Earby have reached the Ribblesdale Cricket League's Ramsbottom Cup Final at Read on Sunday, July 26, when they will play holders Cherry Tree, the match starting at 1.30pm.

They cruised through the semi-finals on Sunday, thrashing Whalley at home by nine wickets while Cherry Tree beat Great Harwood by five runs. The Applegarth side - who last won the cup in 1991when they did the double - had Whalley all out for 70 and won with 73-1.

In the Lawrenson Cup Quarter-Finals on the same day Rolls-Royce lost by just one run away to Clitheroe, who scored 147, Rolls hitting 146-8. This Sunday Earby 2nds play their quarter-final home match against Salesbury.

In their Ramsbottom Cup semi Earby bowled and fielded well after losing the toss against Whalley, whose total came off 34.5 overs.

Their top scorer was T Heyes with 31 and their only other batsman to reach double figures was J Kearsley with 13.

Their first wicket was lost on one and their second and third on eight. The fourth fell on 43, the fifth on 48, the sixth on 59, the seventh on 63 and the eighth and ninth on 66.

For Earby Andrew Rushton took three wickets for 18 off 10 overs, two maidens, pro Jonathon Harvey had 2-8 off seven, two maidens, Peter Baistow 2-9 off 5.5, two maidens, Andrew Jaggers 2-14 off six, no maidens, and Stephen Hipgrave 1-8 off six, three maidens.

After losing their first wicket on seven Earby went on to win in 18.3 overs, Harvey hitting 44 not out and Nigel Hodge carrying his bat for 22 not out. The Whalley bowling figures were Heyes 5-1-20-1, D O'Neill 4-2-11-0, S Gorton 1.3-0-18-0, M Fallon 5-2-10-0 and pro Smith 3-0-11-0.

Whalley: P Macintosh b Hipgrave 1; T Heyes c Plant b Jaggers 31; M Fallon c Proud b Harvey 1; D Redhead c Walton b Harvey 0; J Kearsley lbw A Rushton 13; A Pratt b Jaggers 1; N Keighley c Plant b A Rushton 2; Smith b A Rushton 1; J Boswell c S Rushton b Baistow 2; S Gorton c S Rushton b Baistow 3; D O'Neill not out 0; extras 15; total 70.

Earby: N Hodge not out 22; S Pickles b Heyes 4; J Harvey not out 44; extras 3; total (for 1) 73.

On Saturday Earby were the only local side to win, beating Blackburn Northern away by 88 runs, while Barnoldswick lost by seven runs at home to Padiham and Settle went down to Cherry Tree away by 10 wickets.

Earby hit 175-8 declared off 41.2 overs, Steve Rushton scoring 57 and Stephen Pickles 51, and Blackburn Northern, who won the toss, were all out for 87 off 28.1 overs, pro Jonathon Harvey taking 6-45.

Rushton's 50 came in 29 minutes off 28 balls and included four sixes and four fours and Pickles' 50 came in 100 minutes off 71 balls and included a six and eight fours.

The Applegarth side got off to a bad start, losing their first wicket for no score, their second on seven and their third a run later. However they then took the score along to 57 before the fourth was lost. The fifth fell on 95, the sixth on 161, the seventh on 167 and the eighth on 174.

For the home side D Walton had 3-74 off 16 overs, one maiden, N Weaver 2-28 off 13, three maidens, D Pratt 2-34 off 7.2, one maiden, and R Mohammed 1-36 off five, no maidens.

Only three Blackburn Northern batsmen reached double figures, P Bromley hitting 40, Pratt 16 and D Jefferson 11. They lost their first wicket on six, the second on eight, the third on 12 and the fourth on 16. The fifth went down on 33, the sixth on 57, the seventh and eighth on 70 and the last two on 87.

Harvey's six wickets came off 14.1 overs, one maiden, and Stephen Hipgrave had 3-35 off 13, four maidens, and Andrew Jaggers 1-5 off one maiden.

Earby: N Hodge b Walton 0; S Pickles c Jefferson b Mohammed 51; J Harvey b Weaver 5; C Walton c Bromley b Walton 1; M Plant c Bromley b Weaver 25; S Hipgrave not out 27; S Rushton b Pratt 57; A Rushton b Pratt 5; P Baistow c Knight b Walton 0; A Jaggers not out 1; extras 3; total (for 8) 175.

Blackburn Northern: M Gillibrand c Proud b Harvey 7; Maron pro c Proud b Higrave 5; N Fitzmaurice c Walton b Hipgrave 0; N Weaver b Hipgrave 1; P Bromley c Walton b Harvey 40; D Walton b Harvey 3; D Jefferson c and b Harvey 11; N Knight lbw Harvey 1; A Norse b Harvey 1; D Pratt b Jaggers 16; R Mohammed not out 0; extras 2; total 87.

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