The new Ribblesdale Cricket League season got under way on Saturday with runs plenty and some impressive displays across the board. 

Perhaps the most eye-catching came from Barnoldswick who posted 365-3 having made the most of the conditions batting first against Feniscowles. 

In reply the visitors were bowled out for 113 as the went down to a 252-run opening day defeat. 

Last year’s champions Oswaldtwistle Immanuel started the defence of their crown at newly-promoted Brinscall, the hosts winning the toss and electing to bat. 

They struggled against the bowling of Dean Martin (3-17) and Akil Rajput (4-31) and were grateful to Sehan Weerasinghe who made 35 and enabled them to post a score of 101, giving them at least something to bowl at. 

Oswaldtwistle, despite two wickets from Adam Wojciechowski,  made good progress to 62-2, with Akil Rajput making 23 and Daniel Metcalf 27. 

However, a spell of 5-15 from Weerasinghe put the result back into doubt and set up a very tense finish. 

It was the visitors Oswaldtwistle who just got over the line with two wickets in hand, Anthony Dignan’s resolute 13 not out from 70 deliveries proving decisive.   

Salesbury were three-wicket winners over Read, despite the hosts making 213-8 batting first at Whalley Road. 

Ribblesdale Wanderers hosted Euxton with the visitors batting first and being bowled out for 157, professional Michael English taking four wickets. 

In reply Ribblesdale were bowled out for 99 to give Euxton routine win on the first day of the new summer. 

Lancashire Telegraph: Whalley’s Sam Jackson bowls to professional Timycen Marina Whalley’s Sam Jackson bowls to professional Timycen Marina

Whalley welcomed Cherry Tree who got the chance to bat first and didn’t waste it. 

The visitors posted a formidable 245-6 with professional Timycen Maruma leading the way. 

The Zimbabwean made an unbeaten 111 with his 99-ball knock including nine fours and four sixes as he started the summer in style. 

The international was ably supported by Jack Kennedy who made 68 down the order, hitting seven fours and a six in his near run-a-ball innings. 

For the hosts, Fergus Bailey took 4-63 with the ball. 

In reply, opener Charlie Jackson batted through the innings but couldn’t prevent his side falling to defeat as they finished on 163-7. 

Jackson was unbeaten on 85 at the close, hitting 11 fours in a patient innings. 

But the day belonged to Maruma who made 5-28 to add to his earlier century.   

Padiham made the trip to Settle fresh from their Birchall Cup win over Oswaldtwistle seven days earlier in the league’s new curtain-raiser. 

The North Yorkshire hosts won the toss and made full use of the batting conditions, Danyl Husbands and Robbie Davidson (23) putting on 61for the first wicket.

Husbands was then joined by Ashen Silva (20) and they took the score past three figures to 104. 

Tom Davison then came in to support Husbands and went on the attack, taking the Padiham attack apart. 

He smashed 107 not out from just 52 balls, his innings including seven fours and six sixes. 

Davison and Husbands added 163 for the third wicket to take the final score to 267-2, Husbands batting through at the other end for an unbeaten 103.  

Toby Burrows took the only two wickets to fall.   

Padiham made a good attempt to overhaul such a large score and thanks to Jack Dewhurst (54), Nathan Whitehead (30) and Rhys Marshall (28) at 163-3 they looked like they might pull off a victory. However, Silva took 6-74 and Padiham ended their chase at 209-9.  

Baxenden hosted Earby and the toss went in favour of the recently relegated home side who chose to bat with conditions seemingly in their favour in the spring sunshine.  

Baxenden’s innings never really got going however and while Aneeq Hassan made a quick-fire 23 wickets feel at regular intervals and they couldn’t post a meaningful total. 

Captain Matt Austin was left not out on 19 as the hosts were bowled out for just 85 with more than 20 overs remaining. 

On the bowling front sub professional Wyngaardt took 5-25 while Sufyan Ahmed supported him with 3-16.

In reply, Matt Nutter was in a hurry to get Earby over winning line and hit the ball to all parts of the ground. 

He put on 61 for the first wicket with Lee Parkinson (19) and then completed the win by nine wickets, ending unbeaten on 60 with just 12 overs bowled.