Illingworth records tumble

Lawton finished on an unbeaten 228 from 134 balls, and his innings featured 30 fours and three sixes.

Opening partner Callum Cook, the stand-in skipper, also reached three figures as the pair racked up the club’s highest ever first wicket partnership of 313.

Cook hit a maiden century and it took his run out to bring Old Town some respite after he had reached 121 off 107 balls.

Daniel Murfet (29 off 10 balls) and Stephen Cook (36 off 13 balls) rubbed salt into the visitors’ wounds as Illingworth notched their biggest ever score of 433 for two, easily surpassing the previous best of 326 for five a decade ago.

Old Town’s batters had some fun of their own in the second innings, with more than half of their total of 97 coming in sixes, Sagher Shaheen top scoring with an unbeaten 27.

The wickets were shared around with Tom Watson, Matthew Watson and Louis Smith each picking up two wickets.

Competition for the second promotion place increased when Clayton beat visitors Bradshaw by three wickets to narrow the gap between the pair to eight points.

Mitesh Mistry took seven for 46 to shatter Bradshaw for 124 but Ricky Beaumont took five for 37 in reply before Andrew Sutcliffe’s 48 not out saw the relieved hosts over the line.

Daniel Barron’s five for 24 set up Luddenden Foot for a four-wicket home win over Outlane

Colin Johnson and Mark Coulson took five wickets each as Leymoor dismissed hosts Mount for 56 and won by six wickets.

Low Moor fared only marginally better with the bat than Mount, Greetland’s Sajid Ali taking five for 16 as the hosts were shot out for 77.

Greetland sped to a nine wicket success.

The closest match in the section came at Upper Hopton where Birchencliffe’s last man Abdul Rehman hit 17 not out to take his side past their opponents’ 179 for seven.

Scores: Bradshaw 124 (Mistry 7-46), *Clayton 128-7 (Sutcliffe 48*, Beaumont 5-37): pts 3-12. *Illingworth St Mary’s 443-1 (James Lawton 228*, C Cook 121), Old Town 97: pts 12-0. *Low Moor HT 77 (Ali 5-16), Greetland 78-1: 0-12. Outlane 140 (Ainley 42, Barron 5-24), *Luddenden Foot 141-6: pts 3-12. *Mount 56 (Coulson 5-19, Johnson 5-23), Leymoor 58-4: pts 0- 12. *Upper Hopton 179-7 (R Wild 44, Wilson 41*), Birchencliffe 183-9 (Khalid 48, Mistry 41): pts 4-11. Points (after 16 games): Illingworth 188, Bradshaw 154, Clayton 146, Luddenden Foot 120, Outlane 118, Mount 117, Leymoor 108, Birchencliffe 95, Old Town 86, Low Moor 78, Greetland 77, Upper Hopton 77.

There was a shortage of runs in Division One with four of the eight teams bowled out for 112 or less and leaders Sowerby Bridge managing only 138 on the small Bridgeholme ground.

Aqib Mahmood (three for 24) and Yasir Mahmood (four for 13) plagued Bridge, after the visitors had been 62 for two, and the home batsmen had problems of their own before scrambling home by three wickets.

Shelf won the basement battle by nine wickets at Stones, after bowling out their hosts for 83, while Great Horton Park Chapel dismissed Southowram for 100, only to be bowled out for 93 themselves. Matthew Jordan (Chapel) and David Jowett traded five-wicket hauls.

Cullingworth improved their promotion hopes at the expense of Blackley’s, easing to a six-wicket win after Ben Burkill’s four for 21 had led to the visitors’ demise for only 112.

Scores: Sowerby Bridge 138 (Y Mahmood 4-13), *Bridgeholme 142-7: pts 6-12. Blackley 112 (Birkill 4-21), *Cullingworth 116-4: pts 2-12. *Southowram 100 (Jordan 5-36), Great Horton PC 93 (Jowett 5- 16): pts 12-3. *Stones 83, Shelf 86-1: pts 0-12.

Points (after 16 games): Sowerby bridge 146, Southowram 135, Cullingworth 133, Bridgeholme 129, Blackley 126, Great Horton PC 100, Shelf 78, Stones 52.