Batsmen in charge in the Craven League sunshine

Conversely, there was one eight-wicket haul among the bowlers who had to toil in the heat.

Division One leaders Oakworth were at home to Thornton, and the visitors posted a creditable 172 with Chris Bowker making 42 and Kevin Pollard 41 as Jack Davison spun his way to a superb 8-44.

The reply was clinical as the Cure Hill side romped home by six wickets with six overs to spare. Skipper Michael Scarborough led the way with 78, and Jack Hainsworth scored 60.

Cullingworth jump from sixth to second after they nipped down the hill to Crossflatts and beat them by 68 runs.

The Roydwood Terrace batted first and amassed 216 with the Welch brothers, Steve and Chris, making 71 and 41 respectively. The latter then took 5-29 as Flatts were shot out for 148.

Haworth travelled to Street Lane and dismissed Ingrow St John's for 157 after they had been 39-7. Nadeem Safdar scored 42, No 10 Mohammed Ali 31 and 'Mr Extras' 31 as Richard Ellis took 3-35 and Stephen Bell 3-41.

Jamie Rowell (88) was the star of the successful reply, leading the side home by four wickets as Sarum Farooq, one of nine bowlers used, took 4-24.

Embsay did themselves a power of good, winning by 19 runs at Bradley.

The Shires Laners went first and made 206, with the ageless Bob Bateman making 55 and Josh Robinson 51 as James Heseltine took 5-55 and Phil Binner 5-63.

The Matthews Lane side stood at 137-8 before Casper Bean (66) and R Smith took the score to 185-9 as the overs ran out. Robinson took 3-29 as John Metcalfe bowled through to finish with 3-95.

Barrowford garnered a useful three points as they beat Bingley Congs by two wickets at Bull Holme.

Chris Dibb (41) was the top scorer for the Beckfoot side as Jahangir Babar claimed 4-39. Nick Burton made 55 as the red-rose side crept home, with Jamie Teale taking 3-32.

Haworth Road got the better of Foulridge in a low-scoring affair at Baildon Bottom.

The Noyna side were knocked over for 114, with Mohammed Zahid taking 4-29 and I Ullah 4-39.

The hosts were made to work for the points, losing six wickets in passing the required total with Will Burgess making 36.

Cowling clung to the leadership of Division Two by the narrow margin of nine runs.

Batting first at Keighley Road, they made 143 with Mark Adams scoring 39 and M Saqab 34no as Jake Hoyle took 5-40 and Ian Roberts 3-23.

The Hainworth side were looking good at 125-6 but lost their last four wickets for the addition of just nine runs. Skipper Mark Price top-scored with 44 as Martyn Dalby took 4-41 and Steve Richardson 4-51.

Lurking two points behind are Riddlesden, who were two strong for Oakworth II, winning by 105 runs.

The Grange Road side posted 217-9, with G Ayub making 51 and No 10 Mohammed Zulfiqar 50 as Jack Ellis bowled through to finish with 6-96.

The Cure Hill side were brushed aside for just 112 as M Qadeer took 4-16 off 5.1 overs and Zulfiqar 3-25.

Long Lee lifted themselves up the table with a comfortable 82-run victory over Barrowford II at Golden View.

The home side made 185, with skipper Paul Stowell leading the way with 65 as M Iqbal took 5-65.

Only Peter Cowburn (44) then offered much resistance as the Bull Holme side crumpled to 103 all out. Jamie Robinson took 3-16, Matty Stowell 3-26 and Matt Taylor 3-33.

Glusburn enjoyed a 26-run victory at Park Field, with L Robinson 50no and N Freeman 40 helping them to 210-7 as Tom Greenwood took 5-65.

Toby Priestley (66) and Greenwood (39) were the main contributors to Denholme’s reply of 184. Mark Pickles claimed 4-81 off 20 overs. L Robinson 3-73 and Steve Brown 3-27.

There was a close finish at Wilsden, where visitors Pendle Forest chased down the home side’s 170-9 to get home by one wicket.

Another centurion was Airedale skipper Matthew Cox, who scored 115no to lead his side to the spoils by four wickets at home to Sutton.

Earlier the Royd Hill side had made 193-9, with Dave Snowden top-scoring with 55 as Joe Milner took 4-40.

Chatburn, leaders of Division Three, extended their lead at the top by a point after they crushed Ingrow St John’s by six wickets, and second-placed Sandy Lane lost at home to Gargrave.

The Ribble Valley side hustled their visitors out for a modest 58, with Andy Booth taking 4-22 and Dominic Stuart 4-25. James Price (25) was the mainstay of the hosts' 60-4.

John Beckwith was the star of Gargrave’s win over Sandy Lane. Firstly he made 88, after being dropped on four, to help the Skipton Road side to 187. Then he took 6-41 as the Greenwood Park men closed 40 short of the required total.

Embsay II’s under-15s skipper Morgan Davies hit a magnificent 103 to help his side pass Haworth Road II’s 215-8.

The Baildon Bottom side had Rehan Ahmed (52) and Andy Maude (37no) to thank for reaching that target as Neil Robinson bowled through to finish with 5-64. Along with Davies’s effort, Brian Hodgson scored 34 and Neville Allan 33.

