WITH two matches to play, Triangle threw the Spenser Wilson Halifax League Premier Division title chase wide open with a shock success at defending champions Booth to leave them only four points ahead of Jer Lane, who won at Thornton.

Jer took maximum points in a 33-run victory that squashed Thornton’s slim title hopes.

The home team’s Joshua Hutchinson did all he could to thwart Jer, with 101 runs and 4-85, but he was short of assistance with both bat and ball, and a trio of Lane half-centuries (Simon Collins 58, Michael Hustler 56no, Amjid Khan 52) ensured that the visitors stayed in the race.

Queensbury will finish as wooden spoonists, making a swift return to the First Division.

Their loss at Mytholmroyd confirmed their fate, despite one of their better batting performances of the season in achieving 241 all out, with skipper Phil Sharples making 63.

The home team, however, made light work of the runs required, winning by eight wickets as Thomas Conway hit 107 not out, ably supported by Wajid Ali (59 not out) and Jack Earle (50).

Lewis Hopkinson gave an excellent all-round display in Oxenhope's defeat at SBCI, who made 239-7, with Hopkinson taking 3-43 and Duncan Tetley 3-72.

Hopkinson was seventh out in the reply, having made 74, but, with skipper Josh Tetley injured and maximum batting points having been achieved, Oxenhope declared their innings on 181-8 after 40.3 overs, thus gifting SBCI maximum points.

Hopkinson also won the fielding point, but the league's executive committee may want to see whether Oxenhope have transgressed the Spirit of Cricket by declaring.

Cullingworth have a mouth-watering final fixture on Saturday as they bid to be promoted for the second successive season.

The Roydwood Terrace club, who are joint First Division leaders with Southowram on 181 points, are at Bridgeholme (1.30pm), who are the other promotion contenders in third place with 174 points.

Were Cullingworth to miss out, it would be harsh on batsman Ben Burkill, whose 137 at home to Blackley took him past 1,200 runs for the season.

Steve Welch (69) kept the opener company in a second-wicket stand worth 157 in their 283-7.

The visitors started well and were 61-0, but contrived to lose seven wickets for 37 runs.

No 3 Macaulay Shiel (67no) and No 10 James O’Connell (48) helped them from 98-7 to a respectable 191, Phil Poole being the scourge of their batsmen with 6-23.

The Rams of Southowram beat Great Horton Park Chapel by 55 runs at Ashday Lane as Dean Crossley hit an impressive 120, Ashley Johnson assisting with 56, and then Tom Belfield chipping in with 5-55.

The basement battle in the division proved to be the tightest match of the season for both sides as relegated Stones came within a whisker - six runs actually - of recording their first maximum of the season against visiting Shelf.

The latter were thankful for match-winning performances from Sadiq Ali (95) and Robert Ramsden (7-46) as they claimed its second maximum of the season.

In the Second Division, Clayton ended the 19-match unbeaten run of champions Illingworth St Mary’s, with Mitesh Mistry the destroyer.

Clayton made 209, with Joseph Brown (64) and Tim Evans (47) top-scoring.

A target of 210 looked well within reach but St Mary's were never in the hunt as Mistry got busy with two early wickets and finished with 7-40, taking his season’s tally to 65 wickets.

The win just kept them in the race for second place, ten points behind Bradshaw, who remain favourites after been gifted maximum points in their match against an absent Birchencliffe.

Low Moor Holy Trinity recorded their fourth maximum of the season at a surprisingly out-of-sorts Outlane, who could only muster 166, of which the major contributor was opener Alan Davies with 82, with five Moor bowlers taking wickets.

Not to be outdone in reply, Adam Forbes (49) and James Overend, batting at No 4, scored 90 not out, the latter unlucky in so much as the winning runs came in sight of his century.

There was a curious match at Mount versus Old Town, where the top four batsmen from both teams contributed only a cumulative 50 runs.

Mount eventually managed to set a target of 145 for the Hebden Bridge team, and they duly obliged after a sticky start, at one stage being 58-5, but the rally came from Adil Shah (41no) and Abdul Baig (32no) in a winning stand of 51 runs.

Daniel Barron (52no) guided Luddendenfoot to a four-wicket win at Upper Hopton, for whom Steven Adams top-scored with 57.