Halifax League’s top three beaten

The hosts, who had hit form with a handsome win at Booth the previous week, showed that was no flash in the pan with a seven-wicket over Mick Hustler’s visitors.

Experienced Dave Turner proved their hero with the ball, taking six for 64 to dismiss the visitors for a below-par 186.

Only Hustler (57 no) and Raqeeb Younas (33) made double figures as Lane tried to recover from 81 for five.

Triangle completed a comfortable victory in 34 overs with opener Neil Uttley (59 no) dropping anchor at one end and Chris Silkstone (58) and Dan Crosland (52 no) providing the stroke play.

Lane stay top because the second and third-placed teams, Mytholmroyd and Sowerby Bridge, also lost.

‘Royd lost by 19 runs to Calder Valley rivals Booth, who replace them as Lane’s closest pursuers.

Booth only made 138 but Usman Saghir, their close-season recruit from Warley, dismissed four of the top seven home batsman.

His victims included opener Tom Earle, who made 61 in a total of 119.

Sowerby Bridge were second best throughout at Blackley and crashed to a 130-run defeat.

Dom Walsh (65), Tom Baxter (77) and Reece Jennison (63 no) helped Blackley to 256 for three against Bridge’s highly-rated young attack.

Chris White, who switched from Mytholmroyd in the close season, then took seven for 34 to send the visitors packing for 126.

SBCI are up to fifth after Jamie Sykes (six for 81 off 23) and Chris Dalby (96 no) helped them to a four-wicket win at Copley.

Sykes was celebrating his call-up to the league side while Dalby, who added 111 for the fourth wicket with Matthew Scholefield (47) as SBCI successfully chased 209 for victory, is a former Copley player.

A seventh wicket stand of 84 between Faheem Khatana (65 no) and Greg Keywood (28 no) carried Warley to a four-wicket win over Thornton, who had totalled 161.

Queensbury left Southowram 15 points adrift at the bottom after Amjad Alui’s whirlwind 61 not out, in company with opener Jamie Priestley (73 no), helped the home side chase 223 for victory.

Tom Belfield made 70 and Scott Griffiths 40 for the Rams, who looked the more likely winners when ‘Bury stumbled to 92 for five.

Points (after seven games): Jer Lane 62, Booth 60, Mytholmroyd 59, Sowerby Bridge 55, SBCI 50, Warley 49, Blackley 48, Triangle 47, Thornton 46, Queensbury 40, Copley 40, Southowram 25.

Last year’s Division Two champions Bridgeholme are the new leaders of Division One after toppling Northowram Hedge Top.

The Rams started the day sharing the lead with Sowerby St Peters but both were beaten for the second Saturday in a row.

Nazakat Ali did it again for Bridgeholme. He followed up his seven for six against Sowerby with seven for 29 as the Rams were bundled out for 105 on their own pitch.

Keir Litjens carried his bat with 45 not out.

Sam Gardner (five for 30) hit back with the ball for Northowram and at 72 for six it was anybody’s game but Chris Kibble (40 no) and Ollie Challis (17 no) saw Bridgeholme to a four-wicket win.

Darren Hopkinson hit 84 and Stuart Jackson took four for 24 as Oxenhope registered a 13-run win over Sowerby.

Stones and Luddenden Foot, the bottom two at the start of the day, picked up much-needed home wins.

Kevin O’Rourke hit 71 and Joe Ackroyd slammed 64 not out as Stones overhauled Low Moor’s 180 for seven with six wickets in hand.

Foot gave a much-improved batting display against Bradshaw, Ollie Hemingway (114) showing the way to 252 for nine by dominating an opening stand of 157 with old head Richard Pinder (21).

Wicketkeeper/batsman Adam Spendelow spearheaded Bradshaw’s reply with 102 not out. James Stott dismissed his first four partners to leave Bradshaw 10 for four and the efforts of Lee Broadbent (54) and Aaron Buckley (49 no) to pull the game out of the fire weren’t enough as the visitors finished on 235 for seven.

Points (after seven games); Bridgeholme 64, Sowerby SP 59, Northowram HT 56, Bradshaw 51, Oxenhope 45, Luddenden Foot 35, Low Moor 35, Stones 33.

Division Two leaders Cullingworth avoided the carnage affecting the leading sides but only after a major scare at Denholme Clough.

The loss of four wickets for four runs left them 78 for five in reply to Clough’s 201 for seven, which included 68 from Tanweer Aslam.

Will Rankin came to Cullingworth’s rescue, figuring in stands of 69 and 54 with Jon Terry (21) and George Fletcher (20 no) to snatch a four-wicket win with one over to spare.

Great Horton Park Chapel are second after cruising to an eight-wicket win at Old Town, who were bowled out for 93.

Clayton come next after a six-wicket win at Greetland while Outlane improved their position with a nine-wicket romp at league newcomers Upper Hopton.

The Mirfield side only managed 141 for eight in their 45 overs and openers Lee Mellor (63) and Alex Blagborough (58 no) helped settle matters in Outlane’s favour.

The closest match in the section was at Shelf where Lee Buitterfield was in the runs again, making 63 in the home side’s 190 for seven.

Jonny Sykes replied with 65 for Crocs but he was eighth out with the score on 170 and his side fell four runs short of Shelf’s score.

Points (after seven games): Cullingworth 66, Great Horton PC 60, Clayton 58, Outlane 58, Old Crossleyans 52, Upper Hopton 40, Shelf 38, Denholme Clough 37, Greetland 35, Old Town 27.