Spinners in to beat the rain for Bower

Golwalkar took 5-28 in 12 overs and fellow spinner Salerno 3-12 off three overs as Skelmanthorpe were bowled out for 73 in 24 of the allotted 25 overs. Wajid Hussain then carried his bat for 50 and Javaid Ahmed supported with 21 as Hall Bower’s openers raced to victory in 11 overs.

Shepley had the better of things against Honley at Far End Lane in another 25-overs-a-side affair. Tom Denton struck an undefeated 80 off 70 balls for Shepley, his innings containing six fours and four sixes, and he shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 46 with Danny Glover.

Ritchie Howarth grabbed five wickets in restricting Shepley to 131-5, but Honley had reached just 119-9 at the close, Max Joice making 36. There were three wickets each for Liam Wiles and Craig Glover.

The only game to survive the weather in the Frank Platt Championship was at Clayton West where Cawthorne won by 24 runs.

The visitors were bowled out for 176, Daniel Hoyle proving their best batsman with 40.

However, Chris Walmsley proved the match-winner, taking 5-26 as West were ousted for 152 and Cawthorne completed their first league win of the season.

There was also a first league victory for newcomers Denby in the Cedar Court Conference.

They defeated Rastrick by 81 runs with Matthew Smith turning in a fine all-round performance.

Smith hit a half-century in helping Denby to 173 in 50 overs.

He then took 5-26 and Shane Payne had a similarly impressive 4-17 as Rastrick succumbed for 92.

Moorlands were in a strong position at home to Denby Dale when bad light brought a premature end.

Moorlands declared their innings at 169-5, Chris Lloyd making an unbeaten half-century. Andrew Walker then took 3-18 in 11 overs but the light gave out at 83-7 in 31 overs. Ashley Amos was left not out on 31 for Dale.

Byrne star all-rounder as champions crash

BIRSTALL all-rounder James Byrne sent Premier Division champions Wrenthorpe crashing to their first league defeat this season.

Byrne hammered seven sixes in an unbeaten century off 56 balls and claimed 3-32 as Birstall climbed to third place with their fourth successive league victory.

Byrne, Rob McFarlane (2-31) and Saif Ur-Rehman (2-24) limited Wrenthorpe to 132-7 in a 30-over game. Matt Slater (52) and Tom Chester (23no) put on 62 for the seventh wicket as Wrenthorpe recovered from 70-6.

Byrne shared an opening 70-run stand with McFarlane (22) as Birstall won in 17.2 overs.

Leaders Wrenthorpe are just one point ahead of Townville, who coasted to a nine-wicket win at Altofts in a 26-over match.

South African Kyllin Vardhan (3-12), Dean Woolsey (2-16) and Jack Hughes (2-21) kept Altofts at 71-8 which Townville overhauled in 13.4 overs with an unbroken 47-run partnership between Vardhan and Tim Walton, who both finished unbeaten on 27.

Methley missed a chance to take top spot when they lost by four wickets at Batley. Marcus Walmsley (70no) and Matthew Waite (55no) shared an unbroken 98-run stand as Methley posted 182-4 in a 40-over contest.

In reply, Fawad Maqsood (84) was Batley’s match-winner as they ended a three-match losing run. Maqsood put on 75 for the second wicket with Ayaz Seedat (34) as Batley won with 11 balls to spare.

Wakefield Thornes revived their title challenge by crushing promoted Ossett. David Toft (94) steered Thornes to 194-7, despite Joe Finnigan’s 4-28.

In reply, Ossett were skittled for 89 by Matthew Varley (4-30), Johannes Bothma (3-20) and Tharindu Perera (2-26).

Former Wetherby League champions Oulton stepped up their bid to win promotion to the CYL’s top-flight for the first time with a four-wicket win at Methley, who were restricted to 130-8 by Jonathan Gardiner (4-25) and David Flint (2-28).

Greg Johnson (49) led Methley’s scoring in the division’s only completed match.

Fellows century bow before dramatic tie

Former Yorkshire all-rounder Gary Fellows hit the day’s only century as Hanging Heaton and Pudsey St Lawrence produced Division One’s first tie of the season.

It was his first for his new club and will have tasted all the sweeter as it was made against the club he scored his first Bradford League century for nine years ago.

Fellows punctuated his innings of 102 with two sixes and 13 fours as he helped Hanging Heaton to a total of 207-8 in 40 overs against a bowling attack in which off spinner Chris Marsden (4-55) and Craig Wiseman (3-32) were the most successful members.

Former Yorkshire leg-spinner Mark Lawson took 4-62 to reduce St Lawrence to 116-5 but the visitors were not giving up the chase.

James Smith hammered four sixes and four fours in a breezy 57, while 15-year-old Jordan Thompson (35) supported him in a sixth-wicket stand of 67.

Eleven were needed from the last over but St Lawrence managed only 10 with Smith being run out attempting the winning run.

Woodlands returned to the top of the table after Sarfraz Ahmed inspired victory over Bradford & Bingley by 154 runs.

Sarfraz took 6-12 in eight overs as the visitors crumbled when replying to Woodlands’ 198-6 in the only innings to go the full 50 overs.

Opener Sam Frankland set the tone with a fine 71, which included a six and eight fours. He shared a second-wicket stand of 100 with Simon Mason who made a welcome return to form. He struck four sixes and four fours in his 55.

Woodlands are 11 points ahead of Manningham Mills, who lost top spot after losing by six runs to Cleckheaton, for whom openers Tim Jackson (46) and captain John Wood (29) shared a stand of 50, helping them to 158-6 in 30 overs.

Cleckheaton, without Iain Wardlaw, who was on international duty with Scotland, soon had Mills in trouble as pace duo John Wood (4-40) and James Lee (3-43) struck with the new ball. Overseas player Noman Ali (41) tried to lead a revival but his side were all out for 152.

Baildon v Morley, Pudsey Congs v Lightcliffe and Saltaire v East Bierley were all abandoned.