Barnoldswick won again on Saturday - but Clitheroe continue to set the pace with a 27-point lead.
The reigning champions stay in second after making hard work of beating Whalley at Victory Park.
Reliable professional Imran Khalid finished with 65 out of the home team’s 209-7.
Richard Palmer (57) and Saurabh Bandekar (50) certainly helped make a game of it, before Whalley eventually finished just nine runs behind with four wickets in hand.
Clitheroe stay top after a 26-run win against Oswaldtwistle Immanuel, who were all out for 107, having bowled the leaders out for 133.
Former Nelson men Peter Dibb and Thomas Lord starred for the Ribble Valley side - Dibb top-scoring with 39, while Lord took 5-31 off 14 overs, taking two catches, including one off his own bowling.
Tomorrow, Barnoldswick travel to Baxenden in the league, before their Lancashire Knockout quarter-final tie on Sunday, against Central Lancashire League side Heywood at Victory Park.
The following weekend could also be key in their title chase as they host Edenfielda week tomorrow, before Clitheroe are the visitors the following day.
Meanwhile, Earby lost by seven wickets at Read, who eased home with 11 overs to spare.
Earby got off to a decent start as Chris Walton and professional Fahid Rehman put on 59 for the first wicket, before Walton was bowled by former Earby pro Jon Harvey for 24.
Rehman and Rory Robinson moved the score onto 100, until the latter was trapped by Andrew Rushton, but Rehman and Matt Wilson added 84 before the paid man was bowled by Rushton for 64.
Wilson crashed 75 off just 55 balls, with five fours and six sixes, but wickets fell around him as Earby were bowled out for 224 by their hosts.
However, in reply, Read were led to victory by captain Kyle O’Connor, who opened the innings and hit 82 off 57 balls.
He was second man out at 127, and Mohammed Jamal (48 not out) and Harvey (43 not out) guided Read to victory with relative ease.
Lee Parkinson finished with 2-42 off eight overs, while Danny Kegg took the only other wicket to fall for 1-33.
Tomorrow Earby are at leaders Clitheroe.