BIRSTALL, threatened with relegation for so much of the season, finished in style at home to an Ossett side who began the season with hopes of a title challenge in the All Rounder Cricket equipment Central Yorkshire League Premier Division.

Until recently, Birstall had the look of a side beaten before they started but they shook Ossett with an outstanding start to their final top-flight game.

They seemed to play with a weight lifted off them as they tore into Ossett from the off. Saif ur-Rehman removed the dangerous Shoaib Latif and Gurman Randhawa, while teenager Nick Kaye accounted for Joe Finnegan as Ossett slumped to 13-3.

The later arrival of John Sadler (39) and a solid knock from Michael Edwards (44) steadied the innings and they closed on 204 in 48.3 overs, with ur-Rehman taking 3-45, but the urgency shown in the field by Birstall was carried over into their innings and they blasted their way to a seven-wicket win in only 26.1 overs.

Finnegan went for 53 in four overs and Sadler for 74 in seven as Birstall's Rob Macfarlane (59) hammered eight sixes and two fours in 31 balls and Craig Wood hit 45 in 23 as they finished fourth from bottom.

Elsewhere, fourth-placed Mirfield Parish Cavaliers failed to halt Methley's quest for the title, losing by two wickets, and at the other end of the table, Hopton Mills' 34-run defeat at Wrenthorpe meant relegation.

Scholes made a disappointing bow from Central Yorkshire League cricket when they lost by 31 runs at home to third-placed Wakefield Thornes to finish seventh out of 12.

James Stansfield warmed up for his return to Bradford League cricket with a creditable 3-38 in 15 overs for Scholes, and Neil Kellett hit a superb 100 out of 194 in reply to Thornes' 225-6 before being last out in the 50th over.