THORNTON won the tightest finish of the day in the Spenser Wilson Halifax League's Briggs Priestley Parish Cup quarter-final.

They needed two runs off the last ball to win at Northowram Hedge Top - a ground where two are hard to come by - but skipper Ross Soames was equal to the task, scrambling the necessary runs needed for a four-wicket victory.

Previously three Hedge Top batsman were out having made 41 - Chris Conroy, Thomas Clee and Oliver Hemingway - as the Thornton bowlers shared the wickets.

In reply, Soames set the basis up for that finish with his 84 but it was a real team effort to get over the line as all eight batsmen required scored double figures.

Thornton's reward was a home semi-final against Mytholmroyd.

The nine-times winners had a relatively easy win against disappointing First Division Southowram.

The visitors needed No 8 batsman Ian Gledhill's 78 not out to add respectability to their score after they had slumped to 112-7, Amjid Azam recording 9-2-21-5.

A target of 206 proved an easy one, however, as Tom Earle (58), Jack Earle (50) and Shazad Hassan (49) paved the way for a four-wicket win with over six overs to spare.

Second Division Outlane made a tremendous effort at Old Lindley Road against holders Booth, but eventually went down by 54 runs in a high-scoring affair in which 26 sixes were recorded.

Booth had set a mammoth target with their 356-4, with Richard Laycock (129no), Hashim Wajid (81), Robert Worsnop (59) and Jon Midgley (52no) enjoying themselves after they were 14-2.

Laycock and Midgley added an unbeaten 192 runs as Outlane wilted in the sunshine.

However, their reply deserves very creditable mention as Chris Brook (100no), Simon Ainley (64) and Calum Westwood (46no), while never really threatening to reach the target, certainly gave Booth food for thought on a day when both teams used seven bowlers.

Booth are now at home to Copley who, at Grassy Bottom, dumped out record 12-times winners Triangle in an all-Premier Division clash.

Copley made short work of the home team's 229 (Joshua Graham 60no), led by Mohammed Seraj (73) and Mark Baldwin (60), winning in the 45th over.

In the Crossley Shield, First Division Oxenhope were thwarted by some tight bowling by Premier Division hosts Sowerby Bridge, making only 165-7 as Brendan Ellison continued his fine weekend with 91 not out.

Steve Shannon took 4-25 off his nine overs, and Bridge knocked off the runs required with ten overs to spare, with Paul Smith (90no) and Paul Taylor (43) the main men.

Triangle all-rounder Gary Roger enjoyed his trip to Jer Lane, taking 5-30 after top-scoring with 62 out of 252-7.

Only Umar Dawood (69) then troubled the Triangle bowlers.