DAVE Usher will be going away more often if his Baxenden side continue to perform as they did in his absence on Saturday.

The captain came back to find that pro Jonathan Harvey had hit an unbeaten 110 and his brother, Pete, had taken 5-65 in their win which knocked Ribblesdale League leaders Settle off the top spot.

"He never gets five wickets for me!" said the skipper of his brother. "Mark Rishton was the captain and he ground Pete into the ground as he bowled 23 overs. Pete was stiff the next day - he couldn't walk!"

Since the club announced that pro Harvey would be leaving Baxenden at the end of the season, he has hit some big scores - with 15 boundaries and two sixes in his century.

"He will be close to 900 runs now and with four games left, it looks like he will pass 1000 and get 50 wickets. But we have said all along, the reason Jon is going is not because of his performances but because we want a bowling pro."

And another plus from the victory over Settle - which puts Read back in pole position for the title - is Danny Hothersall's knock of 58.

"He is only 19 and it was his maiden half century. Everyone said he has been walking on air ever since as he now has around 350 runs. Callum Waddington is another good, young batsman and hopefully he will get a 50 before the end of the season."

The skipper admits that his teams do rise for big games - it is the lower opposition who they struggle against and it doesn't bode well with Oswaldtwistle Immanuel and Edenfield their opponents in the double header this weekend.

"We always seem to play well against Settle and Read. I think we probably gave Read two of their best games. We seem to concentrate in those. Perhaps some people think it is easy against the lower placed teams but it hasn't turned out that way. We are a young side and now we need to get the right mentality where we play 100 per cent every week."

They are looking forward to the local derby at Oswaldtwistle on Saturday.

Gerald Metcalf's men slipped to a 96-run loss against Cherry Tree at the weekend but have still had a good season. "I was talking to Gerald the other day and he said they have won seven of their last 10 games. They have been doing well," said Usher.

Oswaldtwistle then face another local derby on Sunday as Great Harwood skipper Russell Whalley returns to New Lane, the place where he was pro.

Harwood had a comfortable four wicket win over Whalley on Saturday. Pro Andy Crook took 5-50 and then hit 43 with Paul Houldsworth on 42 not out in their win.

They are at home to Clitheroe on Saturday.