Leaders halt Blackley run

It was top versus bottom when Richard Laycock’s side went to Blackley but a journey fraught with danger nevertheless.

Blackley had the bit between their teeth after back-to-back wins while Booth had the small matter of today’s Parish Cup final against Copley at Sowerby at the back of their minds.

However, Booth must have been satisfied to emerge with 10 points from a 67 run win, thanks to good performances from Steve Senior and Moazzam Ayub.

Senior top scored with 72 and Richard Laycock (41) and brother Robert (48) also chipped in as the visitors amassed 260 for eight with Chris White accounting for half the hosts’ successes.

Blackley had to settle for maximum batting points as they replied with 193 for five, Ayub taking four of the wickets and Reece Kendall hitting 53 not out.

Reigning champions Jer Lane and Warley maintained their pursuit of Booth with returns of 11 and 12 points respectively.

Lane overhauled hosts’ SBCI’s 162 for eight with two wickets in hand while Warley added to Copley’s drop fears with a 68-run win at home to the cup finalists.

Shahzad Hassan (54) and Greg Keywood (48) helped Warley to 262 for eight, Luke Duckitt (26 no) and Liam Senior (29 no) turning the screw by adding 60 last on.

Gareth Walker top scored with 45 in Copley’s 194.

Tom Clee is having a fine first season back at Northowram HT but his heroics with bat and ball yesterday couldn’t prevent a 62-run defeat for the next-to-bottom side at Sowerby St Peters.

Clee took six for 111 as Gavin Hayes (80) and Ryan Brook (68) helped Sowerby to 253 for seven. The young all-rounder followed up with 67 not out in a reply of 191 for six, Chris Greenwood taking four wickets.

Thornton shook off the absence of star man Josh Hutchinson to beat visitors Sowerby Bridge by six wickets.

Opener Ross Carnell stepped up to the plate, hitting 83 runs as Sowerby Bridge’s 181 for eight was bettered.

There was a typically high-scoring game at Triangle where the hosts and Mytholmroyd scored 623 runs between them. ‘Royd made 311 but Triangle knocked them off for four down.

Division One leaders Queensbury and Oxenhope both scored the maximum 12 points to keep well ahead of third placed Bridgeholme.

It was the Osborne show at Queensbury with Scott (61) and Bradley (60) contributing in a three-wicket win over Southowram after the latter had set a fighting target of 278 with Ben Wells (68) top-scoring and Amjad Ali taking six for 92.

Oxenhope bounced back from the disappointing defeat to claim a comprehensive 88 run win over promotion rivals Great Horton PC.

Craig Bartlett (89), Jack Barker (42) and Joe Ousey (51 no) helped Oxenhope to 261 for eight and Chapel, 24 for three at one stage, could only manage 173.

Old Crossleyans dismissed their Broomfield visitors Bridgeholme for only 112 but then capitulated to 52 all out with six ducks. Jahangir Khan took four for 18.

Ten-man bottom club Low Moor HT made a courageous attempt to win at fellow strugglers Stones losing by 20 runs.

Joe Ackroyd made 92 not out and William Thickett took five wickets for the Ripponden side.

Denholme Clough maintained their 16 point lead at the top of Division Two with a surprisingly easy win at Outlane.

The home side must have thought they had done the hard work in dismissing Clough for 161 but were then all out for 75.

Israh Akram (5- 25) and Waqas Ali (4-43) did the damage for the visitors.

Shelf beat struggling Old Town at Carr House Road but the visitors put up a fight.

Robert Ramsden took four wickets and Andy Dimbleby a patient 57 not out as Shelf made the 194 they required for victory.

Connor Ryan hit a fine 124 for Bradshaw against Greetland with Adam Spendelow (95) joining a long list of nervous nineties victims this season.

Hizar Hayat (51) led the visitors’ response but Bradshaw won by 101 runs.

Upper Hopton registered a sixth win of the season when beating Clayton, whilst Cullingworth were far too strong for hosts Luddenden Foot winning by 122 runs.

Premier Division: Booth 260-8 (Senior 72, Rob Laycock 46, Ric Laycock 41, Worsnop 35, White 4-68, Watson 3-69), *Blackley 193-5 (Kendall 53*, Andrews 31, Ayub 4-66): pts 10-5. *SBCI 162- 8, Jer Lane 167-8: pts 4-11. *Sowerby St Peter’s 253-8 (Hayes 80, Brook 68, Watkins 39, Clee 7- 111), Northowram HT 191-6 (Clee 67*, Conroy 37, Saghir 31, Grenwood 4-54): pts 10-5. Sowerby Bridge 183-6 (Holdsworth 55, Richardson 47, Mellor 34, Clayton 3-35, Soames 3-45), *Thornton 186-4 (Carnall 83, Soames 35): pts 4-11. Mytholmroyd 311, *Triangle 312-4: pts 4-12. *Warley 262-8 (Hassan 54, Keywood 48, Dennison 5-111), Copley 194 (Walker 45, Bhuskute 31): pts 12-5.

Division One: Oxenhope 261-8, *Great Horton PC 173: pts 12-4. Bridgeholme 112 (Ali 33, Kibble 30, Dixon 3-33, Fawcett 3-23), *Old Crossleyans 52 (Khan 4-18, Mahmood 3-1): pts 12-3. Southowram 277 (Wells 68, Belfield 55, Veal 53, Ali 6-92, Sharples 3-17), *Queensbury 283-7 (S Osborne 61, B Osbourne 60, Ali 46, Sivyer 37): pts 5-12. *Stones 266-7 (Ackroyd 92*, Westerby 42, Kenworthy 37), Low Moor HT 246-8 (R Dowling 50, Williams 45, Thickett 5-40): pts 11-5.

Division Two: *Bradshaw 306-7 (C Ryan 124, Spendelow 95, Fisher 58, Hussain 3-79), Greetland 205 (Hayat 51, Fisher 5-56): pts 12-5. Cullingworth 263-3, *Luddenden Foot 141: pts 12-2. Denholme Clough 161 (Yousaf 63, Farid 33, Wrigley 4-30, Shaukatt 3-49), *Outlane 75 (Blagborough 37, Akram 5-25, Ali 4-43): pts 12-3. Old Town 193-8 (Mahmood 36, Asghar 30, Ramsden 4-54), *Shelf 194-4 (Dimbleby 57, Rashid 48*, Ali 34): pts 4-11. Clayton 147, *Upper Hopton 148-8: pts 4-12.