Thackley will be hoping to make a better start to the second half of the Aire-Wharfe League season than they did to the first when they travel to struggling Bilton on Saturday.

In the reverse fixture back in April, the defending champions managed only two points. They then had a game postponed, played a two-pointer with Guiseley and crashed out of the Black Sheep Yorkshire Champions Trophy before registering their first win against an Adel side already favourites to go down.

Since then they have managed just one more win, over Burley, and batting second has meant draws have usually meant just two points, so they find themselves in mid-table, 11 points behind the leaders.

In Nasser Jamal, Majid Khan and brothers Yasser and Mahir Ali, they have plenty of potential match-winners but so far they don’t seem to have all fired at the same time.

Thackley will be hoping that with, hopefully, dryer, hotter days to come, they might yet mount a charge.

They should certainly be too strong for Bilton, and one of the sides cheering them on will be Ben Rhydding, who travel to Otley.

Ben Rhydding have shown greatly improved form in recent weeks but are still in the relegation zone, six points behind Bilton in the spot above them.

Otley won’t be easy opponents. They too are in the group trying to catch up with the leaders, but the confidence gained by a cup win over Follifoot and domination of Kirkstall, will make Ben Rhydding hard to beat.

Leaders Steeton will be determined to show the same ruthlessness against Adel as they did in the cup against Green Lane, hoping that Kirkstall will be able to at least dent the progress of second-placed Collingham.

The winner of Guiseley v Follifoot will move into the mid-table comfort zone, leaving the loser a little too close to the bottom for comfort, while Burley face a tricky trip to Beckwithshaw, where Bryan Vance is always likely to have a big innings.

There are two outstanding games in Division Two, with fourth-placed Harden travelling to third-placed Rawdon, knowing defeat would stretch the gap between them to 11 points.

Meanwhile, in-form Ilkley entertain Green Lane, who were overtaken at the top when Pool managed to win one of only two completed games.

If Bolton Villas can shackle the all-round talent of Umer Yaqoob, they have a good chance of victory at Bardsey, while Calverley will need some more magic from 15-year-old left-arm spinner Naveed Panesar if they are to ease away from the danger zone at North Leeds.

Olicanian are already 14 points short of safety and need a big second half to the campaign if they are to survive, and have a must-win clash with Upper Wharfedale, who fill the other relegation spot.

In Division Three, it already looks like being a chase to see who can go up with Colton, although the chasing pack will hope the leaders’ nine-point advantage might be trimmed by third-placed Illingworth.

Hall Park, denied a comfortable six points against Alwoodley by rain last week, will face a tougher task against Tong Park Esholt, who need the points to keep their own challenge going.

Second-placed Menston made short work of Silsden when the sides met earlier, with Gareth Lee hitting 71 and taking 5-39, but they will find the visitors in much better form at the moment and will do well to take full points again.

Horsforth should be too strong for Alwoodley, while Skipton know that defeat by Addingham would open the gap between the two sides struggling against a re-election spot to 14 points.