Bury close to Premier return

They were one of only three winning first teams - the others were Great Horton Park Chapel and Shelf - as grounds heading toward Bradford fared best in avoiding showers.

Queensbury were at home to Low Moor in Division One and prolific wicket taker Ali snapped up eight for 46 to dismiss the visitors for 124.

Opener Jamie Priestley then ensured maximum points with 58 not out as Queensbury, agonisingly relegated from the Premier on the final day of last season, won by eight wickets.

With only two fixtures left for middle section teams, Queensbury look likely to go up alongside Oxenhope.

Queensbury lead the table by four points from Oxenhope, who were rained off at Bridgeholme.

The luckless Eastwood side dropped to fourth and their hopes of making it to the Premier for the first time look to have gone.

Great Horton PC went third - 14 points behind Oxenhope - after opener Amaar Syed’s 151 not out blasted them to an easy win over visitors Stones.

Syed hit 26 boundaries, including two sixes, as the Ewart Street team made 250 for five.

Their visitors from Ripponden had only nine batsmen and were rolled over for 84 with Ethan Pollard’s 31 their top score.

The other match to finish was at Shelf in Division Two.

The hosts beat Greetland by 57 runs after Alex O’Keefe (54) headed a solid top-order effort and number 10 Robert Ramsden added 48 not out.

Greetland, needing 202 for victory, succumbed to Baber Malik (5-60) and Aamir Rashid (4-47), being all out for 144.

Best for the visitors were four-wicket pair Hizar Hayat and Waheed Hussain, who also hit 34.

Cullingworth were unlucky, bowling out hosts Bradshaw for 145 before moving to 125 for three. At that point rain saved the home side.

Ben Burkill took another four wickets and Jon Terry was unbeaten on 46 not out for the visitors.

All the teams in the Premier Division picked up four points from abandoned games.

The only play was at Warley, where the title hopefuls made 97 for three in the 18 overs that were possible.

Premier Division: *Blackley v Jer Lane - no play: pts 4-4. *Sowerby Bridge v Booth - no play: pts 4-4. *SBCI v Copley - no play: pts 4-4. *Thornton v Mytholmroyd - no play: pts 4-4. *Triangle v Northowram - no play: pts 4-4. *Warley 97-3 (Hassan 35, Bottomley 32*) rsp v Sowerby St Peter’s dnb: pts 4-4.

Division One: *Bridgeholme v Oxenhope - no play: pts 4-4. *Great Horton PC 250-5 (Syed 151*, Jordan 48, Swales 3-103), Stones 84 (Pollard 31): pts 12-1. *Old Crossleyans 120-7 (Wolfenden 41, Pilling 31*, Belfield 4-51, 3-29) rsp v Southowram dnb: pts 4-4. Low Moor HT 124 (Ali 8-46), *Queensbury 126-2 (Priestley 58): pts 1-12.

Division Two: *Bradshaw 145 (Fisher 54, Burkill 4-32, Poole 3-30), Cullingworth 125-3 (Terry 46*, Powis 37) rsp: pts 4-4. Outlane 117-3 (Mellor 56, Brook 32*) rsp v *Luddenden Foot dnb: pts 4-4. *Old Town v Clayton - no play: pts 4-4. *Shelf 201-9 (O’Keefe 54, Ramsden 48*, Marshall 36, Ali 32, Hayat 4-108, Hussain 4-69), Greetland 144 (Reynolds 40, Hussain 34, Malik 5-60, Rashid 4- 47): pts 12-5. *Upper Hopton 159-9 (Stephenson 42, Aslam 3-29, Mahmood 3-48), Denholme Clough 39-1 rsp: pts 4-4.