Tonge sit mid-table in a division headed by Read, who have now won eight from eight and have 88 points.
They won at Farnworth by eight wickets chasing a revised 112-target.
Second-bottom Farnworth were bowled out for 113 in 39 overs as South African overseas amateur Zadian Muller claimed five wickets and Chris Holt four. Captain and opener, Will Wrathall, top-scored with 53 unbeaten in a routine reply.
While Read lead the Premiership, Ribblesdale Wanderers (71 points) are top of the Championship having beaten pre-game pacesetters Oswaldtwistle Immanuel at home – their fifth win in nine.
Wanderers won a 37-over game by 64 runs thanks to Waqar Rafique’s impressive all-round display and five wickets for Sri Lankan pro Heshan Dhanushka.
Rafique top-scored with a well-paced 50 not out from number four in 147-7 before striking three times in Oswaldtwistle’s 83 all out.
Cherry Tree are second, only a point behind, following a thrilling one-wicket win at Brinscall chasing 167.
Brinscall’s 166-7 in 45 overs saw Mark Hadfield, captaining the side, take three wickets before Cherry Tree slipped from 128-4 to 165-9. However, Joe Littler’s middle-order 36no proved crucial, including hitting the winning runs.
They have won six from seven and have two games in hand on Ribblesdale.
Back in the Premiership, pro Iftikhar Naseer led second-placed Padiham (70 points) to their fifth win in eight outings, by 115 runs at home to Salesbury, as his fabulous all-round display included a hat-trick.
He hit 70 off 49 balls in 240-9 from 40 overs before returning 5-37 from 6.1 overs in Salesbury’s 125 all out. Zander Van Tonder took the new ball and set the tone with four wickets before Naseer bowled Liam Parkinson – 121-5 – and Andrew Mercer. Sandwiched in between, he had Tom Stones caught.
That was the third hat-trick in the last two rounds of the NWCL.
Even though Farnworth Social Circle have won one more game than Padiham, they are four points behind in third.
Social Circle were home winners by four wickets against Eagley (184-7).
Basil Sultan continued his excellent form with three wickets before Bajan pro Jameel Stuart’s 69no off 57 balls was the cornerstone of a chase which was briefly threatened at 126-5.
Atherton’s second win from eight gave them some breathing space above the relegation places, and it was an impressive one away at 2023 champions Little Lever.
Bajan pro Shayne Moseley top-scored with an opening 93 off 94 balls in 288-5 from 42 overs before Atiq Shah and Akmal Ghafoor struck three times apiece as Little Lever, chasing a revised 294 in 42, were bowled out for 241.
Last year’s champions Blackrod, however, were weekend winners at bottom side Lostock. Their fourth win from eight leaves them fifth on 57 points, four adrift of Little Lever.
Blackrod’s 156-6 from 37 overs included a fine run-a-ball 93no from Sri Lankan pro Navod Paranavithana before he claimed two wickets in Lostock’s 112 all out. Matthew Readey took a new-ball ‘four-for’.
Whalley are third in the Championship, four points behind Cherry Tree.
They beat bottom side Walkden by two wickets chasing 119, their fifth win in eight.
Josh Dentith returned four wickets as Walkden were bowled out for 118 en-route to an eighth successive defeat. Stuart Crabtree top-scored with a middle-order 23, but Whalley fell from 73-2 to 109-8.
Dentith, 9no, then hit a six to win it.
Mid-table Barnoldswick got back on track by winning at promotion rivals Astley Bridge by four wickets chasing 211.
Deron Greaves, their OA from St Vincent and the Grenadines, claimed four wickets in Bridge’s 210-9 before Australian pro Trent Riddell top-scored with a well-paced 82 from number three in a victory secured with seven balls remaining.
Barnoldswick, who triumphed in each of their opening four matches, have now won five from seven in the second tier.
Second-bottom Earby’s second win was achieved by 109 runs at home to Baxenden, them riding on the best individual batting and bowling performances of the round across both divisions.
Sri Lankan pro Dunith Jayathunga underpinned 227-8 with 119 off 100 balls from number four before South African OA Jared Bone bowled Baxenden out for 118 with an excellent 6-39 from 13.2 overs of off-spin.
Saturday’s fixtures: Premiership – Atherton v Lostock, Blackrod v Tonge, Eagley v Kearsley, Farnworth v Padiham, Read v Little Lever, Salesbury v Farnworth Social Circle; Championship – Barnoldswick v Ribblesdale Wanderers, Baxenden v Cherry Tree, Brinscall v Astley Bridge, Walkden v Earby, Whalley v Oswaldtwistle Immanuel.
