Into the new Millennium 1992 ‑2002

      The leagues centenary celebrations began with a Reunion for former players and officials at Blackburn Northern at the beginning of February, Many other social events followed, including a Sportsman's Evening at Stirk House with Sir Colin Cowdrey CBE as chief guest.

Earby by won a Short Overs Competition in July and Clitheroe won the Six a side tournament in August. The final event of the Centenary Year was the Centenary Dinner and Presentation Evening at Rolls Royce Social Club in October with Henry Blofeld of 'Test Match special' the chief guest. The great disappointment of the year was the washout of the Centenary Match between the league and David Hughes' Lancashire X1 on August Bank Holiday Monday. indeed many matches were lost to the weather in July and August after a splendid start in May and June. Barnoldswick emerged as champions after sharing the lead with Cherry Tree early in‑the campaign; they took the lead at the half way mark and never looked back, finishing with a lead of 28 points. They certainly benefited from purchasing a full set of covers as their powerful; side took the title with style and panache. Lead by Graham Harker, Australian amateur Matt Bolton, professional Chris Killen, Andy Smith and Paul Beech were the main run scorers with Peter Waterman, Killen, Dave Scothern and Martin Greenhalgh finishing in the top six bowling positions in the league's final averages.

After a poor start, 1991 champions Earby recovered well to share runners up spot with Read, who also had a good second half to the season, John Rainger and Nigel Pickles were Earby's leading run

Scorers whilst Ian Clarkson had the season's highest score of 128. Professional Manoj Parekh led the wicket takers with 103, but the departure of England Under 19 star Glen Chapple, who joined Lancashire, proved to be too much of an handicap. David Parsons played several valuable innings for Read, ably supported Scott Duane and Steve Rushton whilst Professional Mark Aspin was their chief wicket taker. Phil Hanson had his best ever season with the ball and was named Player of the Year.

Cherry Tree and Ribblesdale Wanderers contested the Ramsbottom Cup Final at Baxenden. Cherry Tree made 185 ‑ 7 with Mark Yates hitting 65. Seventeen year old John Hughes made early inroads for Cherry Tree when he bowled both substitute professional Gary Yates and Malcolm Dennett in his opening spell. Mark Sorrell (34) and eighteen year‑old Martin Briggs (62) swung the game Wanderers way, but the innings fell two runs short on 183 ‑ 8. John Hughes was named Man of the Match for his three wickets but Wanderers Graham Monk certainly didn't deserve to be on the losing side with 2 ‑ 14 from his 10 overs of left arm spin.

Edenfield were admitted to the league for the 1993 season and Vaux Breweries took over as league sponsors. Baxenden won the championship for the third time after a very open championship.

Going into the final weekend of the season, three teams were in contention. Blackburn Northern, lead by Nigel Robbins had put together 13 wins after a poor start to be in pole position, with Clitheroe and Baxenden close behind. Baxenden, I despite being without injured professional Bernard Reidy., took maximum points on Saturday whilst both Northern and Clitheroe lost. On Sunday, Baxenden won at Great Harwood, but Northern and Clitheroe failed to beat the weather to give Baxenden their first title since 1980,

Barnoldswick's Hylton Ackerman was the season's top amateur with 971 runs with Clitheroe's Ian Wrigglesworth being top professional with 1028 runs. Glyn Sedman of Earby won the amateur bowling prize but Settle's Dave Jolleys had most wickets with 70. Blackburn Northern's Rudra Singh and Earby's Manoj Parekh both took 88 wickets.

Clitheroe won the Ramsbottom Cup getting the better of Barnoldswick at Great Harwood. Mick Dewhurst picked up the Man of the Match award.

The league decided not to allow overseas amateurs from the 1994 season. Oswaldtwistle Immanuel were admitted to the league to bring the number of clubs up to an even fourteen. Clitheroe won the championship with professional Ian Wrigglesworth breaking Les Warburton's 45 year old league batting record in scoring 1360 runs. Great Harwood were runners up with professional Paul Hutchinson taking 96 wickets. Whalley were third and also won the Ramsbottom Cup by beating Barnoldswick. Martin Greenhalgh was named Man of the Match despite finishing on the losing side in a match that spread over three days due to the weather.

