Booth slash Jer Lane’s lead

It is ‘game on’ in the Premier Division title race after Booth beat visitors Queensbury by 103 runs to slash Jer Lane’s lead at the top to five points. It looks ‘game over’ in Division One after Sowerby St Peter’s registered an 85-run home win over Luddenden Foot to extend their advantage over second-placed Northowram Hedge Top to 28 points with six games to go. There were also wins for Shelf and Outlane in Division Two in other reduced overs contests. Friday’s forecast of just a light shower for the following day proved inaccurate with a couple of hours of rain arriving after lunch. That put paid to most Halifax League games but four first team contests were completed and in all cases the home sides were rewarded for their efforts to get their grounds playable. Booth, second in the Premier, made 200 for seven at home to relegation-threatened Queensbury and then bowled out their visitors for 97. Robert Laycock scored his second successive unbeaten century, following up his 107 against Copley with 105. He and Rob Worsnop (30) put on 50 for the first wicket to help Booth to a good score off 25 overs. Usman Saghir then took four wickets and Ollie Collinge and Richard Laycock three each as the visitors failed to take any batting points. It was also 25 overs per side at Sowerby but the hosts needed only 21 to bowl out bottom side Luddenden Foot for 76 after making 161 for six themselves. Ryan Brook hit 68 at the top of the home order and Gavin Clarke (24) and Martin Schofield (25) also chipped in. Ollie and Tom Hosker took five wickets between them. Opening bowler Matthew Hoyle then stole the show for Sowerby, taking eight for 51, and his side could have the silverware sewn up in time for him to start the rugby union season with Old Brodleians in a month’s time. Division Two leaders Great Horton Park Chapel suffered a rare defeat in a 26 overs per side contest at Shelf but still picked up four points - the same as teams whose games didn’t start. Shelf’s Steve Priestley made 71 before falling to five-wicket Richard Hassall. Priestley’s opening partner Bill Sugden finished unbeaten on 14 having retired hurt in the sixth over but returned to the crease at the fall of the ninth wicket. Richard Ramsden is making a habit of being a Shelf match-winner and he came up trumps again with six for 50 as Chapel were dismissed for 126, Waseem Chaudhry (43) giving the visitors a temporary lift after they had been 40 for five. Outlane went above Old Crossleyans into second place but were given a scare by Denholme Clough before emerging winners by four runs in a 27 overs per team game up by the M62. Opener Lee Mellor made 45 before Calum Westwood (54 no) and Chris Brook (64 no) sent the scoreboard spinning with an unbroken stand of 113 to take the score to 200 for three. Clough were unfazed by the assault and half-centuries from Imran Aslam and Mohammed Asif took them close at 196 for seven. Another game started in the Premier at Sowerby Bridge. Triangle, who are back at Walton Street today for their Parish Cup final meeting with Mytholmroyd, were 41 without loss after four overs when play was halted. There was little reported action involving Calderdale teams in out of town leagues with Lightcliffe, Brighouse, Barkisland, Elland, Illingworth and Walsden among those whose games failed to start. Northowram Fields did manage 28 overs of play at Wakefield in the Central Yorkshire League’s Championship, hosts Azaad reaching 76 for four. FOSTER’S HALIFAX LEAGUE Premier Division Booth v Queensbury Booth won by 109 