HAWORTH Road Meths were one of the Craven League’s heavyweights just a few years ago.

Second in Division One in 2017 and third in 2018 and 2019, they are now in a battle to stay up.

However, some good news arrived at the weekend in the shape of their first win of the season, which took them out of the relegation places.

They chose to bat at home to Wilsden and made a decent enough 163-6, which owed a lot to opener Deepal Dissanayake, who scored 80, with Wajid Mahmood a good ally with 37.

Sam Mitchell (4-30) led the visitors’ attack, as he often does, with Doug Richardson (2-40) also among the wickets.

None of the Wilsden top six, with four notching ducks, reached double figures, however, and it was left to Gareth Wright (38) to help them to 94 against the outstanding Mohammed Ibrahim (4-2) and Andrew Maude (4-32).

At the other end of the table, Bingley Congs cashed in on Oakworth’s first defeat of the season by comfortably defeating bottom-of-the-table visitors Foulridge.

The Lancastrians were dismissed for 72 after winning the toss, with Congs skipper Neil Copping taking 4-21, fellow spinner Mohammed Adil bagging 3-23 and pace bowler Matt Roberts 2-4 off five overs.

Chris Dibb (26no) and Dave Tarren (24) then went a long way to ensuring Congs’ eight-wicket victory in 17 overs, taking them four points clear of second-placed Cowling.

Jonny Thompson (3-25 and 66 not out) could not save Hepworth & Idle from defeat, with Haworth making 155 after being sent in.

Thompson – who hit five fours and three sixes - played virtually a lone hand, as Hepworth & Idle could only manage 112 in reply.

Wickets had enough in them to encourage bowlers, and nowhere was that clearer than at Sandy Lane in Division Two where hosts Bradford & Bingley III were rolled over for 62 before castling Bradley for 38.

Under-15 James Swallow showed his potential by making 21 as an opener for Bradford & Bingley, while No.8 George Bell’s 27 not out was the stand-out knock in the reply, as under-15 Archie Barraclough had a day to remember with 5-4 off six overs.

Congs’ seconds fared little better at second-placed Denholme, only making 65 in reply to 211-7.

Openers Dave Hemsley (16) and Towhid Ali (16 to go with his 3-36) were the only visitors to trouble the scorers to any degree.

Andrew Stephenson (4-25) did best with the ball for Eldwick & Gilstead at home to Barrowford II, who made 148-9, but that was 34 too many for the twin villages, despite opener Matthew Sharp hitting 35.

In Division Three, Wilsden II won the toss and fielded at home to Haworth II, who made 185-5, with loanee Owen Pacey taking 2-38 and Imran Khan 2-39.

Opener Ben Reynard then made a defiant 56 for struggling Wilsden, who were all out for 130 and remain just outside the relegation berths.

Hepworth & Idle II profited from a walkover when Sutton II conceded.

Bingley Congs III were involved in one of the games of the day at Sandylands.

The visitors chose to bat in the Division Four clash against Skipton CI II and totalled 141-8, led by a first-wicket stand of 58 between Andrew Copping (42) and James Watson (35).

It needed an heroic innings of 67 not out by opener Will Shuttleworth to deny them, with CI winning by two wickets with two balls to spare.

Greenwood (3-18) and Copping (3-35) helped Congs take it to the wire.