Halifax League lower divisions

Leaders Bridge won by eight wickets at Shelf, who were dismissed for 104 with Sam Mellor taking five for 45,

Blackley are still breathing down Bridge’s necks after sending hosts and bottom side Stones packing for 87 en route to an eight-wicket triumph.

Chris White took five for 23 and a no-nonsense 62 not out from Tom Baxter settled matters.

Southowram drew level on points with Cullingworth in third after beating their visitors by seven wickets.

David Jowett took four for 48 as Cullingworth’s innings was wrapped up for 119 and Dean Crossley’s 57 not out ensured the Rams didn’t let their opportunity slip.

The match at Bridgeholme was in contrast to the other three in the section; high scoring and close.

Eastwood powered to 281 for six with Chris Kibble making exactly 100 and receiving backing from the Fieldens, Dan (45) and Bobby (36).

Great Horton were unfazed, however, and Vinette Batley (88) and Adam Beasley (77) set up an exciting finish in which the visitors won by three wickets with five balls to spare.

Scores: *Bridgeholme 281-6 (Kibble 100, D Fielden 45), Great Horton PC 285-9 (Batley 88, Beesley 77): pts 5-10.*Shelf 104 (Mellor 5-45), Sowerby Bridge 105-2: pts 1-12. Cullingworth 119 (Jowett 4-48), *Southowram 124-3 (Crossley 57*): pts 1-12. *Stones 87 (White 5-23), Blackley 88-2 (T Baxter 62): pts 0-12.

Points: Sowerby Bridge 96, Blackley 95, Cullingworth 83, Southowram 83, Bridgeholme 77, Great Horton PC 74, Shelf 49, Stones 41.

Old Town’s Ali Asghar was caught one short of a century at Birchencliffe but still had plenty to smile about at the end of the day.

His efforts didn’t go to waste as Town surpassed their hosts’ 227 for three, which included a fine stand from Hamzah Saeed (94 not out) and Adeel Khalid (52 not out), to register a third win of 2017 and move out of the bottom two.

Mark Stokes had a fine match to help Low Moor HT beat visitors Upper Hopton by four wickets.

Stones took four for 17 off 12 overs to limit Hopton to 141 for seven and then showed some of his struggling colleagues how to bat with a match-winning 65 not out.

Leymoor trio Mark Allison (103), Jacob Giles (73) and Matt Coulson (six for 103) were unlucky to finish on the losing side at Luddenden Foot, where Isaac Baldwin’s 116 not out proved all important in his side’s two-wicket win. The match produced exactly 500 runs.

Illingworth St Mary’s are 19 points clear at the top after winning by two wickets at Mount.

Jamie Moorhouse (six for 64) and Stuart Thompson (four for 34) sent Mount plunging from 62 without loss to 138.

However, the visitors were 24 for three in reply and had more than a scare or two before banking another 12 points.

Bradshaw are second. Steve Beck top scored with 42 in their 195 for nine away to Greetland, who were dismissed for 116 with Ricky Beaumont (5-45) and Aaron Buckley (5-55) sharing the wickets.

Outlane’s 245 all out, which included 95 from Andrew Holding and 83 from Chris Brook, proved insufficient against a solid Clayton batting effort led by Tim Evans (53).

Scores: *Birchencliffe 227-3 (H Saeed 94*, Khalid 52), Old Town 228-6 (Asghar 99, Khalid 52*): pts 4-9. *Greetland 116 (Beaumont 5-45, Buckley 5-55), Bradshaw 195-9 (Beck 42): pts 3-12. Upper Hopton 141-7 (Stokes 4-17), *Low Moor HT 142-6 (Stokes 65*): pts 3-11. Leymoor 248 (Allison 103, Giles 73, Allen 4-43), *Luddenden Foot 252-8 (Baldwin 116*, Coulson 6- 103): pts 4-12. *Mount 138 (Moorhouse 6-64, Thompson 4-34), Illingworth St Mary’s 141-8: pts 3-12. *Outlane 245 (Holding 95, Brook 83, Gelder 4-68, Aslam 4-69), Clayton 246-6 (Evans 53, Hodgson 48, Artist 46): pts 4-12.

Points (after 11 matches): Illingworth SM 130, Bradshaw 111, Clayton 92, Mount 76, Outlane 75, Luddenden Foot 68, Low Moor 67, Leymoor 64, Birchencliffe 64, Old Town 62, Upper Hopton 59, Greetland 58.