THE big Craven derby between Earby and Barnoldswick was the only Ribblesdale League fixture which failed to beat the weather on Sunday.

While all round matches were reaching a conclusion, the umpires took the players off when a heavy shower interrupted delicately poised proceedings and they never made a return.

It was a disappointing weekend for Barlick, who had fallen foul of the weather gods as their match on Saturday was also the only one in the Ribblesdale League not to reach a conclusion, the match abandoned without a ball being bowled.

At least at the Applegarth they did get a little action and an intriguing match was shaping up.

Put in to bat, Barlick were at 74 for two. They had lost Mick Lord to a superb catch just off the ground by Chris Walton and Ian Scothern was run out in farcical proceedings.

Settle are still top of the league after they made up for a disappointing home defeat against Edenfield on Saturday by thrashing Whalley on Sunday.

They could have cemented their place at the top of the league with, on paper, victories against two sides they surely expected to beat but runs did not come easily for them at Marshfield, where Edenfield had set them a 154 target.

They were without their professional Stewart Hornby who had pulled a muscle and drafted in replacement Joubert, from South Africa, who top scored for them with 58.

But no-one could make a significant stand with him after a bad start and they finished 20 runs short of victory.

There was nothing special about their score of 143 at Whalley the following day but within a few overs of the home team's reply, there was a chance of Settle setting a new record for dismissing a side for the lowest total of runs in the league's history.

Ironically, it is Settle who set that record exactly 100 years ago when (with apologies to our friends at the Applegarth) they dismissed Earby for just three.

The top three in the Whalley order were out without scoring, including professional Neil Cordingley, and with five back in the pavilion, Whalley were staring humiliation in the face with just one run on the board.

It needed a captain's innings from Whalley pro Mark Whelan, who hit 42 runs and the next wicket did not fall until 53 runs were on the board.

Paul Ridgway was chief executioner, taking six for 30 as replacement professional Morris took the other for four and Whalley were all out for 78.

Settle have won every game in which they have batted first, which should tell something!

Earby did without a pro to beat Oswaldtwistle, although they just could not prise out the extra bonus points.

Sam Munns hit 58 and Nigel Hodge 62 as Earby scored 161 for three in 31 overs allowed.

There was little opposition from the home side but Earby just ran out of overs as Oswaldtwistle hung on to score 85 for the loss of eight wickets with Andrew Rushton staking three for 25.