​Promotion candidates enjoy comprehensive weekend wins

​Euxton sit in third spot, on the same number of points as second-placed Carlisle, with Pen four points further back.

James Bone’s men enjoyed an emphatic 82-run win over Great Eccleston at Balshaw Park.

It was Bone (78) who led the way, sharing a 136-run partnership with Josh Tolley (92) for the second wickets as the hosts closed on 251-7. Mohammed Fazil took 5-32.

Joseph Barker (4-42) and Bone (3-45) then produced the goods with the ball as Great Eccleston were dismissed for 169.

A fine all-round bowling display saw Robbie Sumner’s Penwortham dismiss Carnforth for 160 at Lodge Quarry.

Charlie Parker’s unbeaten 63, supplemented by Ryan Maddock’s 45, ensured a comfortable five-wicket win.

​Fulwood and Broughton were edged out by just two wickets in their NPL Division One clash at home to Settle.

​At 52-7, F&B were in all sorts of trouble when they batted first but some late order runs by Muhammed Zaid (57) and Cameron Port (35) enabled them to post 188 all out.

However, despite three wickets apiece from Simon Kerrigan and Khalil Patel, the visitors edged home courtesy of excellent knocks from Gautem Waghela (57) and Amar Ullah (42 not out).

In Division Two, Vernon Carus were well beaten by Carlisle by five wickets after they could muster 70-7 off a reduced 38 overs, Kieran Grimshaw took 4-31.

Marc Brown’s 31 ensured victory for the home side despite Fraser Young’s two wickets.

Elsewhere, St Annes got the better of Barrow by 43 runs with Promod Maduwantha (70 not out, 5-16) impressing with both bat and ball.

Mawdesley lost by two wickets to Thornton Cleveleys. Nathan Trengove top scored with 37, while Neil O'Malley’s, above, five-wicket haul proved to be in vain.

In the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield Premier Division, Preston’s title ambitions took another hit as they were beaten narrowly at Westgate. Ismail Patel returned figures of 4-45 as the home side closed on 165-9.

In reply, the visitors fell eight runs short of their target despite captain Sajid Patel’s half-century.

Eccleston were 76-run victors at Rufford. Skipper Thomas Foster’s 76 and 63 from Jadeja Edwards enabled the visitors to close on 208-8. The captain then took 3-46, assisted by Cameron Smith (3-33), as the hosts were all out for 132.