Steeton came smiling through a rain affected Airedale and Wharfedale League programme on Saturday having clinched the title for the first time in their 46 years in the league.

It was double joy for the champions as their prolific youngc Australian batsman Matthew Pinniger reached the thousand runs milestone.

Pinniger smashed 3 sixes and 15 fours as he made an unbeaten 102 in 72 minutes to become the first player since Bilton's Miles Corish in 1996 to top the thousand run mark.

The 20 year-old Aussie is now on 1,033 and is out to beat the league's highest aggregate of 1,390 compiled by another Steeton Australian in 1995 - Ben Hook.

This is the 13th team the thousand runs mark has been reached by a player in the league with D P and E's Harry Bolton achieving the feat twice in the 1950s.

In recent years overseas players have dominated the list with Pinniger, Hook, Bilton's Murray Goodwin and Miles Corish and Skipton's Colin Billett among those to achieve the feat.

Steeton defeated relegation candidates Calverley by eight wickets on Saturday and took their haul of league points to 89 - a massive 34 ahead of second placed Guiseley with five games to play.

Although Pinniger has been outstanding it has been a real team effort by Steeton as was proved when they bounced back to win the Waddilove Cup on Sunday after being put on the rack by Guiseley.

Guiseley leapfrogged over Burley, Rawdon and North Leeds to take second spot after their fine six wickets win over Knaresborough.

Guiseley were struggling a little at 64-4 in reply to 145 but an unbroken stand of 83 between Glen Taylor (47) and Neil Allitt (43) took them to victory.

Some superb batting from Miles Corish (83) and Steve Lawrence (86 no) helped Bilton to a score of 216-5. They then restricted Silsden to 166-8 to take four points from a drawn game and move ahead of Beckwithshaw and Hall Park in the fight for Division A surivival.

Calverley are virtually down having only 22 points leaving Beckwithshaw (40), Hall Park (40), Bilton (43), Adel (44) and Knaresborough (45) all still worrying about their position.

Rawdon had notched 174-7 against Hall Park when rain stopped play. Despite losing two early partners cheaply Alan Hall battled away to make 44 as Kenrick Marsall produced another good display taking 3-52 off 20.5 overs.

North Leeds batsman Tim Hollis registered a superb unbeaten 109 as his side romped to 195-5 in 49 overs before the rain came and ended their game against local rivals Adel.

Hollis had support from David MacDonald who made 35.

Burley's prolific wicket taker Nick Brook has turned run maker as well and he opened the Burley innings on Saturday against Beckwithshaw with a knock of 49 which included 9 fours. He then shared a second wicket stand of 104 with brother David who struck a fine 79 which included 15 fours.

The game then ended duento heavy rain.

GUISELEY v KNARESBOROUGH

Knaresborough.- G Simmonds c Thompson b Paley 2, J Dodman c Cooper b Allitt 14, B Crabtree b Paley 4, D Mealey c Whitaker b Allitt 33, P Thompson c Thompson b McCormick 8, G Whiles b Whitaker 18, S Carey lbw McCormick 6, S Booth b Brown 25, R Tattersall st Thompson b Paley 8, R Procter b Paley 6, M Brittain not out 1; x 20; ttl. 145.

Bowling: A Paley 12-3-35-4; M Brown 9.3-2-23-1; N Allitt 10-3-32-2; B McCormick 9-3-18-2; R Whitaker 6-1-22-1.

Guiseley.- C Chaplin b Procter 16, B McCormick c Thompson b Procter 8, G Taylor not out 47, S Thompson c Mealey b Procter 0, I Colquhoun b Booth 23, N Allitt not out 43; x 10; ttl. 147-4.

Bowling: M Brittain 12-1-67-0; R Procter 13-3-42-3; S Booth 5.5-1-29-1.

Guiseley won by six wickets.

BECKWITHSHAW v BURLEY

Burley.- N Brook lbw McIntire 48, D Hurd c Hudson b Baker 4, D Brook b McIntire 79, J Davey not out 5, A Wheeler not out 5; x 9; ttl. 150-3. Rain stopped play.

Bowling: A Gott 11-0-42-0; M Baker 6-1-24-1; R McIntire 10.3-3-45-2; I Hopper 6-1-30-0.

Draw: one point each.

RAWDON v HALL PARK

Rawdon.- C Walsh c Kempton b Marshall 5, A Hall c Cowgill b Marshall 44, B Percy run out 0, D Whittaker c M Hobson b Marshall 15, A Sugars b Murphy 32, C Brown c Rock b Hobson 8, G Johnson not out 33, J Statham b Hobson 0, R Atkinson not out 19; x 18; ttl. 174-7. Rain stopped play.