Whalley's Simon Gorton won the bowling award with 68 wickets and he was also the league's Player of the Year. There were a total of six Australian professionals in the league with Barnoldswick's Darryl Macdonald and Settle's Scott Pearce both passing 1,000 runs. Blackburn Northern's Nigel Robbins hit most sixes and his 138 against Edenfield was also the highest score of the season. Padiham's Nasir Mahmood was voted the league's 'Most Promising Player.'

Next to bottom in 1994, Padiham won the championship in 1995 with a new captain in Pankaj Tripathi and a new professional in Gurinder Singh. Singh's innings of 150 on the final day against Whalley sealed Padiham's first title since 1966. Former professional Peter Usher hit 672 runs and Steve Gee, Malcolm Heyworth and Nasir Mehmood all made important all round contributions.

Great Harwood won the Ramsbottom Cup and looked on course for the double, Paul Hutchinson scored 902 runs and took 94 wickets and Paul Houldsworth won the league's 'Player of the Year' award. In a rain affected final at Read, Great Harwood beat Cherry Tree, but the losers had their revenge the following week when they defeated Great Harwood in the league to deny them a first title for 95 years. Alan Armer, Daniel Cheesbrough and left arm spinner Paul Newton also played a part in Great Harwood's success. Blackburn Northern's Richard Staple scored 1252 runs, Barnoldswick's James Peterson 1216 and Cherry Tree's Scott Pearce 1189, including a record 186 not out in his sides record score of 319 ‑ 3 against Ribblesdale Wanderers. Settle's Paul Ridgway was awarded a contract by Lancashire for the 1996 season.

A real team effort won the title for Earby in 1996. New professional Jonathan Harvey scored 937 runs and took 59 wickets and Nigel Pickles became the first English born amateur to score 1,000 runs in a season since 1937. Barnoldswick’s James Peterson and Read's Shahid Nawaz dominated the first part of the season. At the end of July, league leaders Barnoldswick lost to Read in the Ramsbottom Cup Final and took only 18 points from their last nine league matches as Read, Earby and Great Harwood left them behind.

With three matches to play the championship was wide open, but both Read and Great Harwood suffered defeats to opponents from the lower half of the table, leaving Earby to clinch their tenth title in 45 years.

James Peterson topped both batting and bowling averages, setting a new league record for the highest innings, an unbeaten 203 against Oswaldtwistle Immanuel. Blackburn Northern's Nigel Robbins hit 918 runs, including a league record 172 not out, the highest ever score by an amateur. During the season, 38 centuries were scored, exactly half of them by amateurs. In the midst of all this high scoring, Clitheroe professional Jonathan Fielding took 102 wickets, the first time this feat had been achieved since 1951. Andrew Robinson hit 936 runs as Clitheroe took fifth place in the table.

Cherry Tree clinched their first league and cup double in their final home match of the 1997 season. A record total of 141 points was 17 points more than second placed Clitheroe. Professional Naeem Ashraf took his 100th league and cup wicket in the final match of the season and finished the game with a straight six, the 51st time he cleared the ropes during the season, Ashraf’s contribution galvanised the whole club with his professionalism and enthusiasm. He conceded just 2.5 runs per over and had a strike rate of a wicket every five overs. The professional was well supported by John Hughes (63 wickets) and Gary Bolton (36 wickets). Hughes took five wickets on six occasions, including the best figures of the season, 9‑35 against Whalley. Captain David Hayes led the side well and would probably have been pushing for league batting honours but for a back injury. Eighteen year old Ian Simpson hit one of only two centuries by amateurs during the season, Whalley captain Mark Fallon scored the other. Cherry Tree wicketkeeper Andy Holroyd was the league's top keeper with 39 victims.

Read professional Shahid Nawaz was the only player to score 1,000 runs.

In the Ramsbottom Cup Final at Baxenden. Cherry Tree beat Ribblesdale Wanderers by 6 wickets. Ashraf (5­12) and Gary Bolton (2‑19) reduced Wanderers to 31‑7 but a last wicket stand of 35 gave the score some respectability,

Padiham's all round strength took them to the league title in 1998. Led by Captain Neil Anderson, Padiham always had someone who came off with the bat. Professional Mark Harvey hit 685 runs and took 32 wickets, forming a very successful opening partnership with Pankaj Tripathi, who hit 712 runs. These two were well backed up by Andy McNicholas, Jon Hartley and Phil Metcalfe. Veteran Steve Gee, who won his first championship medal back in 1966, was Padiham's leading wicket taker with 42 wickets. The club picked up bowling points on ten occasions with McNicholas also turning in some important contributions with the ball.

