Younas and Jaffer are setting the pace

Shelley’s batsmen, who have been struggling for much of the season, were dismissed for 80, Elland passing that total after 25 overs with Niall Lockley making an unbeaten 49.

Wasim Jaffer, Scholes’s prolific batsman, needs just 43 more runs to become the league’s first to reach 1,000 for the season after his undefeated 108 in a nine-wicket rout of Slaithwaite, at Chapelgate. Bjorn Taylor contributed a half-century to Slaithwaite’s 180-8.

Leaders Hoylandswaine had a six-wicket home win over visitors Delph and Dobcross the day before their Sykes Cup semi-final at Delph, despite splendid knocks of 81 and 80 by visiting batsmen Arron Lilley and Bruce Cruse, respectively. Replying to Delph’s 216-9, Hoylandswaine won in the 40th over, Alex Morris and Joe Sayers collecting half-centuries.

There was a thrilling finish at Skelmanthorpe where Kirkburton needed 24 to win off the last over and triumphed by two wickets. Matthew Wood succumbed just seven runs short of his century for Kirkburton but Louis Aspeling and Chris Hansberry had scores in the 70s for Skelmanthorpe and Kristian Whittaker took six wickets in vain.

Former Mytholmroyd medium pace bowler Gideon Foster bagged a hat-trick in Hall Bower’s seven-wicket home win over Shepley, team-mates Shabir Rashid and Yasir Shah also making huge contributions. Rashid made an undefeated 90 and had an unbroken stand of 98 with Shah, who carried his bat for 32 and took four wickets.

Jack Hargreaves had a 4-13 return from his 8.2 overs in Golcar’s 105-run victory against Marsden, who were bowled out for 86. Will Hinchliffe played his part with 4-39 off 11 overs and Craig Ruscoe top-scored with 66.

Opener Simon Kelly’s 104 came off 105 balls as Honley defeated Clayton West by 50 runs. Captain Rob Moore promoted himself up the order to No 4 and made a useful 40.