Moorhouse settles leading clash

Electing to bat first, the men from the Ainleys got off to a flyer with 44 on the board in just seven overs. However, they slipped to 104-5 with Callum Cook (33) and Stephen Cook (35) falling to catches in the deep.

Luke Brooksby (51) and Andy Dixon (62), making his first start of the season, put on 98 before the last five wickets fell for just 11 runs.

Zagar Anwar took a hat-trick with the score on 202 and Illingworth gifted their opponents five overs when all out for a seemingly well below par 213.

Great Horton put on 20 for the first wicket but after Jamie Moorhouse got the break through in the fifth over, three more wickets fell for the addition of just three runs.

Dominic Anderson (22) helped bring about a slight recovery but when he departed the visitors folded to 89 all out, Moorhouse finishing with 6-47 and Ben Clark 3-8.

Sowerby Bridge are clear in second after a five-wicket win at Blackley.

Jake Dixon took six for 22 off 15.1 overs to dismiss the hosts for 156 with Adam Turner (53), Ibbi Mir (40) and Macauley Shiel (23) the only batsmen in double figures.

Jacob Linsel (4-36) had Bridge wobbling at 87-5, after Tim Helliwell had departed for 45, but James Holdsworth’s 59 not out saw the visitors to success.

Fourth-placed Clayton hit back after successive defeats with a 45-run home win over Queensbury.

Jason Gelder’s 92 helped them out of a big hole, boosting the score from 64-5 to 232 all out.

Gelder’s counterpart at No 6 for Queensbury, Ryan Senior (73), did a similar job but Paul Gelder’s 4-29 tipped the scales Clayton’s way.

Stones’ hopes of a rare win were raised when Jack Collins (132) and Kevin O’Rourke (82 no) helped the Ripponden side to 280-5 at home to Bradshaw.

However, Connor Ryan hit 130 in reply to give Bradshaw victory by three wickets with 11 balls to spare.

Points (after 16 games): Illingworth St Mary’s 168, Sowerby Bridge 150, Great Horton PC 143, Clayton 132, Bradshaw 113, Blackley 86, Queensbury 67, Stones 46.

There was a predictable outcome when Division Two leaders Mount travelled to bottom side Cullingworth but the early stages of the contest certain did not go according to the script.

Cullingworth’s opening bowlers Michael Bright and Dave Robinson dismissed Mount’s top six between them relatively cheaply only for No 8 Zahoor Munaf to plunder 124 in company with Ismail Mayat (73) and Fakir Laher (67 no).

The total rocketed to 381-8 and Cullingworth, who didn’t help their cause by having three men run out for ducks, managed only 136 in reply with Tim Welsh undefeated on 37.

Luddenden Foot and Upper Hopton look to be battling for the second promotion place after picking up 12 points each, Hopton at the expense of fourth-placed Old Town.

Foot scrambled a three-wicket home win over Bradley & Colnebridge after Tom Hosker and Tom Stott had taken three wickets each to dismiss the visitors for 155.

The Calder Valley team looked to be cruising at 108-1 in reply but Bradley rallied strongly to make it close at the finish.

There were two outstanding bowling performances in the Upper Hopton versus Old Town contest.

Town’s Jahangir Khan (7-49) emerged with the slightly better figures but Edward Kay (7-73) was no doubt the happier as Hopton made 220, helped by opener Ian Wightman’s 64, and then dismissed Town for 101.

Outlane opener Adam Davies hit 115 as his side rattled up 287 all out at home to Low Moor but the visitors were unfazed and knocked off the runs with three wickets in hand thanks to James Overend (98 no) and Mark Stokes (78).

Pierce Walker’s 6-40 bowled Leymoor to a 36-run victory over Greetland, for whom Hizar Hayat (43) and Damien Reynolds (63) lacked support in pursuit of their hosts’ 212 all out.

Points (after 16 games): Mount 150, Luddenden Foot 138, Upper Hopton 136, Old Town 125, Bradley & Colnebridge 120, Leymoor 114, Low Moor 104, Outlane 97, Greetland 72, Cullingworth 41.