NEXT Saturday’s Spenser Wilson Halifax League Premier Division clash between Thornton and Booth has taken on major significance after leaders Thornton lost at a resurgent Copley to put the title chase into overdrive.

Thornton’s players, and particularly the Hutchinsons – Joshua (92no) and Nikki (74) – must have thought that their team’s posting of 302-4 was a winning effort.

Copley opener Alex Blagborough had other ideas, however, as he hit a magnificent 167 not out, aided by Matthew Rowles (79no) as they combined to put on an unbroken 110-run unbroken seventh-wicket partnership to reach their the target from the penultimate ball of the match.

Shelf Northowram Hedge Top’s season appears to be drifting away as they lost again – on this occasion at Oxenhope by 122 runs.

The Tetleys caused them problems at The Flatt as first Josh hit 78 not out to be followed by Duncan, whose 5-31 accounted for Hedge Top as they fell to 131 all out.

Booth reduced the deficit at the top to eight points as they accounted for SBCI by 265 runs at Broad Fold Park. Opener Jon Midgley set the batting tone with 24 boundaries in his knock of 140, with Richard Laycock adding 83 not out to take the score to 429-7.

SBCI had no real answer to that total and succumbed for 164, with only Simon Wood (52) causing any problems as five bowlers shared the wickets.

Southowram, aiming to win at least two of their remaining fixtures in their relegation fight, achieved the first of those at Mytholmroyd, triumphing by 57 runs.

For the first time this season, four of their top order hit respectable scores, unsurprisingly led by Dean Crossley’s 79 not out.

Support came from Tom Belfield (62), Ian Hall (53) and Ian Gledhill (49) in a total of 286-5 that proved too much for the home team, despite a battling innings from Saad Hussain (63no), who unfortunately ran out of partners.

The Rams will have been disappointed to hear of Copley’s win however, as they are still 18 points adrift of safety. Revenge for their Parish Cup final defeat came sweetly for Triangle as they travelled to Warley and dealt a massive blow to the host’s championship aspirations, particularly after Thornton’s loss.

Triangle amassed 356-6 as openers Daniel Crosland (53) and Adam Stocks (50) set the scene, to be followed by Christian Silkstone (166no), who despatched the usually efficient Warley bowlers all over Paradise Lane.

Greg Keywood will not have a worse afternoon as a cricketer as he returned 1-151 off 19 overs.

A dispirited batting effort followed, and when first-change bowler Liam Turner entered the fray it was match over as he took 6-36 in only 7.2 overs to earn a 205-run victory.

Sowerby St Peter’s eased their fears of being dragged into the relegation mix with a six-wicket win at bottom club Bridgeholme, who will be relegated next week if they fail to win.

Opener Adam Clarke’s 70 ensured the Sowerby win and the 12 points.

With only four weekends remaining in the First Division schedule, the promotion race now involves just three clubs, and Illingworth St Mary’s are clear favourites following a nine-wicket win at Queensbury.

The home team batted first, with No 6 Ryan Senior (56) top-scoring in a total of 216, but in response Daniel Murfet (116no) made batting look easy.

Coming in first-wicket down, his contribution was the majority of a 151-run match-winning partnership with Matthew Sewell (42no).

Sowerby Bridge, desperate to return to the top flight, are in second place, 18 points adrift of St Mary’s but seven clear of third-placed Great Horton Park Chapel.

However, the final placings are in the melting pot as the quirk of the fixture list sees both of the latter teams having to visit Illingworth, with the final weekend throwing up a cracker – Sowerby Bridge v Park Chapel.

The Bridge made light work of Clayton at Walton Street, winning by nine wickets as Steve Shannon (5-36) and Jake Dixon (4-19) combined to dump the visitors out for just 104, with Lewis Mattock (51no) and Paul Smith (42no) ensuring maximum points.

Twelve points were also earned by Park Chapel at Bradshaw – but only by a whisker.

Adam Beesley (70) and Waqas Malik (55) were the main contributors in a below-par 206 all out Horton total, with Piers Fisher taking 5-24, and when the home team reached 145-3 defeat looked likely.

However, after Christopher Pell (60) and Dean Cotton (58) both hit half-centuries, Bradshaw somehow contrived to lose their last seven wickets for 57 as Stuart Fenton (11.3-2-58-7) was handed the ball and Horton scraped a three-run win.

While the batting of bottom-of-the-table Stones has given much encouragement over the last few weeks, with Jack Collins (85) in the runs on this occasion, that first maximum haul of the season still eludes them.

Blackley won at Swift Cross by four wickets and the win was vital as it eased their own relegation concerns to put them 27 points ahead of second-bottom place, with Sam Mindham (60) top-scoring in a team effort where six batsman made double figure scores.

In the Second Division, Mount continue to top the table, and the reward for their ever-consistent batsman Mahmad Gheewala came in a stunning innings of 170 not out at home to Old Town, 136 of which came in boundaries.

No 8 Fakir Laher chipped in with 64 not out in an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 111 that left Town chasing another mammoth total, this time 326-6.

A brave effort was made as Sajid Mahmood hit 56, and eventually their last pair thwarted a Mount maximum by adding 49 undefeated runs.

Upper Hopton’s promotion aspirations took a severe knock at Low Moor Holy Trinity, where the hosts’ last pair scored the required eight runs for a very tight win.

No Hopton batsman managed a score of note as four Moor bowlers shared the wickets in a low total of 165.

The Moor also struggled as Matt Broadbent took 4-41 but the winning words came from Mandeep Sidana and Damiel Russon.

Cullingworth’s struggle of a season continued but they came close to a rare win as visitors Leymoor lost eight wickets in chasing just 119.

Full credit to Phil Poole as he almost single-handedly took the fight on, first scoring 74 and then taking 5-26 when brought on as first change.

Luddendenfoot took full advantage of Hopton’s loss to put themselves nine points clear of the Mirfield team, with a four-wicket win at Greetland.

The home side limped to 173-9 as four Foot bowlers took wickets, and the visitors were then indebted to Ryan Allen’s 61 not out to see them to victory.

Leymoor’s No 8 Pierce Walker, however, spoilt the home team’s afternoon as his 35 not out won the day.

Bradley & Colnebridge made the short trip to Outlane a memorable one, or more accurately Andrew Mitchell did, as he recorded the best first XI’s bowling performance of the season by taking 9-40 as Outlane fell for 92

Six of his victims were clean bowled, with a wicket from Yasir Arfat preventing an all-ten.

B&S lost four wickets in taking the 12 points that keeps them mathematically in the promotion hunt.