Former Bradford League captains Tim Orrell (Woodlands) and James Stansfield (Brighouse) met in the middle for the toss in new surroundings last Saturday as the All-Rounder Cricket Equipment Central Yorkshire League opened the 2014 campaign.

Orrell, who had great success at Woodlands, now finds himself at the helm with Mirfield Parish Cavaliers, and he opened his account with his new club by chalking up a top-scoring 59 before falling victim to Mohammed Sharafat with the score on 155-5 against Scholes at Wellhouse Lane.

Parish went on to make 202 before being bowled out, Sharafat taking 5-58, and Bradford League- bound Scholes made 203-8 to take maximun points.

Stansfield, who has also played at Cleckheaton and Hanging Heaton, has been playing sport in the area since his Huddersfield Town junior days at Beck Lane, Liversedge, but he is hoping to make his mark with Scholes as they prepare for next season's entry into the Bradford League.

His contribution with the bat was just 18 in a 56-run stand with Zain Abbas, but Abbas (96) and Joseph Duffy (56) saw Scholes home with two wickets to spare, despite a fine 6-32 return from Yasir Ali.

Newly-promoted Hopton Mills surprised champions Methley with a hard-earned one-wicket win in the face of some good bowling from former Cleckheaton man Ed Walmsley (4-35), while Sufyan Patel top-scored for the winners with a match-best 86.

Birstall opened with six points from their game at Hunslet Nelson thanks to a seven-wicket win that owed much to an unbeaten 56 from junior batsman Nick Kaye in a match-winning 157-3.

Ossett had to settle for four points at Altofts after skipper John Sadler hit 56 to overhaul the home side's 175-7 with two wickets to spare.

Buttershaw St Paul's had a disappointing start to the season in the Championship as they went down by six wickets at home to East Ardsley, but there was better luck for Batley, who beat Northowram by 44 runs, and for Liversedge, who comfortably saw off Wakefield St Michaels by 93 runs.

Paul Marlow hit 42 in a Liversedge total of 185-7 and then took 3-4 in ten balls to help bowl out the visitors for 92.