Ali aids Queensbury fight for survival

He took six for 43 with his spin bowling to limit hosts Southowram to 180 and then made 43 down the batting order to clinch a three wicket win.

However, second-from-bottom Queensbury are still 15 points behind the next club up, Triangle, with four rounds of fixtures left.

The Rams, whose best performer yesterday was Ian Hall with 38 runs and three for 32, appear to face a hopeless task with a 27-point gap to bridge.

The gap between title combatants Jer Lane and Booth is four points after they collected 11 and 12 respectively from tricky-looking home games.

Carl Fletcher hit 115 for recent Parish Cup winners Triangle to leave Lane chasing 260 for victory.

Wayne Cotton (60) launched a successful chase and Johnny Lister (56 no) and Simon Collins (68 no) finished it as Lane won by seven wickets with a couple of overs to spare.

Booth beat derby rivals Mytholmroyd by 82 runs after piling up 323 for nine thanks to Hasnaid Wajid (74), John Midgley (59), Patrick Thomas (56) and Rob Worsnop (42).

Richard Laycock knocked over the ‘Royd top three and Moazzam Ayub cut through the rest of the visitors’ ranks with five for 21, his victims including top scorer Jacob Travis (43).

Blackley’s Reece Jennison suffered the same fate as Fletcher - finishing on the losing side after hitting a century.

Jennison made 112 not out at Sowerby Bridge, only to see the home side overhaul Blackley’s 259 for eight with three half-centuries to win by four wickets.

Robin Hanson’s five for 53 helped SBCI dismiss Copley for 98. Chris Dennison also had a five-wicket haul but none of the other Copley bowlers tasted success as the Institute eased to victory.

Thornton’s 255 proved out of reach of Warley, who went down by 32 runs.

Points (after 18 games): Jer Lane 167, Booth 163, Thornton 141, SBCI 139, Mytholmroyd 138, Sowerby Bridge 132, Copley 126, Warley 123, Blackley 122, Triangle 117, Queensbury 102, Southowram 90.

Sowerby St Peter’s received a wake-up call away to Oxenhope, who inflicted only a third defeat of the season on the runaway Division One leaders.

Craig Bartlett (75), Liam Dyson (63) and Lewis Hopkinson (60 no) helped Oxenhope to 278 for five and that was beyond Sowerby, who were grateful to Ben Hoyle (63 no) for salvaging maximum batting points at 181 all out.

Oxenhope appear to be battling for the second promotion place with Northowram Hedge Top, who have the upper hand at the moment after a comprehensive 204-run win at Bridgeholme.

There were outstanding performances from two visiting players. Skipper Chris Conroy maintained his excellent form with 157 in a total of 260 for nine and Harry Talbot took eight for 20 to send Bridgeholme packing for a paltry 56.

Three sides are separated by only one point at the bottom of the section after Luddenden Foot’s win at Bradshaw.

A superb 124 from Tom Hosker helped Foot amass 294 for nine and half-centuries from Steve Beck and Lee Broadbent took Bradshaw agonisingly close, the visitors prevailing by seven runs.

Low Moor won the other game at the bottom, beating Stones by 31 runs to move seven points clear of the trailing trio.

The eight teams in this section have only three games left and all except Bridgeholme appear to have major business still to attend to.

Points (after 18 games): Sowerby SP 182, Northowram HT 161, Oxenhope 153, Bridgeholme 125, Low Moor 108, Bradshaw 101, Stones 100, Luddenden Foot 100.

Great Horton Park Chapel took another step towards the Division Two title but were pushed harder than many would have expected by Old Town.

The visitors will still be happy with a 15-run success and the battle for the second promotion spot is arguably a bigger focus for interest.

Old Crossleyans, Outlane and Clayton all won in the hunt for the runners-up berth.

Richard Dixon’s six for 61 and Jonny Sykes’s 91 helped the Crocs beat Broomfield visitors Shelf by 42 runs.

Opener Alex Blagborough’s 93 not out and experienced Neil Crosland’s six for 33 did the trick for Outlane at home to Upper Hopton.

Clayton’s Mitesh Mistry and Paul Gelder took four wickets each to roll over Greetland for 47 and pave the way for a 10-wicket romp.

Denholme Clough’s Adil Hanif took seven for 59 at Cullingworth but his efforts were in vain, the visitors falling 66 short of a modest 158 target with Phil Poole taking six for 25.

Points (after 18 games): Great Horton PC 172, Old Crossleyans 156, Outlane 154, Clayton 148, Cullingworth 138, Shelf 136, Denholme Clough 109, Upper Hopton 100, Old Town 94, Greetland 64.