Jacob’s cracking ton helps Luddendenfoot sink title rivals Sowerby St Peter’s

Luddendenfoot leapfrogged Sowerby St Peter's at the top of the First Division, as it comprehensively won by nine wickets at St Peter's Avenue, writes Paul Whiteley.

The hosts batted first and scored 182-9, in a reduced 42 overs, as Tom Scott took 4-19.

The Foot's reply saw a masterclass of aggressive batting from skipper Jacob Whitehouse, whose 109 not out came in only 79 balls.

The revised target of 174 from 40 overs, after a short rain break, was achieved in the 29th with a winning 179-1.

The top individual score of the day came at Cullingworth, where Oakworth's Bradley Powell hit a fine 131 not out.

The hosts had posted a challenging 196-8 with Elliot Robinson (57), Thomas Harrison (42) and Will Rankin (41) among the runs, James Powell taking 6-50.

Bradley Powell and Joel Gallagher (64 not out) then simply took the Cullingworth bowling apart sharing an unbeaten, and winning, first-wicket partnership of 200 runs in just 20.3 overs.

Mark Stokes (5-35) and Martin Jenkins (4-42) helped lowly Low Moor HT to a very welcome home win against Greetland.

The visitors batted first and, with the two bowlers above in form, it could only post 93 all out.

Led by Dan Robinson's 51 runs the Trinity hit a winning 96-4 in its 17th over, the whole encounter lasting less than 39 overs.

There was a similar short encounter at Mytholmroyd where visiting Stones was making the journey home after just 43.4 overs.

Stones was asked to bat first and only posted 79 all out, with Jacob Shaw taking 4-8.

Batting was difficult and in chasing the win the Royd itself lost six wickets but Jack Earle (29 not out) steered his team home to 80-6.

The low scoring continued at Great Horton where Blackley shot out its hosts for only 96 runs, or at least Jacob Linsel did with figures of 13-4-30-7.

Horton's mid-innings effort tumbled from 52-2 to 70-9.

Blackley too found batting hard work in reply but eventually it reached a winning 110-7, despite the efforts of Matthew Jordan (4-53).

Queensbury lost its 100% record at Mount, and the leadership of the Second Division.

Batting first, like on tracks elsewhere, it struggled to cope with the conditions and could only post 136 all out, as Ismail Mayat took 4-44.

Mount, and in particular Abdul Moiz (44), fared much better and won in the 28th over with 137-4 and it joins Queensbury in second place, only three points off the top.

Southowram took over that top spot as it made light work of the weather, and Bridgehome, at Eastwood.

The home team could only reach 61 all out in the face of the aptly named Neil Eastwood, who registered a fine return of 7.2-2-28-7.

Sohail Sajjad was keen to return home quickly, scoring 42 not out as the Rams cruised to the win at 64-1 in only the 9th over.

At Old Town, given the conditions, visiting Stainland at tea must have been pleased with its effort of posting a target of 187-6 for its hosts, with Javad Khaliq (74) and Marc Proctor (44) heading the scoring.

However it could hardly have anticipated the onslaught it received from the Town's openers as it used seven bowlers to no avail.

Simon Newbitt, with a 103 not out maiden century, and Nazakat Ali (79 not out) plundered the bowling to reach a winning 189-0 in the 35th over.

There was an excellent all-round performance at Outlane, from the home team's Michael Primus with 44 not out and 4-43, in its fixture against Bradley & Colnebridge.

Inserted Outlane reached 205-5 in its reduced 43 overs, the sixth-wicket stand between Primus and Jonathan Krishnapillai (62no) producing 96 runs, after the hosts appeared in trouble at 109-5. B&C made a good effort in reply, with seven batters hitting double-figure scores led by Saeed Mohammed's 44 runs.

However it fell 27 runs short at 178 all out.

In the Premier Division bottom of the table Clayton recorded its first win of the season, and that with comparative ease against visiting Triangle.

Batting first David Paynter (80) and skipper Michael Nicholson (55) top scored in a total of 235-8 for the hosts, as Christian Silkstone took 4-59.

In Triangle's reply only Silkstone (60) showed any batting form, seven players failing to reach double-figures as it fell to 161 all out.

Illingworth St Mary's narrowly beat Bradshaw at home, by one wicket, in a low-scoring affair.

The visitors could only post 128-9 on a tricky track, its innings reduced to 41 overs.

The majority of its runs came from Si Collins (54) and Connor Ryan (53), as it recovered from a desperate 9-4.

The remaining batters could only muster eight runs between them as Matthew Smith took 4-27.

St Mary's appeared to be on course for a comfortable win at 81-3, with Jack Hargreaves scoring 40, but it then lost six wickets for only 41 runs and at 122-9 the match became tense.

However Thomas Watson and Kieran Heaton scrambled the winning runs at 130-9, with four balls to spare.

Leaders Booth retained top spot, as it easily despatched visiting Warley & Elland by eight wickets.

W&E could only reach 87 all out, failing to deal with the bowling of Usman Saghir (5-4) and Patrick Thomas (4-30).

Following a shower break, producing a revised target of 81 runs from 33 overs, Booth and particularly Jon Midgley (50no), eased home at 84-2 to maintain its 100% record.

Thornton openers, Jordon Croft (66) and Richard Wear (66), shared an opening partnership of 120 runs to set up a score of 204-9 at Shelf Northowram HT.

For Hedge Top Gurdev Singh produced a fine bowling effort with career best figures of 9-0-39-8.

Unfortunately he was destined to be on the losing team as the hosts could only reply with 130 all out, Charlie Holt-Conway (42) the only batter to make any impression.

Copley maintained its second position in the table as its visit to Upper Hopton brought a 43 runs victory.

Batting first the Rowles, Matthew (67no) and Alex (42) helped the vistors to a score of 184-8. Hopton was in deep trouble at 44-5 and, despite its last six batters producing exactly 100 runs, it was 141 all out in the 43rd over as Gav Whipp took 4-46.