After a great Bank Holiday double-header, picking up the maximum thirty points against Leyland and Mawdesley, Settle firsts confidently expected to celebrate their confirmed Division One status with a home win against Euxton.

Although fifty points behind Settle and consigned to Division Two, the visitors had very different ideas in mind. After being put in on a placid wicket, their openers batted sedately for nearly two hours before a wicket fell. Left-arm spinner Amar Ullah took 5-40, his third five-fer this summer, as Euxton reached 177-6 without too many alarms.

Settle’s batting has been porous at times this season but Archie Phillipson (28) and Tom Davidson (26) made robust starts and almost every player reached double figures. All that was lacking was one big score, as was to prove when the hosts were all out just nine runs short with three overs remaining.

The defeat means the Msrshfield men are marooned in tenth place for the season, but remain delighted to be at top table next year, and will play for pride in their final match a week on Saturday.

There was no taking their foot off the pedal for the second team as they beat Kirkby Lonsdale firsts by five wickets. The hosts were restricted to 144-6 with Richard Bradley picking up 2-20. Skipper Nick Cokell then posted 53, his third half-ton of the season, in a match-winning partnership with Paul Dockerty (45 not out). The team has led Westmorland Two for most of the season but Coniston 1st XI are hard at their heels with two matches left to decide the new champions.

In Westmorland Four South, the weather deprived the thirds of a win which would have put them top of the final table. Richard Bradley made 52 and Will Tyrer 19 in a total of 158-8 from 40 overs at Sedgwick. The hosts were then struggling on 23-4 after Harvey Green took 3-9 from six overs, but the enforced draw only produced eight points. The 3rd XI have had a great campaign, finishing just two points behind Champions Kirkby Stephen second team.