JCT600 Bradford League-bound Scholes suffered a shock setback in their bid to leave the All Rounder Cricket Equipment Central Yorkshire League as champions as they slumped to a 77-run defeat at home to an Altofts side now just one point behind them in third place.

Altofts posted a modest 177-8 target but Scholes never looked like overhauling that score as Zain Abbas, Nick Whitehill and skipper James Stansfield were all out with only 11 on the board.

Adam Brown hit 30 off 29 balls but there were limited contributions elswhere as his side were bowled over for just 107.

Methley have taken over at the top from Scholes, now second, after a seven-wicket win over Ossett.

Birstall were back in action with a bang in their Premier Division game at home to Wakefield Thornes as skipper Rob Macfarlane (93) led them to the day's highest score in the top flight and a tense two-wicket win.

Craig Wood (6-54) helped restrict Thornes to 219-9 but Macfarlane, with the help of a run-a-ball 37 from junior Matty Dyson, saw their side home with ten balls to spare.

That win still leaves Birstall in the bottom half of the table but now five points clear of the drop zone.

Yet only five points separate six teams in the mid-table positions after Tim Orrell's Mirfield Parish Cavaliers completed a surprise 42-run win at reigning champions Townville.

Michael Padgett was the Parish match-winner with a top-scoring 56 in their 154 and 4-39 as Townville were bowled out well short of their target.

In the Championship, Liversedge moved into third place after a four-wicket win in a low-scoring game at Wakefield St Michaels.

And though Batley still head this division, they have been pegged back by Northowram after the Calderdale side won their top-of- the-table clash by one wicket with a six off the last ball of the two additional overs awarded for bowling out the visitors.

Northowram skipper Chris Thompson, batting at ten, followed up his 5-45 bowling display with 21 in ten balls – including the winning hit.

Buttershaw St Paul's picked up a welcome victory at East Ardsley, with a hard-fought 48 from Paul Carroll in their match-winning 112-6.

This was after bowling out the home side with 3-33 from the vastly experienced Matthew Barnes.