AFTER gaining a five point lead over Westgate last week, Carnforth maintained the gap with a businesslike performance in beating Holme on Saturday.

Batting first, Holme openers Liam Teasdale (12) and Paul Duckett made a steady start, but Tom Parkinson (4/27) and Stan Rich (5/13) bowled them out for 85 (Bradley Hoyle is pictured left taking a tumbling catch from Stan Rich during the Holme innings, photo credit Andy Slack).

Simon Shipperd (24) top scored, but it was unlikely to be enough and so it proved as Ryan Nelson (41 not out) and Adam Hornby (44 not out) led Carnforth to a 10 wicket win.

On paper Westgate had the tougher match against last year’s runners up Heysham, but mercurial all rounder Dylan Conroy made sure they stayed in touch with the leaders, taking 6/24 as Heysham were all out for 117 then making 85 not out as the target was reached for the loss of 3 wickets.

For Heysham, Jamie Antcliffe carried his bat for 52 but his teammates had no answers to Conroy and Zak Buchanan (4/37).

Arnside remain third after beating Sedgwick, but their renowned batting isn’t firing on all cylinders and despite starts from Adam Richardson (37), Ben Lenton (40) and Rob Shepherd (36) they were dismissed for 157, leaving Richard Hodgson (24 not out) stranded as Jonny Matthews took 5 wickets.

Once Carl Bevan (23) and Aaron Lomas (25) were parted, wickets fell regularly to Adam Cowperthwaite (6/27) and Sam Till (4/37) as Arnside won by 54 runs.

Milnthorpe bowled out Warton for 80 (James Parkinson 6/28, Sam Woodburn 3/43), then Mike Wills (20 not out) and Scott Singleton (38 not out) saw the home side to an 8 wicket victory.

Tom Jacques (52) underpinned Shireshead’s 211 against Trimpell (action from the game pictured right) before Mike Mead with 4 wickets contributed to the visitors collapsing for 44.

Only five points separates Trimpell, Holme and Silverdale at the bottom and Silverdale couldn’t gain ground as they lost by 105 runs to Burneside with Rob Davies (60), Darren Nightingale (42) and Ethan Ellwood (33) the main contributors in Burneside’s 184.

Cousins Phil (4/49) and Jonny Mason (5/46) kept the score down, but as so often this season the Silverdale batting failed with no one making 20 as Nightingale took 4/6 and Paul Wilson 4/21.

Carnforth 2nd XI need only five points to be crowned Division 2 champions after they trounced Bare, who were bowled out for just 29 with Archie Rich taking 6 wickets including a hat trick and Joe Gibson 3, and the target was reached without loss.

Shireshead 2nds totalled 180 against Netherfield 3rds with Robert Skipworth scoring a fifty, and Paul Yates then took 6/23 as Netherfield were all out for 48.

Penrith 2nds beat Coniston by 9 runs and Westgate 2nds beat Heysham 2nds by 9 wickets.

In Division 3, six days after Sam Fletcher made 152 against Carnforth 3rds, incredibly the Windermere man made another 152 exactly against Silverdale 2nds.

It’s not a bad problem if you have a bogey number to make it 152!

Windermere made 217/9 before Dan Sykes (5/6) and Will Aspinwall (5/14) bowled out the visitors for just 21.

Ingleton stole a match on Galgate in the race for the second promotion spot.

Matthew France’s 93 bolstered Ingleton to 224/8 and only Chris Beales (51) put up lengthy resistance as Graham Kellett (4/4) and France (3/20) bowled the home side out for 85.

Adan Dyson (4/5 and 39 not out) was the difference as Bolton-le-Sands beat Carnforth 3rds by 3 wickets.

A fine 52 from Jamie Whiteley and 51 from Sam Greenwood helped Holme 2nds to 177/6 against Leven Valley who batted out a draw finishing on 92/6.

Ambleside closed in on the Division 4 title with an 8 wicket win against Kendal 3rds, although Milnthorpe 2nds by beating Shireshead 3rds can still catch them and are themselves now assured of promotion.

Bare 2nds beat Ingleton 2nds by 36 runs, Liam Burrow (60) and Dave Sudell (31) and Georgina Brown (4/58) playing the lead roles in Bare’s 136/8.

Simon Burgess took 4/32 as Ingleton were dismissed for 100, Robert Hoggarth making 34 not out.