FLIXTON extended their lead at the top of the table to 11 points in typical, hard-hitting fashion in a rain-affected game at home to Adlington on Saturday.

Elton’s hopes of keeping the pressure on the leaders were washed out in a rain-affected game at Leigh Lane where Lostock won by seven wickets.

David Flanagan (3-38), Conner Hicklin (2-15) and Aaron Mullins (2-7) supported by some excellent fielding helped the visitors bowl out the Bury side, who started the day second in the table, for 150 – Chris Read (43) and Adam Stansfield (36) the pick of the batsmen.

It was a gettable target which, reduced to 115 because of the rain interruption, Lostock reached for the loss of just three wickets, Mullins leading the way with an unbeaten 56 and Daniel Cockton chipping in with 37. Mark Goddard was the pick of the Elton bowlers with 3-14.

Bury replaced their local rivals in second spot with a quickfire victory at Golborne, where the action was over and done with by 4.45pm.

Golborne, who were 27-8 at one stage, made it to 80 before being bowled out in the 32nd over – Josh Hallion (25) the only one of the home batsmen to show any serious resistance to the bowling of Matt White (5-10) and Alex Breckin (3-11). Twenty-eight of the 80 runs were extras.

It was no contest for Bury, who knocked off the required runs for the loss of just one wicket inside 14 overs – Simon Belston finishing unbeaten on 50.

The delighted Bury captain said: “It was brilliant. We came bouncing back from last week’s defeat against Edgworth.

“It was a tremendous performance from opening bowlers Breckin and White. They were both in devastating form, very sharp and quick. They were outstanding.”

“We’re not too disheartened about the 11-point gap as we know it is going to go right down to the wire.

“We are going well and we are in a great position. The next few weeks in the league will be tough, starting with Walshaw on Saturday.”

Winton fell 29 runs short of the revised target they were set at Walshaw where the home side batted assuredly to reach 223-9, Jack McClung (67), Gavin Nicholl (39) and Darren Foy (37) again making their presence felt.

Rowan Bricker (35) and Justin Kramash (22no) led the Winton reply but it was nowhere near enough and when the rains came after 26 overs, they had reached just 117-5 – when they needed 146.