OTLEY’S seemingly smooth passage to the Aire-Wharfe League championship hit a pothole in the form of Follifoot and gave Burley’s hopes of snatching the Division One title a massive boost.

Istikhar Hussain and Yasar Ali - Follifoot’s reliable bowling partners - each picked up three wickets as Otley struggled to 158, which owed much to a sixth-wicket stand of 49 between George Huntley (35) and Chris Thompson (27).

Nathan Goldthorp did his best to defend the total with a 4-27 spell but Hussain (57no) saw Follifoot home with two balls and three wickets in hand.

Burley also enjoyed a late partnership - 104 for the seventh wicket between Jason Wright (73) and Lewis Bolton (49) - as they set Pool a target of 226.

James Rosewarne (64) and David Amos (43) each followed up three-wicket hauls with solid batting, but Pool still came up 37 runs short.

Pool remain just above the drop zone and must look over their shoulder at Guiseley, who beat Beckwithshaw to climb above their opponents in the bottom two and within 32 points of Pool.

Beckwithshaw set a stiff target of 229-7 but an unbeaten 73 from Jack Kelly took Guiseley to a vital six-wicket win.

Any faint hopes Rawdon had of being in the title mix all but disappeared when they lost a thriller at Ilkley.

Andrew Duckworth took his season’s tally past 600 runs with a fine 87 as Rawdon reached 228-8 but Will Spivey (41) and Alex Bailey (81) gave Ilkley the ideal start, and James Pearson (33no) saw them to victory with five balls left.

After Ben Heritage (50) and Bailey Worcester (45) helped Horsforth to 128-3, Adel's bowling took charge and they were dismissed for 169, which the visitors passed with four wickets in hand.

The Division Two promotion race looks to be developing into a fight between four clubs, separated by only five points, to be the one to join Collingham, who look odds-on to return to the top flight at the first attempt.

Collingham’s latest win was a crushing of second-placed Tong Park Esholt, who for the second week in a row were bowled out for under 100.

That should have been the signal for Hall Park to move up, but instead they were crashing to defeat at Ben Rhydding, where Henry Barrow took 4-25 as Park scrambled to 111.

Benjamin Steyn hit nine fours and three sixes in making 64 as the home side clinched a five-wicket win.

Saltaire took full advantage, gaining ground on those above them by defeating Steeton.

Feyaz Akram (48) and Marcus Richardson (48no) helped them to 225-7 before Adeel Ashraf (3-18) and Mussawar Shah (4-25) dismissed Steeton for 85, 34 of which came from Harris Rowlett.

Addingham remain firmly in the mix after Ricky Palacio (43), Dan Ellis (51no) and Robert Ellis (47) helped them recover from losing three early wickets to 238-8.

That proved far too good for Calverley, despite the efforts of tail-enders Scott Driscoll (47) and Tom Westerman (37).

Robert Ellis added 4-42 to his batting display.

That leaves Calverley staring down the relegation barrel, a cause not helped by Leeds Modernians beating Colton and Kirkstall coming out on top in a high-scoring match against Olicanian.

Kirkstall raced to 300-8, and even though James Gifford (90) and Sam Pilling (63) raised Olicanian hopes with a 137-run stand, they still came up 21 runs short.

Division Three leaders Bardsey beat Menston by 25 runs, despite being restricted to just 153 by Uwais Mehmood (6-47) and Nadeem Hanif (3-49), and New Rover remain in the promotion places after passing Shadwell’s 95 with five wickets in hand.

Green Lane are hot on their heels after Chris Spivey (6-30) and Azhar Mahmood (4-36) skittled out Alwoodley for 68 in reply to their 161.

Tom Cummins was the star of the show as Harden crushed Old Leodiensians to keep alive their promotion hopes. He hit 103 and, together with Mark Portlock (52no), helped Harden to 293.

Cummins then teamed up with Matthew Hogg (4-33) and took 6-24 as the visitors collapsed to 57.

But Bolton Villas’ hopes of snatching a top-two spot took a knock when St Chads eased past their 225 in which Joe Lawrence had made season's-best 105.

Ben Holderness took 5-68 but with Paul Naylor (58), Aidan Holroyd (57) and Umer Farooq (41) leading the way, Thackley still managed to set a 241-9 target.

Gary Owens scored 70 in the reply but with Shane Marshall (5-38) and Farooq (3-40) pegging away, Skipton were bowled out for 187.