Bowling: K Marshall 20.5-6-52-3; D Rock 14-3-64-0; R Murphy 3-0-6-1; C Boden 3-1-14-0; C Hobson 6-2-23-2.

Hall Park did not bat. Draw: one point each.

*North Leeds 195-5 (T Hollis 10-9 no, D McDonald 35, M Thomas 3-66) v Adel. Rain stopped play. Draw: one point each.

Bilton 216-5 (S Lawrence 86, M Corish 83, M Halmshaw 24); *Silsden 166-8 (D Jackson 41, S Collins 41, J Akrigg 28, A Knowles 22, M Reynard 5-54). Draw: 4-2 points.

Division B

Menston gave Skipton's hopes of promotion a severe jolt putting them out for a mere 68 as skipper Richard Taylor took 6-24 and James Robinson 4-18.

With David Lester hitting an unbeaten 37 and Andrew Haslett 27 not out Menston won by a nine wicket margin.

Division B's top three were all involved in rain affected draws with Follifoot still in the lead by one point from Green Lane with Addingham third a further point behind.

Green Lane were very unlucky as bad light ended their game nine overs early with Addingham 110-6 chasing a massive 283-4.

Former Guiseley player David Ross hammered a superb unbeaten 95 for Lane while Garfield Williams made 61.

Illingworth gained a nine wickets win over Tong Park after putting them out for 90 with A Ledger taking 4-29 and R Dixon 3-27.

As Illingworth knocked off the runs Sam Smith played a leading role with an unbeaten 50.

Horsforth had made 169-8 struggling against Australian James Prendergast (4-39). Otley were 10-0 when rain stopped play.

OTLEY v HORSFORTH

Horsforth.- I Smellie c Taylor b Barlow 39, M Taylor b Prendergast 10, N Gonsolkorale b Mitchell 13, S Collins b Prendergast 16, C Binks b Barlow 16, S Riley c Taylor b Martin 16, G Procter not out 29, B Scott b Prendergast 4, P Tooley c Taylor b Prendergast 4, K Lilley not out 1; x 21; ttl. 169-8.

Bowling: J Prendergast 14-5-39-4; C Martin 15-2-47-1; A Mitchell 11-3-30-1; C Barlow 10-1-36-2.

Otley.- C P Smith not out 6, C Smith not out 3; x 1; ttl. 10-0.

Bowling: G Proctor 2-1-1-0; B Scott 2-0-8-0.

Rain stopped play. Draw: one point each.

ADDINGHAM v GREEN LANE

Green Lane.- D Sparvill b Yeadon 20, C Cay b Turner 10, G Williams b Turner 61, S Hargreaves c Houlston b Campbell 42, D Ross not out 95, L Bramham not out 38; x 17; ttl. 283-4.

Bowling: C Turner 22-6-108-2; J Yeadon 13-0-52-1; C Campbell 10-1-65-1; K Wilkinson 5-0-46-0.

Addingham.- S May b Pickersgill 31, M Houlston c Pickup b Williams 15, K Wilkinson not out 41, D Robinson c Lonsdale b Potts 5, P Sant c Ross b Pickersgill 5, D Leng b Pickersgill 5, D Ward run out 0, C Turner not out 8; x 15; ttl. 125-6.

Bowling: A Pickersgill 22-5-49-3; S Lonsdale 7-2-21-0; G Williams 6-2-12-1; A Potts 8-2-29-1.

Rain stopped play. Draw: one point each.

MENSTON v SKIPTON

Skipton.- P Pickles b Taylor 9, M Whittaker c O'Brien b Taylor 0, C Gott c Haslett b Taylor 0, S Young lbw Taylor 28, R Keeble b Taylor 5, J Hughes b Robinson 6, M Wilson c Taylor b Robinson 0, P Frances c McGargle b Robinson 0, R Greenwood not out 1, A Facey b Taylor 4, M Scott c Thompson b Robinson 4; x 11; ttl. 68.

Bowling: R Taylor 17-6-24-6; G Thompson 8-1-18-0; J Robinson 9-3-18-4.

Menston.- S O'Brien lbw Scott 1, A Haslett not out 27, D Lester not out 37; x 5; ttl. 70-1.

Bowling: M Scott 6-2-23-1; P Frances 2-0-15-0; C Gott 3-0-27-0.

Menston won by nine wickets.

Tong Park 90(A Ledger 4-29, R Dixon 3-27); *Illingworth 94-1 (S Smith 50 no). Illingworth won by nine wickets.

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