Laban ton helps leaders win again

The powerful youngster ensured visitors Southowram were only out in the field for 28 overs after tea, hitting 120 as Lane knocked off the 231 required for victory in their continued pursuit of a second successive title.

Laban struck 15 fours and six sixes, adding 116 for the second wicket with Raqeeb Younas (49) and 85 for the third wicket with Paul Chapman (37) as Lane made it 10 wins from 11 completed league games this season.

Earlier, the Rams showed they had not come to easily roll over, Dean Crossley hitting a 13 boundary 80 to see out the overs on 230 for nine.

On a day tailor-made for spinners, with pitches dry and bouncy, Simon Collins got through 19 overs for Jer Lane and took five for 66.

Lane collected nine points, having been unable to dismiss Southowram, and they had their lead over Mytholmroyd cut to 11 points and over Booth to 13.

The Calder Valley pair both had to bowl first but dismissed their opponents cheaply and romped to maximum points victories.

The Keywood brothers, Greg (43) and Liam (20), did their best but otherwise it was a tale of woe for the Warley batsmen at Mytholmroyd.

Tom Greenwood (four for 31) and Chris White (three for 21) did most of the damage as Warley were rolled over for 114.

‘Royd lost Tom Earle for 28 but Steve Senior (50 no) and Luke Sutcliffe (27 no) saw the hosts to a nine-wicket success.

Booth were eight-wicket winners at Sowerby St Peters in a game which lasted only 42 overs.

The home side, still lacking key man Martin Schofield, totalled only 93. Gavin Clarke was left high and dry on 39 not out with Patrick Thomas (four for 22) scything through the tail.

Thomas followed up with 25 before Rob Laycock (30 no) and Jack Heptinstall (24 no) brought the game to a hasty conclusion.

Chris Dennison was in the runs again for Copley, who cut down hosts Sowerby Bridge’s lofty 252 for six total with the minimum of fuss.

Openers Tim Helliwell (75) and Paul Gledhill (47) gave Bridge the ideal start to the game but their Copley counterparts Dennison (126) and Toby Thorpe (74) did ever better and the visitors won with seven wickets and eight overs to spare.

Bradshaw recoevered from a poor start to post 215 for seven at Thornton with half-centuries from Lee Broadbent and Steve Beck.

However, a 139-run second wicket stand between Chris Ramsden (60) and Greg Soames (74) helped Thornton win by seven wickets.

Blackley won by eight wickets at Triangle in a key game near the foot of the table.

Neil Uttley made 78 and Mark Uttley 30 for the hosts but a score of 168 was well below par.

The home side’s long losing run continued when Macauley Shiel made 52 not out and ex-Triangle player Reece Jennison 64 not out in an eight-wicket win for Blackley.

SBCI and Queensbury are looking the pair most likely to fight out the finish in Division One.

SBCI collected nine points from a trip to Outlane and are four clear of Queensbury, who put daylight between themselves and third-place Oxenhope with a seven wicket home win worth 12 points.

Chris Dalby cut loose with 127 for SBCI, Simon Wood (46) providing good support as the visitors totalled an impressive 272 for six up by the M62.

Ross Benson undermined Outlane’s reply, after a solid start, with four wickets to leave the hosts 117 for eight.

An extra three points slipped through SBCI’s fingers as Anwar Shaukatt (49) helped the hosts survive and bank maximum batting points on 184 for nine.

Queensbury made home advantage pay for the second time in a month against Oxenhope.

They bowled out their visitors for 97 last time and a repeat looked on the cards after a fiery opening burst of four for 25 from Matthew Johnson reduced Oxenhope to 46 for six.

This time, however, Darren Hopkinson proved to the man for a crisis with a knock of 52. Tom Tetley made 38 before opening bowler Sajad (four for 33) returned to wrap up the innings for 166.

Queensbury knocked off the runs in 33 overs. After An opening salvo of 33 from Scott Osborne, fellow opener Jamie Priestley saw his side to victory with an increasingly dominant unbeaten 90 off 90 balls, which contained 20 boundaries.

Chris Conroy struck a second successive century as Northowram Hedge Top won by 18 runs at Low Moor.

Opener Conroy made 112 and Sam Gardner (84 no) helped lift the total to 260 for eight before taking three wickets.

Low Moor, chasing 262 for victory, were given a chance by Andy Croasdell (53) and Richard Payne (70) before Stef Litjens (five for 51) snuffed out home hopes.

Cullingworth, Bridgeholme and Denholme Clough continue to occupy the top three places in Division Two after away wins.

Steve Welch (92) and Billy Whitford (48) put Cullingworth on top from the start against Old Crossleyans.

The Broomfield men, chasing 242 for six, were 16 for six before Ovais Qureshi (48) helped them save a little face at 113 all out.

Ollie Challis’s four for 22 helped Bridgeholme dismiss Old Town for 93 and the visitors completed a nine-wicket derby success with an unbeaten 61 from Ben Fielden.

Clough had to work hardest of the leading trio. Set 215 to win away to Greetland, they managed it by four wickets.

Shelf, who started the day level on points with Greetland, moved eight points clear of the relegation zone with the help of 112 and three wickets from Steve Priestley in an 83-run home win over Stones.