A FLOOD warning telephoned to my Sowerby Bridge home on Saturday morning was not a good omen for that afternoon’s cricket but somehow, despite at least one violent thunderstorm in the area, all of the Spenser Wilson Halifax League matches were completed, albeit many with reduced overs.

Oxenhope blew the Premier Division title race wide open, with possibly their best win since joining the league in 2004, winning by 27 runs at defending champions Booth.

It was certainly a day that Liam Dyson won't forget in a hurry as he recorded figures of 16-2-89-9 - the best analysis of the season so far.

Joel Fothergill dismissed No 3 Robert Laycock for 12 to prevent any hopes of a ten-for in Booth's 158 in 32 overs, No 11 Moazzam Ayub top-scoring with 37.

Joe Ousey (41) and Lewis Hopkinson (40) had earlier led the way for Oxenhope in their 185-9, Richard Laycock taking 5-47.

Jer Lane are also in the hunt for league silverware after a four-wicket win at Copley, who dropped into the bottom two.

On a wicket that was difficult to score on, Copley, aided by Chandler Hallwood (37) and Matthew Rowles (25), who put on 51 for the seventh wicket, made 140-8 off their 30 overs, with Nasir Chowdrey (4-26) and Amjid Khan (4-36) sharing the wickets.

Johnny Lister (28no) saw Jer to victory in 26.2 overs.
No 6 Amjad Ali made an unbeaten 102 (seven fours, nine sixes) in Queensbury's respectable 231-6 (Tom Clee 5-76) off 42 overs at Northowram Hedge Top, but the visitors' miserable season continued when the hosts replied with 234-5 in 42.3 overs, with opener Dan Cole making 77, Nazim Arshad 46 and Razwan Saghir 45.

In the First Division, Cullingworth are the new leaders as visitors Sowerby Bridge had no answer to a superb century from Ben Birkill (115no, 14 fours, three sixes), ably assisted by Chris Welch’s 42 not out and brother Steve Welch's 38.

The Bridge’s response in chasing 230 down off 36 overs never really got off the ground and, to rub salt into the wound, Birkill chipped in with 2-22 in an 89-run triumph, Phil Poole jnr snaffling early victims in his 3-29.

Great Horton Park Chapel won the basement battle, lifting themselves out of the bottom two, with a 14-run home win versus Shelf, thanks to a team performance in which seven batsmen reached double figures, led by opener Zafar Anwar (61), and four bowlers chipped in with wickets.

Chapel made 199-7 off their 40 overs, Shelf, who were 22-4, replying with 185, No 10 Kieran Pritchard making it interesting with 36 not out as Waseem Chaudhry, Matthew Jordan and Dominic Anderson each bagged three wickets.

In Division Two, Greetland's Hizar Hayat hardly deserved to be on the losing team after taking 6-88 and then scoring 78 at No 8, but there was no sentiment from hosts Clayton, whose Chris Ramsden’s 88 had ensured a target that was out of reach of the West Vale outfit.

Paul Artist (43) and Tim Evans (34) had earlier put on 70 for Clayton's first wicket before Joe Brown (26) added 85 for the fourth wicket with Ramsden in their 259 off 40 overs.
Mitesh Mistry took 5-73 in Greetland's 188.

Low Moor had their middle-order batsmen of Adam Forbes (109, including 14 fours and two sixes) in a a maiden club century, and James Overend (51) to thank for their 81-run win at home to Old Town 155 (Muhammad Ramzan 4-19), who now occupy bottom spot.