SALTAIRE and Tong Park Esholt have been dragged into an incredibly tight battle at the foot of Division One of the Aire-Wharfe League.

The pair fell to seventh and ninth respectively in the 12-team table after being beaten at the weekend, and remarkably, that means the whole of the bottom half have now won three and lost five of their opening eight league games.

As it stands, only 11 points separate Saltaire from rock-bottom New Rover.

Saltaire were unlucky to run into runaway leaders Collingham & Linton on Saturday, but they kept their unbeaten visitors in check initially.

In the sunshine over at Roberts Park, Collingham were bowled out for 186 with two balls of their innings to spare, home captain Sajad Ali claiming 4-63.

Arsaam Malik made a superb 68 from 72 balls in Saltaire’s reply, but no-one else made 20, as Saltaire slid from 137-5 to 156 all out, losing by 30 runs.

TPE were blown away by second-placed Otley, their high-flying hosts winning by 131 runs.

Batting first, Otley romped to a mammoth total of 333-5 from their 50 overs, despite a hard-fought 3-68 from Usman Munir.

Opener Riley Vernon made 72 in Esholt’s reply, but he was the only batsman to make a significant dent in Otley’s total, as the visitors were bowled out for 202.

Bolton Villas lost by five wickets at Ilkley in Division Two, with the result only ever going one way after they were dismissed for 135, Bilal Ahmed top-scoring with 42.

Iqbal Khan and Adam Shabir took two Ilkley wickets apiece to cause the hosts a few alarms, but they ended up cruising to victory from the first ball of the 38th over.

Villas currently sit sixth, but have a game in hand on all the team around them.

That includes Steeton, who are up to fourth after beating Colton Institute by 107 runs.

Thackley continue to slide towards relegation danger in Division Three, their latest defeat by 67 runs against Shadwell.

The Leeds-based hosts batted first, making a competitive 245-9 despite good bowling from Craig Wiseman, who took 3-49.

Thackley lost both openers for ducks and were quickly reduced to 17-4, but 40 from Adam Boocock in the middle order, aided by 36 from Mohammed Shoaib, restored hope.

But then another collapse saw the Bradford side fall to 106-7, with an enterprising 56 from just 24 balls down the order from keeper Aston Dalladay not enough to save them from being all out for 178.

Harden lost their spot at the summit after an ugly eight-wicket defeat to Alwoodley, which came after they were bowled out for just 117.

Finally, in Division Four, former Craven League side Bingley Congs are up to fourth in their debut season, recording their best win yet on Saturday over previously unbeaten leaders Horsforth Hall Park Seconds.

Congs batted first and made exactly 200 all out, the in-form Harry Treloar scoring 52.

And captain Neil Copping was the bowling hero at Beckfoot Lane, taking 5-19 as Hall Park were skittled for just 145.