runs. Booth 12 pts, Queensbury 2 pts. BOOTH 200 for seven R Worsnop run out 31 Rob Laycock not out 105 J Midgley c Osborne b Singh 5 R Laycock c Slator b Singh 19 H Wajid c Ali b Singh 9 N Horsfall b Singh 14 U Saghir c Osborne b Singh 2 D Moore run out 5 M Ayub not out 5 Extras 10 Bowling: M Johnson 6 0 45 0, G Singh 12 0 76 5, A Ali 5 0 48 0, P Sharples 2 0 21 0 QUEENSBURY 91 A Ali c Cockroft b Collinge 1 D Crosland c Cockroft b Saghir 5 A Sharif lbw b Collinge 27 G Singh c Moore b Collinge 2 S Osborne c Cockroft b Saghir 1 N Richardson c Laycock b Saghir 3 J Priestley not out 15 J Slator c Worsnop b Saghir 9 P Sharples c Cockroft b Laycock 6 M Bruce c Ayub b Laycock 6 M Johnson c Worsnop b Laycock 11 Extras 5 Bowling: U Saghir 7 0 27 4, O Collinge 5 0 33 3, M Ayub 5 3 10 0, Rich Laycock 3 1 17 3. Division One Sowerby St Peters v Luddenden Foot Sowerby won by 85 runs Sowerby 12 pts, Ludd Foot 1 pt. SOWERBY ST PETERS 161 for six R Brook b T Hosker 68 B Watkins c Pinder b Hosker 4 H Bruce c T Hosker b O Hosker 8 G Clarke c Cleary b T Hosker 24 M Schofield c O Hosker b T Hosker 25 G Hayes st Pinder b Hemingway 2 A Green not out 6 M Hoyle not out 6 Extras 18 Bowling: J Stott 7 1 30 0, O Hosker 6 0 36 2, T Hosker 6 0 32 3, O Hemingway 6 0 49 1. LUDDENDEN FOOT 76 J Cleary c Schofield b Hoyle 10 O Hosker b Hoyle 4 O Hemingway c Brook b Hoyle 15 G Hall c & b Schofield 1 J Cox c Watkins b Hoyle 22 J Stott b Hoyle 7 J Hothersall c Hayes b Hoyle 1 T Hosker lbw b Hoyle 0 O Bairstow c Bruce b Hoyle 7 N Hosker c Hoyle b Schofield 2 R Pinder not out 5 Bowling: M Schofield 12 1 24 2, M Hoyle 11 1 51 8. Division Two Outlane v Denholme Clough C Outlane won by 4 runs. Outlane 11 pts, Denholme Clough 3 pts OUTLANE 200 for three L Mellor c M Hussain b Hanif 45 A Blagborough run out 20 A Holding run out 0 C Westwood not out 54 C Brook not out 64 Extras 17 Bowling: Z Arif 3 0 33 0, A Hanif 8 1 62 1, T Aslam 9 1 55 0, M Asif 3 0 23 0, M Hussain 1 0 16 0. DENHOLME CLOUGH 196 for seven I Aslam c Blagborough b Dorotiak 53 S Hussain c Davies b Wrigley 0 S Khan run out 24 M Yousaf b Dorotiak 6 M Asif not out 57 M Ali lbw b Dorotiak 0 T Aslam c Roberts b Holding 11 A Hanif b Holding 1 M Khan not out 28 Extras 16 Bowling: A Blagborough 6 0 35 0, J Wrigley 5 0 30 1, A Dorotiak 5 0 44 3, A Holding 8 1 42 2, C Westwood 3 0 40 0. Shelf v Great Horton PC Shelf won by 40 runs. Shelf 12 pts, Great Horton PC SHELF 166 B Sugden not out 14 S Priestley c Brown b Hassall 71 C Roberts b Jordan 6 C Green c Anderson b Hassall 28 L Butterfield c Anderson b Syed 5 B Malik c Anderson b Syed 7 C Wolfenden b Syed 12 N Armitage b Hassall 11 R Ramsden st Brown b Hassall 5 A Dimbleby run out 5 M Dimbleby c Brown b Hassall 0 Extras 2 Bowling: M Jordan 6 0 34 1, H Syed 5 0 40 0, R Hassall 8 0 47 5, P Fenton 2 0 23 0, A Syed 5 0 20 3. GREAT HORTON PC 126 R Hassall c Butterfield b Priestley 26 C Brown c Butterfield b Ramsden 4 A Beesley lbw b Priestley 6 A Syed c Sugden b Ramsden 1 P Artist b Ramsden 0 M Jordan c Sugden b Armitage 16 W Chaudhry c & b Ramsden 43 S Fenton c Wolfenden b Armitage 13 P Fenton b Ramsden 0 H Syed c Wolfenden b Ramsden 3 D Anderson not out 1 Extras 13 Bowling: R Ramsden 12 1 50 6, S Priestley 7 0 41 2, N Armitage 5 0 25 2. CENTRAL YORKSHIRE LEAGUE Championship Azaad v Northowram Fields Match abandoned AZAAD 76 for four Z Zulfqar c Mahmood b Parkin 12 T Hussain lbw b Khan 5 M Badat b Khan 1 H Mahboob c Metcalf b Norcliffe 4 I Mahboob not out 27 R Subhani not out 13 Extras 14 Bowling: Z Khan 11 4 22 2, W Parkin 6 3 13 1, J Lee 8 3 18 0, J Norcliffe 3 1 15 1.