HAVING dented third-placed Kirkstall's title ambitions last weekend, Burley turn their attention tomorrow to Beckwithshaw – the second team in Division One – before next week tackling Aire-Wharfe League leaders Otley.

When the sides met earlier in the season, Burley came off second best to some accurate bowling from Istikhar Hussain and Yasar Ali but have improved since and could test the home side.

Otley, meanwhile, entertain Kirkstall – the only side to beat them in the league this season – and they will be aware that in Stephen Brown and Tom Webb, who each took four wickets that day, the visitors have one of the best attacks in the section.

But Otley can counter that with the batting of James Davies and Ben Morley, both approaching 600 runs for the season, and know that victory this weekend will virtually assure that they only have one major rival for the championship.

At the other end of the table, relegation-threatened duo Ilkley and Guiseley face tough matches against Rawdon and Steeton respectively.

Both came very close to victory when the sides met earlier and will hope they can get over the line this time because matches are beginning to run out.

Two defeats in a row have seen Horsforth knocked off the top of Division Two, which now looks like two from the top four to go up.

Horsforth will start favourites against relegation-threatened Harden but, with skipper Paul Quinlan in inspired form, the promotion favourites could be tested.

Five wins in their last six outings have put Skipton up to third, only nine points behind Horsforth.

They host leaders Colton, who they beat earlier in the season when Richard Nichols starred by following up a top score of 66 with 4-47.

Pool's hopes of a quick return to the top flight took a knock with defeat at Colton last week – and they will not find it easy against Ben Rhydding, the side that came down with them and who recently strung together four wins in a row.

That run came to an end last week at the hands of Thackley, who the week before had beaten Colton, so go into the relegation battle with Green Lane full of confidence.

But Lane, who are only bottom of the heap because of a points deduction, showed they are no pushovers when they chased down Illingworth's 266-8 last week, so this could be a tense affair.

Tong Park Esholt are the other club in the relegation spots after losing their last four games and desperately need an improvement in form against Illingworth if they are to claw their way clear.

With only 29 points separating leaders New Rover from seventh-placed Bolton Villas, it would be a brave person who predicted the eventual promotion winners from Division Three.

Villas and Hall Park – at the lower end of that list – cannot afford slip-ups but both should be able to win when they tackle Menston and Alwoodley respectively.

Leaders New Rover might have problems with Upper Wharfedale, who have the league's top run-scorer in Barrie McCormick and one of the best bowlers in Caleb Grant.

Second-placed Addingham will be hot favourites to overcome bottom club Silsden, while fourth-placed Old Modernians should beat Bardsey.

But the clash of the day sees third-placed Calverley tackle Olicanian, the side two points and two places below them.

With six wins in their last seven matches, Calverley are the division's form side, while their opponents have slipped up a couple of times recently but have the firepower to beat any side on their day – as they showed emphatically when the sides met earlier in the season.