‘Silky’ shines with bat and ball

League side player Silkstone has been in good form with the bat and he helped his side overhaul Mytholmroyd’s 245 at Grassy Bottom with an innings which contained nine sixes.

Silkstone and Dan Crosland (56) added 99 after Triangle were threatening to stall at 43 for three.

Earlier, Luke Sutcliffe had made 79 to help Mytholmroyd to 215 for three but part-time bowler Silkstone cashed in as the last seven wickets added only 30 runs.

Mytholmroyd lost second place to Booth, whose six-wicket win at Southowram left their hosts 16 points adrift at the bottom.

The Rams made 210 for seven thanks to a late flourish from Tom Belfield(42 no) and Andy Measey (39 no), after they had been 118 for seven.

Richard Laycock didn’t bowl for Booth, after breaking a bone in his wrist recently, but settled for hitting 86 not out.

He and Hasnain Wajid (44) put on 105 to virtually clinch victory.

Booth are six points behind Jer Lane, who beat visitors Warley by 58 runs.

Lane had to settle for 194 for nine after a solid start. Greg Keywood was the least successful of the three Warley bowlers but his two for 55 came off 22 overs.

Warley’s hopes were dashed by Nasir Chowdrey and Simon Collins, who took five wickets each. The visiting batsmen provided easy pickings for them apart from Nolan Bottomley, who made 74 of his team’s 136.

SBCI and Thornton head the pursuers of the top three.

SBCI had a satisfying 88-run home derby win over Sowerby Bridge with Craig Potts (88) and Robin Hanson (six for 51) their star performers.

SBCI made 239 for four and Bridge were 65 for nine in reply until number three Paul Taylor (85 no) at least found someone to stay with him in Darren Chapman (12 no).

That enabled the visitors to salvage a couple of batting points at 151 for nine and deny SBCI all 12.

Ross and Greg Soames were prominent as Thornton won by 76 runs at Copley.

Ross hit 103 not out, adding 111 with Josh Hutchinson (66) as the visitors posted an impressive 295 for nine.

Greg then took five for 61 to keep Copley in check at 219 for seven with Nick Gomersal (47) the top scorer.

Queensbury were seven wicket winners at home to Blackley and moved above their visitors and out of the bottom two.

Points (after 13 matches): Jer Lane 118, Booth 112, Mytholmroyd 107, SBCI 103, Thornton 101, Copley 96, Triangle 95, Warley 95, Sowerby Bridge 89, Queensbury 81, Blackley 78, Southowram 62.

Sowerby St Peter’s and Northowram Hedge Top look increasingly likely to battle it out for Division One honours after opening up a 22-point gap on the rest.

Both won again on Saturday after posting decent scores on admittedly small grounds.

Sowerby looked to have the trickier fixture, at Bridgeholme, but made light of the task thanks to fine performances from Ben Watkins with the bat and Martin Schofield with the ball.

Opener Watkins made 102 in Sowerby’s 269 all out and experienced slow bowler Schofield then bagged even for 59 to dismiss Bridgeholme for 181.

Northowram hosted Stones and their wicketkeeper/batsman Kier Litjens hit 83 at the top of the innings.

Joe Ackroyd’s four wickets reduced the Rams to 182 for six but an undefeated seventh-wicket partnership worth 101 runs between Ian Mallard (68 no) and Luke Cole (36 no) tipped the scales the home side’s way.

Chasing 284 to win against a weakened attack, scoreboard pressure told as top scorer David Mobbs was run out for 61 and the Ripponden side finished on 222 for nine.

Just five points separate the bottom four and Luddenden Foot were the only winners. Their three-wicket success at Oxenhope was one of their best of the season.

Bradshaw have dropped like a stone and now occupy a relegation berth. They were unable to score quickly enough in pursuit of Low Moor’s 265 for five, in which Nick Wood (78 no) made another valuable contribution.

Bradshaw banked maximum batting points and denied their hosts any bowling points with their 220 for three reply, which included 62 not out from Steve Beck.

Points: Sowerby SP 129, Northowram HT 124, Oxenhope 102, Bridgeholme 99, Low Moor 77, Luddenden Foot 76, Bradshaw 73, Stones 72.

Denholme Clough looked set for a rapid win when they had Division Two visitors Shelf on the ropes at 43 for five. However, a few hours later they had lost by 291 runs!

Leigh Butterfield is arguably the most destructive batsman in the bottom division and he crashed 172 after coming in at number seven.

Andy Dimbleby (40) and Craig Green (86 no) as made their mark as Shelf ran riot to post 371 for nine.

It was all too much for Clough who capitulated to 75 all out with Steve Priestley (seven for 44) and Robert Ramsden (three for 11) mopping up the wickets.

Clayton bounced back from the previous week’s 22 all out debacle against Great Horton PC when they took on an under strength Upper Hopton team that had five regulars sunning themselves on foreign beaches.

The outcome was an eight wicket win for the home team.

Old Town won for the third week running whilst at the same time moving out of the bottom two.

The victims were Cullingworth as the Boston Hill team extracted revenge for its loss a month ago away to the same side,

Great Horton PC continue to lead Old Crossleyans by three points at the top after both registered easy wins.

The leaders had an eight-wicket success at Outlane while Crocs had Rizwan Manir (68), Jonny Sykes (74) and Richard Dixon (five for 38) in fine form in a 127-run win at Greetland.

Points: Great Horton PC 120, Old Crossleyans 117, Clayton 107, Cullingworth 103, Outlane 102, Shelf 85, Upper Hopton 81, Old Town 75, Denholme Clough 68, Greetland 54.