Saints mark top flight return with victory at Hedge Top

Saints made the trip to Shelf Northowram HT and posted 186 all out. Jack Leonard (47) and Alex Healey (40) top scored while Harry Talbot (4-51) and Razwan Saghir (4-64) started their season with early wickets.

The Hedge Top reply got off a to a dreadful start as Zafar Khan was removed first ball by Harvey Potts. Daniel Barron (56) and Saghir (43) were party to a recovery but it was Leonard (4-45) who finished on the winning team as Hedge Top were dismissed for 173 all out.

Once Grassy Bottom was declared fit for play, hosts Triangle opted to bat first and hammered 175-6 in their allocated 25 overs. Nathan Madden (52) and Tom Fryer (41) top-scored as Thomas Wood took 4-43.

SBCI were up to this early challenge and with Wood leading the charge with a belligerent 94 not out, they reached a winning 176-4 with 23 balls to spare.

At Copley, visitors Illingworth St Mary's reached 155-6 with Will Rushton (54) and Matthew Rowles (43 not out) top-scoring and Matthew Smith claiming all six wickets with 6-37.

St Mary's reached a winning 156-8 with six balls to spare. After Smith (42) had departed at 112-8 the home team looked favourites to win but Sam Fellows (42 not out) and Stephen Cook (20 not out) guided their team home.

Promoted Luddendenfoot looked to have a tough task on their first match back in the top flight and so it proved, as they lost at Thornton by six wickets.

The visitors posted 158-9 with Jacob Whitehouse (64) top-scoring. James Bloodworth, introduced as the sixth bowler, first claimed Whitehouse's wicket and then proved very difficult to handle, eventually taking 5-10.

Ben Birkhill hit 44 in Thornton's reply and, with two contributions of 35 runs, they won with 159-4 in the 40th over.

Champions Booth were left frustrated as their match at Bradshaw was a victim of the weather as was that at Upper Hopton, where the home club made an early decision to cancel and saved Oxenhope a futile long journey.

First Division promotion favourites Clayton were indebted to Scott Price as he made a notable debut, featuring in a score of 225-7 against visiting Greetland.

The former Farsley batter hit 93, which included six sixes, while skipper Michael Nicholson contributed 84 that also included six of the best as Muhammad Asif took 4-60.

The visitors’ reply was soon in trouble with each of their top four being dismissed for 12 runs apiece. No other batter reached double figures and, with Matthew Roe taking 6-24, they were 77 all out in the 20th over.

Blackley, in their visit to Low Moor HT, posted 217-8 with the majority of their runs coming from Sam Hesmondhalgh (76) and Sam Roberts (75). They shared a sixth wicket partnership of 116 runs, coming together with the score on a wobbly 75-5, as Martin Jenkins took 4-46.

Trinity made a valiant effort in the chase, with Ryan Williamson hitting 56 and Jenkins 39, but ran out of overs on 180-8.

The match at Hullen Edge produced one of the closest finishes of the day. Hosts Elland scored 196-9 against Mount, as Tom Kipling (50) and Zeeshan Iqbal (39) top-scored.

Mount made a sterling effort in response but fell 12 runs short at 184-8.

Ahmed Sallu was very unlucky, having to retire hurt when on 59 runs, while Mahmadbhai Makda's 49 was the next best score.

Mythomroyd's season started well with an 81-run home victory over Great Horton PC.

Evergreen skipper Jack Earle (86 not out) was soon in the runs aided by 47 from Jacob Travis, in a total of 193-7 in just 28 overs. Horton could not match that run rate and were 112 all out in the 24th over, with Dan Murgatroyd recording figures of 6.1-1-42-7.

The local derby between Cullingworth and Oakworth never got started while Southowram were the team with a free date.

In the Second Division, the almost total turnover of players at Augustinians failed to bring early dividends as they was dismissed for only 61 runs in their visit to Bradley & Colnebridge.

The innings contained five ducks as Khalil Khan took 5-9 and the hosts required only 18 overs to reach a winning 62-1.

At Old Guy Road, hosts Queensbury started their quest for promotion, after last year's disappointment, with a seven-wicket win over Leymoor.

The visitors limped to 103 all out as Gareth Walker (5-21) and Jahangir Khan (4-27) took nine of the ten wickets.

Oliver Challis led the victory charge with 62 not out, in 50 balls, as a winning 105-3 was reached in the 22nd over.

Bridgeholme hammered 187-9 in a reduced 35 overs in their local derby with Old Town.

Town had no answer to a five man bowling attack, including Khalid Mahmood's 4-34, and were 99 all out in the 25th over.

The match at Sowerby Bridge, against Stainland, and Stones’ home clash with Outlane were both cancelled without a ball being bowled.