Batley make winning return to remain top of Championship A

Aqsad Ali produced a fine all-round performance, taking 6-20 as Idle were dismissed for 136 and then hitting an unbeaten 50 to help steer his side home with 15.1 overs to spare.

Asif Ayub (33no) helped Ali guide Batley to their target.The one bright spot for Idle was the innings of Mohammed Rafiq, who made 64 and was the cornerstone of their innings.

Birstall’s recent good form continued as they saw off Keighley by 125 runs and secured the maximum 20 points.

Half-centuries from Craig Wood (79), Ian Carradice (67) and Alexander Debs (52) enabled Birstall to make 276 despite Keighley captain Alex Towler taking 6-57.

Andy Wear made a determined 61 for Keighley but his side were bowled out for 151 as Alexander Drake picked up 4-29 to cap a result which sees Birstall move into the top six.

Liversedge slipped to a 31-run defeat in a low scoring game against Saltaire.

It was a match in which all the batsmen struggled, the top score being the 30 made by Saltaire’s Amjid Hussain as his side were bowled out for 145, while Simon Kay (4-15) impressed for Liversedge.

Steady bowling from captain Michael Eglin (3-32) and Adeel Ashraf (3-27) enabled Saltaire to defend their total as Liversedge were dismissed for 114, with number 10 batsman Wasim Khaliq (29) top scoring.

Ossett are building confidence ahead this Sunday’s Jack Hampshire Trophy final against Buttershaw St Paul’s following a 55-run victory over Hunslet Nelson.

Ossett’s big-hitting opener Richard Whitehurst (74) set his side on course for a match-winning total of 185-9.

Veteran Javed Umarji (40) gave him good support while the pick of the Nelson bowlers were Derrick Hammill (3-49) and Patrick Hinchliffe (3-53).

An unbeaten 37 from Hinchliffe was the highlight of Nelson’s 130 all out.

Spinner Khalid Usman (3-26) and Charles Orme (3-39) were Ossett’s best bowlers and the Queens Terrace side are now fifth, just six points outside the top three.

Undercliffe halted their recent run of disappointing results with a convincing eight-wicket win over Baildon.

A sparkling innings of 112 not out from Gulsheraz Ahmed, sprinkled with six sixes and 11 fours, helped them overhaul a total of 195-9.

Ahmed arrived at the wicket with his side 0-1 and was joined in a match-defining second-wicket partnership of 169 by opener Jonathan Hughes (66).

The Baildon innings was dominated by Jonny Reynolds (70), but his colleagues found the going tougher against paceman Zeeshan Qasim (6-36).

Crossbank Methodists moved up to ninth place in the Conference after defeating Gildersome by six wickets to collect a sixth win of the season.

Crossbank produced a fine all-round effort in the field to restrict Gildersome to 178 all out.

Frederik Ras led the way with 3-43 but all six Crossbank bowlers were among the wickets.

Shawn Nyamusa (43) and Arshad Jan (41) were top scorers for Gildersome

An unbeaten 71 from Richard Hosley guided Crossbank to a six-wicket win with assistance from Anees Rawat (33).

Heckmondwike and Carlinghow were made to toil in the heat as Great Preston racked up last Saturday’s highest score of 305-9.

Danusha Ranasinghe (54), Jackson Freeman (54) and Lee Russell (53) led the way for Great Preston against a bowling attack in which David Pickett (4-82) and Adnaan Rawat (3-88) were the most successful.

Heckmondwike, led by Matt Crowther (92) and Khurram Shehzad (53), made a spirited response of 231 as Andrew Clark took 4-50.

Rodley opener Robert Youngmade a magnificent 176 - the highest individual score of the season - but ended up on the losing side and saw his team slip to the bottom of the table.

Young hit three sixes and 26 fours to help his side post 275-5 but Adwalton knocked off the runs with 10 balls to spare.