Professionbal Fahid Rehman hit an unbeaten 102 as Earby leapfrogged Great Harwood with victory on Saturday.
Earby started the day knowing a win at the Applegarth would move them above their opponents, and that’s exactly what they managed.
Richard Craddock won the toss for the homesters and invited Great Harwood to have first knock on the advice of the groundsman.
Craddock opened the bowling and conceded just one run off his first four overs while Jake Hargreaves at the claimed the wickets of both openers, Ian Haworth (1) and Paul Clifford (0).
However this only brought together Great Harwood Professional Tiian Cloete and Patrick Swanney, who added 70 runs in the next 17 overs.
Cloete brought up his half century off 63 balls but fell four balls later, caught off the bowling of Danny Kegg.
Pazeer came and went without scoring, but skipper Paul Houldsworth (26) added 58 with Swanney before the returning Craddock bowled him.
Paul Whalley had a quick thrash scoring 17 off eight balls, including two sixes, adding another 30 until he was removed by Iain Clarkson, and Paul Walker scored at better than a run a ball for 24. This left Swanney 75 not out and Earby chasing 208.
Hargreaves had 2-49.
Earby sent Chris Walton and Rehman out to open the innings, and they raced to 44 off four overs. In the sixth over, Stuart Maher bowled Walton for 30.
Rory Robinson batted nicely in a supporting roll for the professional, accumulating 122 runs in their boundary-filled partnership.
Rehman brought up his 50 off exactly 50 deliveries. Robinson was eventually bowled by Paul Clifford for 38 at 157, with half the overs left.
With the support of Kegg (6), Wilson (4) and Craddock (7 not out), Rehman passed the hundred mark and the victory was Earby’s by six wickets.
Tomorrow Earby are at Read, who reigning champions Barnoldswick knocked out of the title race on Saturday.
Read were beaten by four wickets by second placed Barlick, leaving them 21 points adrift of the Victory Park side - who themselves are 25 points behind leaders Clitheroe, who notched up their 21st win of the campaign, defeating Edenfield by 101 runs at Chatburn Road.
Read totalled 210-7 as they looked to keep their faint title hopes alive against Barnoldswick in the league’s game of the day.
Several visiting batsmen got starts, but number four batsman Elliott Artingstoll anchored the innings with 63.
Opener Joe Marshall made 24, and Kieren Grimshaw hit 40, and Mohammed Jamal (15), Conor Lowes (16), Warren Eastham (12) and Richard Sharples (12 not out) also reached double figures.
Shoaib Khan claimed 3-52 in his eight overs, while professional Imran Khalid took 2-71 off 19, with two run outs.
In reply, Barlick passed the target with four wickets and three overs to spare.
Opener Abdul Saddique (37) and Khalid (69) laid the foundations, with Umar Saddique (20) and an unbeaten 40 from Luke Hodgson seeing the locals over the line.
Elliot Lowes and Richard Sharples took two wickets apiece for Read.
Things are set up nicely for August 18th when Clitheroe and Barnoldswick meet, but before then, the locals host Whalley tomorrow, and the following week face a trip to Baxenden, before entertaining Heywood in the Lancashire Knockout quarter-final the day after.