Relegation-threatened Buttershaw St Paul's sprang one of the surprises of the season in Division One when they took on leaders Batley at Mount Pleasant and came away winners by four runs.

Batting first, Buttershaw posted a modest-looking 146 for eight, Javed Iqbal doing the damage with five for 40, but Johnny Lister

(6-50) turned in a superb

performance, well

supported by Andrew Deegan (3-33), to bowl out the leaders for 142 and claim crucial points in their battle for survival.

Wakefield City take over top spot from Batley after

bowling out fellow

promotion-chasers Liversedge for just 54 on the way to a ten-wicket win, while the party looks to be over for Birstall after going down by 44 runs to leaders Townville in their Premier Division top-of-the-table clash at Leeds Road.

Skipper Rob McFarlane, with five for 58 off 25 overs, looked to have bowled Birstall into a good position as Townville struggled to 130 for nine - and that largely thanks a fine unbeaten 47 from Mohammed Asif, but from then on it was all Townville. Steven Bourne made a fighting 32 for the home side but with Chris Cotton picking up three for 45 and Nick Bresnan, brother of Yorkshire's Tim, claiming six for 30 with a fine spell of pace bowling, the innings crumbled.

Only a determined last-wicket stand of 28 between Mark Heseldine (17) and Simon Walker (10)

prevented a complete rout.