SALTAIRE, Aire-Wharfe League champions in 2021, have made a winning start to their 2024 Premier Division campaign in what was a thrilling encounter.

Hosts North Leeds chose to bat and were 98-1 before subsiding to 163 all out, Ihsan Ihsanullah taking 3-30 and captain Sajad Ali 2-36.

Saltaire’s innings went the other way and they were 91-7 before keeper Asif Yousaf (40) and Nasir Shah (25 not out) helped them to a two-wicket victory, achieved off the penultimate ball.

Tong Park Esholt’s batting failed in their home match against newly-promoted Steeton, who scored 131 after choosing to have first knock.

Five TPE bowlers took wickets, led by Saqib Mir (3-30), Shahid Mehmood (2-31) and Will Rhodes (2-17).

Only Dru Patel (26) and Gareth Wilkinson (18) then made double figures after tea as the hosts were dismissed for 91.

Match of the day in Division One was at Bolton Villas, who had a run-filled encounter against Follifoot.

Villas may have been questioning the wisdom of their decision to send the visitors in after they had scored 296-8, Adam Shabir bagging 3-69.

However, home skipper Mahboob Hussain needn’t have worried as his side knocked off the runs for the loss of six wickets with an over to spare.

Azad Yaqub (72) and Nachiket Verlekar (103no) had the key knocks in the reply, with Verlekar’s innings lasting only 65 balls and including eight fours and seven sixes.

Calverley St Wilfrid’s were no match for Guiseley, being dismissed for 59 at Nethermoor, with only openers Ahmed Raja (12) and Ed Whittingham (12) making double figures.

Guiseley then hurried to a nine-wicket triumph in the 11th over.

Emphatic in its own way was the victory by Bingley Congs at home to Skipton in Division Two.

Sent in at Beckfoot Lane, keeper and skipper George Hicks batted through the Congs innings to finish on 113 not out out of 288-5, hitting 13 fours and a six.

Neil Copping helped out by scoring a belligerent 69 off just 40 deliveries, as he dominated a partnership of 85 with Hicks.

Spinner Mohammad Adil then took 5-26 as the visitors were dismissed for 161.

Thackley needed late-order runs from Aftab Khan (36) to reach 136 after being sent in by hosts Shadwell, opener Ryan MacMillan having made 40.

Despite Craig Wiseman taking 3-40 and Jordan Moore 4-45, Shadwell won by two wickets at the end of the 46th over.

Rodley did not trouble Kirkstall Educational as much at Queenswood Drive, scoring 149 after being sent in, Farhan Ali (61) and Bailey Wilson (52) adding 92 for the third wicket.

However, they collapsed from 138-3, Oliver Stock (6-28) and Mohammad Ibrahim (4-49) taking all the wickets.

Eddies won by six wickets in the 28th over after an opening partnership of 75, Jackson Dodd (2-58) and Kamran Ali (2-40) being the most successful with the ball on a day when only four bowlers took wickets.

On Sunday, in the preliminary round of the Waddilove Cup, Calverley won a bowl-out at Leeds Modernians 2-1 to progress to the first round.