Senior hurts former teammates

The opening batsmen hit 139 to spur Booth to a total of 319 for eight in the battle between the first and third-placed sides in the Premier Division.

Senior stood firm as the hosts slipped to 78 for three. Jon Midgley hit a quick 42 and Robert Cockroft and Usman Saghir took 40 off the last two overs to really hurt Royd.

Jack Earle hit a half-century at the top of the Royd order, brother Tom made 76 and Shazad Hassan 46 but Patrick Thomas and Nigel Horsfall picked up nine wickets between as Royd were all out for 274.

The pair will meet again in the Parish Cup final at Blackley in a fortnight’s time and Booth, having completed a league double over their derby rivals, will start favourites.

Given favourable conditions, the final could also be a high-scoring affair. This season’s league meetings have produced 1,194 runs.

Booth extended their lead over Mytholmroyd to 22 points with Jer Lane midway between them.

Lane steadied their ship after setbacks against Warley and Queensbury with a 59-run success over Triangle.

Northowram Hedge Top moved level with Queensbury at the foot of the Premier Division after a seven-wicket home success against SBCI, ending a six-match losing league run.

They had outstanding performances from two players; Harry Talbot who took six for 73 as the visitors were limited to 146 and Ollie Hemingway who thumped 78 not out, including eight maximums.

Queensbury’s improved form stalled at home to Warley.

They posted a competitive 257 for seven with Mohammed Altaf’s 68 the top contribution but Warley were unfazed and knocked off the runs for six down with Tyrone Schillar’s 82 not out securing the win.

Copley are third form bottom after finished 12 short of visitors Thornton’s 235 total.

Mick Shanks (78) and Josh Hutchinson (47) spearheaded the visitors’ batting effort but both fell to five-wicket Oliver Thorpe, who followed up with 56.

Opener Matthew Rowles made 59 for Copley but the hosts’ effort was undermined by four-wicket Greg Soames as Thornton just had the edge.

The bowling performance of the day came from Matthew Hoyle of Sowerby St Peter’s. He took eight for 51 to ensure visitors Oxenhope suffered a fourth consecutive defeat in July.

Oxenhope were all out for 112 and although four-wicket Liam Dyson led a revival, Hoyle’s 18 not out saw Sowerby home by three wickets.

Premier Division: *Booth 319-8, Mytholmroyd 274: pts 12-5. Thornton 235, *Copley 223-8 (Rowles 59, Thorpe 56, Soames 4-69): pts 11-6. SBCI 146 (Talbot 6-73), *Northowram HT 147-3 (Hemingway 78*): pts 2-12 *Queensbury 257-7 (Altaf 68, Watson 44*, Singh 42, G Keywood 4-106), Warley 259-6 (Schiller 82*, Bottomley 54, Marsh 51, Syme 43): pts 4-11. Oxenhope 112 (M Hoyle 8-51), *Sowerby St Peter’s 116-7 (Dyson 4-53): pts 3-12. Jer Lane 297-8, *Triangle 238: pts 12-5.

Points (after 14 games): Booth 135, Jer Lane 124, Mytholmroyd 113, Thornton 111, Warley 106, SBCI 97, Sowerby St Peters 96, Oxenhope 95, Triangle 84, Copley 83, Queensbury 71, Northowram HT 71.