Ribblesdale Wanderers finished as runners up with professional Shahid Nawaz setting a new league batting aggregate record with 1373 runs, including three centuries and eleven fifties. Neighbours Clitheroe finished third with Jonathan Fielding taking 108 wickets. Neil Bolton and Andy Bums performed well with the bat and Neil Winckley was the top wicketkeeper with 39 victims. Cherry Tree finished fourth with Gary Bolton scoring 550 runs and taking 35 wickets, including the best of the season, 9‑34 against Baxenden. Gordon Simpson, captain of fifth placed Great Harwood, finished on top of the bowling averages with 47 wickets and Daniel Cheesbrough hit most sixes.

Cherry Tree retained the Ramsbottom Cup by defeating Earby in the final.

Jennings Brothers took over as league sponsors for the 1999 season and Padiham retained the league title after a close race which went to the final match of the season. Going into the final double header weekend of the season, four clubs Cherry Tree, Great Harwood, Ribblesdale Wanderers and Padiham were in contention. The results on the Saturday left Great Harwood on top of the table, but defeat at Cherry Tree on the Sunday gave Padiham the title again.

Shahid Nawaz broke his own league record in scoring 1608 runs, including eight centuries and six fifties for Ribblesdale Wanderers. Six other professionals also topped 1,000 runs, Surender Bhave hit 1246 runs for Settle, Shantanu Sugeweker hit 1051 runs for Great Harwood, Peter Sleep scored 1145 runs for Read, Mark Harvey hit 1021 for Padiham, brother Jonathan Harvey hit 1244 for Earby and Mark Lomas hit 1160 runs for bottom club Blackburn Northern. Read's Terry Little won the league's amateur batting award with 780 runs at an average of 52.7. Cherry Tree professional Naeem Ashraf took 77 wickets, Sleep took 74 and Baxenden's Ronnie Davies took 70, but Ribblesdale Wanderers' slow left armer Graham Monk took 67 at 12.8 to top the league averages. Monk also won the 'Player of the Year' award with Great Harwood's Richard Lamb being named 'Young Player of the Year.' Whalley's Mark Fallon and Terry Little shared the award for top score by an amateur with innings of 126. Barnoldswick's 16 year old off spinner John Pickup had the best bowling figures with 8‑28 against Clitheroe.

Ribblesdale Wanderers won the Ramsbottom Cup by defeating Cherry Tree at Church Meadow in a low scoring match. Graham Monk won the 'Man of the match' award for his 5 ‑19 as Cherry Tree were dismissed for 97. The League Representative XI reached the final of the M.E.N. Knockout Competition, losing to the Bolton Association in the last over at Edenfield,

After a wait of 37 years and having been runners up in the previous two seasons, Ribblesdale Wanderers finally claimed the championship for the third time in their history. Professional Shahid Nawaz scored 1335 runs at 74.2. Mike Ward hit 566 runs at 26.9, captain Dave Howard 375 at 25,0 and Martin Briggs 323 at 24.8. League Player of the Year' Dave O'Neill took 56 wickets, Howard 43 wickets, Graham Monk 40 and Nawaz 39 as Wanderers finished ten points clear of Great Harwood‑ Mark Harvey, a third choice as professional, scored 837 runs, but Great Harwood relied on an all amateur bowling attack with Gordon Simpson taking 44 wickets, Paul Newton 28, Stuart Maher 23, Paul Houldsworth 21 and Daniel Cheesbrough 20.

Read won the Ramsbottom Cup by defeating home club Cherry Tree. Gary Bolton hit an unbeaten 67 for Cherry Tree, who were struggling at 20‑5, but finished on 162‑7, thanks to Bolton and Nigel Robbins. Read's Peter Sleep took 1‑11 from 10 overs and then hit 52 to take Read past their target. Oliver Newby won the 'Man of the Match' award for his spell of 3‑30 for the cup winners.

Ribblesdale Wanderers' David Gardner‑Chan won the 'Young Player of the Year' award, Cherry Tree's Gary Bolton hit the highest score of the season and Barnoldswick's, James Stead had the best bowling figures of the season.