No doubt about the performance of the day – Cononley walloping 345-5 at home to Eldwick & Gilstead.

Skipper Andrew Starkey scored a superb 129 - his third century of the season - and Charles Calvert hit 125no as the pair put on 200 for the third wicket.

Joel Grainger joined in the carnage with 61 off 30 balls, and the Dick Hudson’s side slumped to 108 all out as Billy Pinder took 4-51 and Grainger 3-6.

Wilsden II would have been disappointed with their 117 at Haworth West End, of which Jacob Jagger scored 42 as Andy Benfield took 5-15 and Liam Chipman 3-21.

But the Windy Grove roared back and had the Penistone Hill side back in the hut for 85 with Shahid Mahmood taking 4-22 and skipper Rob Greenwood 4-30.

Bradford & Bingley III were comfortable winners over Crossflatts II, with the victory margin being 171 runs.

Skipton CI, the runaway leaders of Division Four, made it 13 games undefeated after they scuttled Pendle Forest II at Fence.

John Stuttard (5-25) and Sean Williamson (5-45) had the home side back in the hut for just 72. Ian Henderson made 50no as the Sandylands team cantered home by nine wickets.

Cullingworth II are second following their four-wicket victory over Airedale II in a high-scoring game.

The Bradford Road side made a creditable 220-5, with Paul Feather scoring 84 and John Pollard 74 as Dave Hall took 3-29.

The latter followed with a superb 100no to go with George Hartsfield’s 55 to see the Roydwood Terrace side over the line by four wickets with 13 balls to spare.

Riddlesden II, previously in second, slipped up badly at home to Thornton II.

Evergreen Tim Gates made a super 102no to go with Anthony Reedy’s 50, which helped the Booth Bridge Laners to a healthy 234-4.

Despite 95 by Steve Kernan, the Grange Road side were hustled out for 138, with Chris Heald the most successful bowler with 4-35.

Up at Hainworth, Bradley II made 147 with B Wooler making 41no as Nick Crook claimed 4-26.

Ingrow II galloped home by eight wickets, with seasoned campaigner Tony Crook hitting 65no and A Weatherill 42no.

Another centurion was Bingley Congs skipper Charlie Raistrick (111no) and he was supported by 13-year-old Keon Dalladay (59) as Bingley Congs II posted a mammoth 292-3 at the expense of Long Lee II at Beckfoot Lane. The visitors could only muster 93-8 in reply.

Haworth II got their act together at home to Glusburn II and ran out winners by 33 runs.

Veterans Derek Bright (33) and Dave Walsh (59no) rescued the Bronte side from 104-7, with a 69- run eighth-wicket partnership, and the innings closed on 212-8 with Paul McCullough taking 4-31.

The Park Field battled away and had reached 179-9 when their overs ran out. McCullough made 67no as Bright took 5-42.

In the top-of-the-table clash at Denholme II, Oakworth gained the points which took them back to the head of Division Five.

The Bradford Road side built on an opening partnership of 130 by Jack Harrison (69) and Paul Greenwood (65) to total 198-8.

However, George Ingham (46), Ben Howell (38no) and Sam Nettleton (36) helped the visitors get home by four wickets with just six balls to spare.

Foulridge are third after beating Cowling by 39 runs at Noyna.

Sutton II were 122 runs too strong for visitors Cononley II, with Daniel Ridehalgh (56), M Allport (54) and K Booker (4-30) being their stars.

Dale Walsh (30) and A Hallas (29) helped Haworth West End II to a useful 164 at Gargrave II, with junior Oliver Wild taking 5-34.

In a nail-biting finish, with Damien Kirwin unable to bat due to concussion and evergreen opener Russ Nixon retiring with a twisted hip when 14, the Skipton Road side had reached 158-8 and needed Nixon to return to try and get the necessary seven runs for the points.

Under-16 player George Beckwith (55no) ensured there were no further hiccups and the points were in the bag.

Finally, Skipton CI II saw off visitors Sandy Lane II by 75 runs at Sandylands. Skipper Sam Smith (70 and 3-14) was their man of the match.

* There was a stunning bowling performance in Division Four on Sunday as two more of the re-arranged first-day matches were completed.

At Haworth II, visitors Airedale II made 180, with Giles Wilmore hitting 60 and N Hanif 33 as Will Yildiz took 3-56.

Wilmore then played destroyer in chief, taking an incredible 9-5 to help the Bronte side out for 121, of which J Atkinson scored 42.

Down at Riddlesden II, Andy Holmes (3-19), Billy Winterburn (3-21) and Phil Binner (3-32) helped Bradley II dismiss the home side for 89.

Then Harry McGowan (37) and Ryan Sumner (32) saw the South Craveners home by seven wickets.

In Division Five, Sutton II entertained and beat Chatburn II by 35 runs.

Steady batting throughout the innings took the Royd Hill side to 153-9, with skipper Chris Vollentine top-scoring with 27 as Chris Mulhearn took 6-67 off 22 overs.

In reply, opener G Simpkin made 64 of the Ribble Valley sides 118-9, with James Marshall taking 6-34.