Nolan boosts Warley title bid

Opener Bottomley hit 13 fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 94 as the second-placed side beat their fourth-placed visitors by three wickets.

Games at Mytholmroyd, Old Crossleyans, Shelf, Upper Hopton and Old Town all failed to start on another wet Saturday and there were reduced overs contests at several other venues.

However, they got a full game in at Warley where Triangle posted 190 with 45 from Tom Fryer and 42 from Josh Graham. Dan Syme and Graham Kinsey collected three wickets apiece.

Triangle were all out in 41 overs and Bottomley made use of some extra deliveries to see Warley home, Jack Gledhill dismissing four of his teammates, including the next top scorer Greg Keywood for 32.

Warley are two points behind leaders Booth, who were seven wickets home winners over Northowram HT, and the pair have stretched nine points clear of the rest.

Kier Litjens top scored with 56 in Northowram’s 165 for eight in 36 overs.

Steve Senior hit 59 before Hasnain Wajid (35 no) and Richard Laycock (31 no) completed the task for Booth ib 28 overs.

Third-placed Jer Lane were washed out at Mytholmroyd, damaging their hopes of a fourth successive title.

Northowram made 165 for eight at Booth, who had few problems overhauling that total.

The Rams slipped back into the bottom two with Sowerby Bridge and Thornton picking up wins near the foot of the table.

Sowerby Bridge only made 144 against Copley at Stainland and were grateful that Alex Rowles, who hit an unbeaten cup century the previously, wasn’t thrown the ball any earlier.

The sixth choice bowler took six for 23 to leave the visitors possible favourites.

However, Jake Dixon’s five for 45 tipped the scales Bridge’s way as Copley, 85 for two at one stage with Oliver Thorpe (48) and Rishikesh Bhuskute (36) at the crease, could only muster 138 for eight.

Thornton’s Bradley Weatherhead set up a two wicket win at home to Sowerby Bridge with six for 38.

Opener Ben Watkins made 63 but the visitors failed to fully cash in on a strong start, finishing on 197.

Greg Soames (59), Ryan Brooksbank (44) and Josh Hutchinson (39) led the successful Thornton reply.

Tom Wood’s good season for SBCI continued at Blackley, where he carried the visitors to a three-wicket win.

He took a catch and two wickets for one run to help clear up the home innings for 141 and then struck an 20-boundary 100, none of his teammates making double figures until Henry Lamper’s 12 not out saw them over the finishing line.

It was a good day for Division One leaders Oxenhope, who made short of work of lowly visitors Low Moor.

Scott Mallinson (six for 35) and Liam Dyson (four for 30) dismissed Moor for 70 with Adam Forbes getting half of his side’s runs.

Mark Stokes took three wickets in reply but Lewis Hopkinson’s 30 not out wrapped up a six-wicket win.

Oxenhope are nine points clear after second-placed Queensbury were unable to start at Old Crossleyans and third-placed Bridgeholme came unstuck at Great Horton Park Chapel.

Bobby Fielden made 61 and Nazakat Ali a late 33 but Adam Beesley’s seven for dismissed the visitors for 165.

Amaar Syed hit 78 at the top of the Chapel order and when he was out Matthew Jordan (30 no) sealed a four-wicket success.

Only two matches went ahead in Division Two and Bradshaw grabbed their chance to go second in a match at Luddenden Foot which contained two centuries.

Brian Shierson’s 106 dominated Bradshaw’s innings of 208 for seven off 30 overs.

Ex-Walsden player Tyson Illingworth made 118 in reply, including 10 sixes, but Foot crumbled from 171 for two to 200 all out with Aaron Buckley and Andy Ingham taking nine wickets between them.

Opener Tim Shackleton made 88 not out as Clayton sped to a target of 159 in a 30 overs per side match at home to Greetland, winning by nine wickets.

Premier Division: *Blackley 141 (Sarwar 39, Benson 3-47), SBCI 146-7 (Wood 100, O’Connell 3-19): pts 4-12. Northowram HT 165-8 (Litjens 56), *Booth 167-3 (Senior 59): pts 2-11. *Mytholmroyd v Jer Lane - no play: pts 4-4.*Sowerby Bridge 144 (Holdsworth 39, Rowles 6-23), Copley 138-8 (Thorpe 48, Bhuskute 36,Dixon 5-45, Mellor 3-51): pts 10-3. Sowerby St Peter’s 197 (Watkins 63, Weatherhead 6-38), *Thornton 198-8 (G Soames 59, Brooksbank 44, Hutchinson 39, Hoyle 3-68): pts 5-12. Triangle 190 (Fryer 45, Graham 42, Silkstone 32, Kinsey 3-28, Syme 3 -53), *Warley 195-7 (Bottomley 94*, Keywood 32, Gledhill 4-70): pts 5-12.

Points: Booth 107, Warley 105, Jer Lane 96, Triangle 95, SBCI 88, Sowerby SP 86, Copley 79, Thornton 77, Mytholmroyd 70, Sowerby Bridge 70, Northowram HT 65, Blackley 50.

Division One: Bridgeholme 165 (Fielden 61, Ali 33, Beesley 7-58), *Great Horton PC 169-6 (Syed 78, Jordon 30*): pts 3-12. *Low Moor HT 70 (Forbes 35, Mallinson 6-35, Dyson 4-30), Oxenhope 71-4 (Hopkinson 30*, Stokes 3-17): pts 1-12. *Old Crossleyans v Queensbury - no play: pts 4-4. Southowram 178-8, *Stones 168-4: pts 9-4.

Points: Oxenhope 105, Queensbury 94, Bridgeholme 93, Great Horton 91, Old Crossleyans 81, Southowram 75, Stones 46, Low Moor 43.

Division Two:  Greetland 158-9, *Clayton 159-1: pts 2-11. *Luddenden Foot 200 (Illingworth 118, Allen 38, Ingham 5-56, Buckley 4-69), Bradshaw 208-7 (Shierson 106, Beck 32, Richardson 3-42): pts 5-12. *Old Town v Denholme Clough – no play: pts 4-4. *Shelf v Cullingworth - no play: pts 4-4. *Upper Hopton v Outlane - no play: pts 4-4.