Cherry Tree won the championship in 2001 on the last day of the season. Great Harwood once again finished in second place, but they had the consolation of winning the Ramsbottom Cup by defeating Earby in the final at Clitheroe. Professional Naeem Ashraf hit 702 runs and took 55 wickets for the champions with Mick Veevers (427 runs) leading the batting and Nigel Robbins (32 wickets at 12.71 topping the league bowling averages. Jonathan Harvey broke the Baxenden batting record for most runs (1074) and he also hit a club record unbeaten 147 against his old club Earby as his new club finished third.

Baxenden's Liam Bones took the 'Player of the Year' award with Oliver Newby winning the 'Young Player of the Year' award. Edenfield's Andy Williams hit the highest score and Dave Howard had the best figures 9‑31 at Oswaldtwistle Immanuel on the final day of the season.

The league side won the M.E.N Trophy for the first time by beating the Bolton League at Edenfield on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Read won the Ribblesdale League title for the first time in 23 years after an exciting title race that kept followers on the edge of their seats right until the last match of the season, Barnoldswick, with Australian Clinton Peake as professional, were the early league leaders in a season that was badly affected by the weather. By the first week in June, Barnoldswick had a 7 point lead over second placed Read, having won six out of their first eight matches, the other two being rained off.

By the first week in July, Read had pulled the points back to go level on top with Barnoldswick, The following weekend, Settle's Paul Ridgway destroyed the Barnoldswick batting, taking 6‑33 and Padiham beat Read for the second time, results that let defending champions Cherry Tree to top the table for the first time in 2002. The lead changed hands again on August 4th when Barnoldswick won at Cherry Tree with Mike Scothern turning in a captain's display for the visitors. Scothern hit an unbeaten 43 and then took 6‑43 as Barnoldswick hit the front again.

The title race was by now a four horse race. After 20 matches Barnoldswick were top with 82 points, Cherry Tree second with 81 points, Earby third with 73 points and Read fourth with 72 points. Of the four clubs, Read had the most challenging run in. They had also informed professional Akram Raza that he was not being retained. In spite of this, Read turned in a championship winning final spurt, beating Settle by 8 wickets and winning at Barnoldswick, Cherry Tree and Clitheroe. Read's final match at Great Harwood was abandoned without play to give Warren Eastham's men a first league title since 1979.

Leading amateur run scorer for the champions was Craig Walton with 545 runs and Eastham himself with 26 wickets was the top wicket taker. Akram Raza signed off with a total of 531 runs and 61 wickets. Read played some fine cricket and they will be further strengthened next season with the return of Oliver Newby from Blackpool and Peter Sleep as professional. Read underlined their right to the title by beating both their nearest challengers home and away. Barnoldswick professional Clinton Peake hit 922 and he also took 40 wickets. Skipper Mike Scothern took 62 league wickets.

Champions Cherry Tree came third, but they had the consolation of winning the Ramsbottom Cup for the fourth time by beating Settle at Read. Ribblesdale Wanderers finished in fourth place with professional Shahid Nawaz hitting over 1,000 runs for the sixth time in his Ribblesdale League career. Settle professional Stuart Hornby took 75 wickets with new ball partner Paul Ridgway taking 42 wickets as the pair formed a feared partnership that took Settle into fifth place. Earby's title challenge faded and they finished in sixth place with Clitheroe seventh. Skipper Neil Bolton made 666 runs for the Chatburn Road side.

Lee Childs finished as the league's leading wicket taker with 76 wickets as Padiham ended the season in eighth place. John Hartley's side never entered the title race, but they made life difficult for the top clubs, doing the double over Read. Stuart Maher had 49 wickets for ninth paced Great Harwood and former Darwen all rounder Neil Cordingley had a good first season at tenth placed Whalley's professional. Baxenden had a disappointing season with Jonathan Harvey falling short of his own high standards in terms of run getting, but he did take 50 wickets.

Gerard Metcalf s Oswaldtwistle Immanuel moved away from the bottom after a good second half to the season. Youngsters such as Chris Burton and Andrew Metcalf continue to improve and professional Rob Ashton had a season of hard work rewarded with the offer of a contract for 2003. Blackburn Northern, after a good start, suffered injury problems and slid down the table to finish next to bottom. Centenary club Edenfield were the unfortunate winners of the wooden spoon for 2002.