The weather continued to play havoc with games in the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League Conference divisions.

Conference South saw only two games manage to get started on Saturday with 23 overs possible for Blackrod against Farnworth Social Circle, which saw them reach 93-5 (Nikhil Patel 37, Brad Barrow 3-26) and Eagley reaching 60-3 in 20 overs against leaders Farnworth after Oli Tuck made 26.

Sunday, however, saw all five games reach a conclusion - albeit a couple of them with the help of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

There was a shock at Springfield Road where hosts Kearsley inflicted a first league defeat of the season on Farnworth, winning by 22 runs on the DLS method. Kearsley made 122 in a stop-start first innings, with Fenton Davies hitting 31 and Mohshin Patel 25 as Simon Harrison took 5-47 and Rizwan Pervez 3-13. Farnworth were set a revised target of 135 in 31 overs and, for once, their batting failed as they slumped to 39-6 before Mehr Khan’s 38 briefly raised hopes. But Jack Scott’s 7-31 proved decisive.

Astley Bridge remain second after a hard-fought three-wicket win over Blackrod at Sharples Park. Chasing a target of 117, Will Ashworth’s 3-44 pegged them back, but Zain Ahmed, with 36, and Jack Bailey saw their side home. Ashworth had earlier top scored with 30 in a Blackrod total of 116-9, with Nikhil Patel adding 22 as Ramesh Patel took 5-39.

Farnworth Social Circle sit third, 23 points off the top but with a game in hand after a comfortable win at Little Lever. In a game reduced to 20 overs, they managed to make 137-5, thanks to Charlie Gibson (32), Archie Walsh (30) and Chris Lane (20). In reply, just three batters reached double figures as they slumped to 79 all out in reply. Brad Barrow’s 5-28 did much of the damage with Chris Walsh backing him up with 3-42.

Lostock have moved into fifth after an impressive run of results, which they continued with a 17-run triumph at fourth-placed Atherton. Put in to bat, they were indebted to an unbeaten 64 from Jimmy McLoughlin, who carried his bat, and 34 from Aaron Berriman as they reached 150-5. In reply, all the Atherton top six reached double figures but none made a telling knock as Matt Nolan top scored on 21. Reece Gray, with 4-34, and Jake Raby (3-31) helped bowl them out for 133 in reply.

Eagley’s batters slumped against the bowling of George Leather (3-27) and Ed Lynch (3-16) as they collapsed to a meagre 66 all out at home to Tonge. An unbroken stand of 67 between Craig Naylor and Lynch then saw Tonge get home in less than 16 overs and complete a 10-wicket win.

In the sense that more games managed to get started on Saturday, Conference North fared a little better but again none were actually completed.

The main highlights saw Ulfat Ali hit 34 as Barrowford reached 47-3 against Chatburn; Matt Gillett and Sajan Muthanna take three wickets each as Barnoldswick made 138-9 and 38 from Rhys Meehan helping Padiham to 114-4, with Jabbran Sajjad taking 3-24 for Foulridge.

Read were 73-4 versus Burnley Belevedere and Feniscowles had been rolled out for 62 by Oswaldtwistle Immanuel who were 0/1 in reply.

Barrowford kept their place at the top by virtue of a nine-run win against Cherry Tree who sit third, 26 points behind, but with two games in hand. Barrowford batted first and managed to make 158-9 in 43 overs despite the efforts of Charlie Errey, who took 5-20 with Jehangir Babar leading the way on 37 and Jonny Ormerod adding 27. Cherry Tree were set a revised target of 91 but, despite a run-a-ball 42 not out from Errey, they finished just short on 82-5.

Despite their game on Sunday falling foul of the weather, Salesbury remain in second place in the table - eight points adrift of Barrowford but with a game in hand. Their game at Burnley Belvedere had seen them handily placed on 95-3 off 26 overs when rain halted proceedings, Ben Riley having made 35 and Toby Furbush 20.

Ribblesdale Wanderers complete the top four, despite also being frustrated by the weather, and lie 28 points behind but, perhaps crucially, with three games in hand on the leaders. They must have been doubly frustrated on Sunday as the rain swept in after they had reduced Oswaldtwistle Immanuel to 41-9, thanks to Grame Kershaw who took 6-16.

Arguably the best game of the day took place at Back Lane where the home side Baxenden eventually finished 41 short of Padiham’s total of 215-5. Ewan Pinder, with 50, and Zac Brown (42) led the chase with useful support from Nacha Dowling (29) and Haider Ali (25), but Joe Edgar and Jimmy Gray, with three wickets each, helped restrict them to 174-8. Gray had earlier made 53 as Padiham’s top six all passed 20, with Rhys Meehan adding 41, Liam Simm 32no and Edgar 28 in a total of 215-5.

At Barnoldswick, the home side found themselves victims of DLS when their reply to Burnley Belvedere seconds’ total of 164-7 was halted by the rain at 63-5. Faqir Mohammed had scuppered their chase with 3-40, despite Chris Lemon hitting 27. The Burnley innings had been totally dominated by an excellent 106 from Husnain Ateeq with the next highest score being 14, Waqas Ahmed taking 3-38 for the home side.

Earby completed a comprehensive dismantling of Foulridge seconds as they stormed to a 154-run success. Despite Jacob Springthorpe returning a splendid 7-45, Earby managed to reach a total of 182, thanks mainly to the efforts of Joe Swarbrick (77) and Michael Webb (21). Foulridge then collapsed to just 28 all out in reply, as Declan Harrison took 4-9 and Martyn Windle 4-11.

Whalley were another side to struggle with zthe bat and, after being rolled out for just 57, saw visitors Brinscall pick up a nine-wicket win. Just two batters reached double figures, with a top score of 16 from Harry Bradford, as they had virtually no answer to a spell of 5-1 from Sajan Muthanna, backed up by Danushka Lakshan, with 3-18. Peter Berry then set up the easy win with his 34.

The day’s other game between Foulridge and Read was abandoned without a ball being bowled.