.

Raouf Akbar also boosted the total with 33 runs.

Edenfield made a poor start with Storey (10) and Lester (15) both back in the pavilion after falling to Akbar.

Zaidi then notched 38 but there was mayhem at the other end with the next four batsmen accumulating only seven between them as Akbar ran riot.

And Edenfield were left decimated with only number eight David Johnson (24) putting up stern resistance before the visitors were bowled out for 103.

Akbar finished the day with 7-48.

Oswaldtwistle Immanuel recorded the seventh win of the season with a 58-run success against Whalley in a low scoring game.

Andrew Kerr top scored for Ossie with 28 in their total of 126 for nine with "Jimmy Extras" accounting for 22 of those.

But Andrew Metcalf then blew the reply apart with 6-18 as Whalley were dismissed for 68 runs in a painful 38.1 overs.