OSWALDTWISTLE Immanuel captain Gerard Metcalf is hoping his side have finally clicked.

Immanuel chalked up their third Ribblesdale League win of the season overcoming bottom club Earby as they look to push up from second from bottom spot.

Opener Oliver Clare made 63 while Andrew Metcalf and Imran Abid took three wickets each in their 38 run victory.

Abid is performing well with the ball with 28 wickets so far this season while Andrew Metcalf now has 21.

Clare took his league runs for the season to more than 200 and Metcalf hopes there will now be more to come from his young side.

"I was very pleased with our performance at Earby," said the skipper.

"In recent weeks we have been playing some decent cricket but have not been putting it together for a full game.

"In each match, we tend to have a bad 10 over spell with either bat or ball which has been costing us games.

"On Saturday, we managed to play well for full 90 overs, on a difficult soft wicket and a slow outfield.

"Oliver Clare played a really good patient innings which looked better as the game went on.

"I always felt that 160 in the conditions would be a difficult ask if we bowled reasonably well and put the ball in the right place.

"This proved to be the case and we ran out comfortable winners."

They are now closing in on last season’s champions Blackburn Northern and Ribblesdale Wanderers as they look for a solid second half to the campaign.

They will hope to build on the win when they take on mid-table Cherry Tree tomorrow.

But it is hotting up at the top of the league where leaders Great Harwood, Padiham and Baxenden are all pushing for the title.

Harwood continue to charge on as they made it 11 wins out of their 14 league games thanks, once again, to Indian star Syed Shahabuddin.

He took six wickets to restrict Clitheroe to 155-9 and is now on 59 wickets for the season.

And Shahabuddin then chipped in with a crucial 61 as Harwood saw off the former champions with ease.

Harwood face a tricky task against one-time frontrunners Edenfield tomorrow, who have dropped down the table in the last few weeks.

Baxenden’s former England star Ian Austin was in the runs as his side looked to put some breathing space between themselves and fellow title chasers Barnoldswick.

"Oscar" smashed 127 of their 237-8 to take his tally to more than 400 runs for the campaign.

And Bash welcomed pro Will Purser back after a hamstring injury and his six wickets - taking it to 30 for the season - proved decisive in dismissing the visitors 52 runs short.

Third placed Baxenden travel to bottom club Earby tomorrow, keen to keep the pressure on the top two.

BAXENDEN’S Mark Rishton was the only batsman to offer any resistance as the Veka Ribblesdale League slumped to a 108 run defeat against the Bolton League in the JW Lees Inter-League Trophy on Sunday. The Bash captain finished unbeaten on 34 as the visitors were bowled out for just 96 in their semi-final at Heaton CC. Earlier, the Bolton League made 204-9 off their 45 overs with Gary Sudworth (Baxenden) taking 3-19 and Barnoldswick's Alamgir Anwar 4-40.