Josh takes Thornton clear

Hutchinson is a dynamic and free-scoring batsman but he did his damage with the ball yesterday, taking 8-31 in the top of the table game against Warley.

Both sides had won three out of three going into the contest at Hill Top Road but Hutchinson shattered the visitors for 67 to atone for his earlier duck.

Greg Soames top scored with 50 as Thornton made 213, losing their last wicket in the 45th over.

It wasn’t all plain sailing, Thornton needing their late-order batsmen to chip in after South African left arm spinner Cameron van Rensberg had taken six wickets for the third game running.

However, Hutchinson then ran through the visiting ranks in a 12.4 overs stint. His victims included the top seven Warley batsmen, Soames taking two wickets in one over before his teammate finished the job.

Shelf Northowram HT are second after a comfortable eight-wicket home win over Bridgeholme.

Dan Cole hit his second unbeaten century of the season to see Hedge Top past Bridgeholme’s 216-9, which included 77 not out from Hassan Mahmood.

Cole saw opening partner Kier Litjens out to the first ball he faced but went on to strike 15 fours and five sixes in an unbeaten 110, adding 139 in an unbroken third wicket stand with skipper Ollie Hemingway (55 no).

Triangle’s fine start came to a surprise end when they were hammered by 188 runs at home to Mytholmroyd.

Jack Gledhill took four wickets but the visitors managed to apply pressure by posting a total of 325-8, experienced Wajid Ali (71), Greg Spine (55), Luke Sutcliffe (49) and Tom Conway (37 no) showing the way.

Triangle’s much-vaunted batting line-up crumbled in reply. Spencer Harris took 5-63 as the Grassy Bottom side lurched to 72-8 before Liam Turner hit 40 to give them a little respectability and one batting point at 137 all out.

Champions Booth have climbed to fifth after a 145-run win at Southowram.

Patrick Thomas (92) Steven Senior (68) helped them to a total of 307, very useful at Ashday Lane, and a home attack in which Tom Belfield (4-63) strove manfully was given a tough time.

Belfield added 34 with the bat and Ian Gledhill a determined unbeaten 45 but Southowram were out of it at 86-6 and did well to reach 162.

Sowerby St Peter’s almost doubled their points tally with 11 from a three-wicket home win over SBCI. Gareth Hall’s 60 took them most of the way to overhauling the visitors’ 157-7.

Copley are bottom after their efforts to chase down visitors Oxenhope’s 209 came unstuck.

Lewis Hopkinson (87) and Alex Rowles (5-27) were the star performers in a fairly even first half.

Matthew Rowles (43) and Oliver Thorpe (69) had Copley reasonably placed at 109-2 but the last eight wickets tumbled for 61 runs, Scott Mallinson taking 5-49.

Premier Division: Oxenhope 209 (Hopkinson 87, A Rowles 5-27), *Copley 170 (Thorpe 69, M Rowles 43, Mallinson 5-39): pts 12-5. Bridgeholme 216-9 (H Mahmood 77*, Ali 46, Hemblys 4-63), *Shelf Northowram HT 217-2 (Cole 110*, Hemingway 55*): pts 3-11. Booth 307 (Thomas 92, Senior 68, Wajid 49, Belfield 4-63), *Southowram 162 (Gledhill 45*, Ayub 4-21): pts 12-5. SBCI 157-7 (Dalby 50, Schofield 5-53),*Sowerby St Peter’s 163-7 (Hall 60): pts 4-11. *Thornton 210 (G Soames 50, van Rensberg 6-84), Warley 67 (J Hutchinson 8-31): pts 12-3. Mytholmroyd 325-8 (Ali 71, Spine 55, Sutcliffe 49, Gledhill 4-49), *Triangle 137 (L Turner 40, Harris 5-63): pts 12-3.

Points (after four matches): Thornton 47, Shelf Northowram Hedge Top 39, Warley 38, Triangle 37, Booth 35, Mytholmroyd 29, Oxenhope 28, Southowram 23, Sowerby SP 23, SBCI 16, Bridgeholme 14, Copley 12.