NO-ONE can accuse Methley or Undercliffe from taking their eye off the ball ahead of their Priestley Cup semi-finals today.

Methley, who are at Premier Division leaders Farsley, and Undercliffe, who travel to New Farnley, both notched convincing victories yesterday in All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League Championship Division One.

And skipper Grant Soames led the way for Methley, the compact left-hander hitting an unbeaten 133 as Birstall were trounced by 263 runs.

Soames hit 13 fours and five sixes, and there were partnerships all the way for the promotion chasers as Soames enjoyed stands of 76 with Marcus Walmsley (32), 111 with Jordan Laban (46) and 133 with Muhammad Akhlaq (72), whose 24-ball blitz contained seven fours and six sixes.

It was little wonder after that onslaught that Birstall folded for 83, with Ben Waite taking 4-8.

Undercliffe were made to sweat a little by Bowling Old Lane, but were indebted to a last-wicket stand of 50 between wicket-keeper Luke Holroyd (38) and Craig Wiseman (12 not out).

That propelled them to 208 after opener Billy Whitford (57) had dominated earlier proceedings.

Opener Farakh Hussain (56) also bagged a half-century in reply, while Bilal Ejaz was dismissed handled the ball for 31 as Michael Kelsey (3-38) and Scott Etherington (2-23) helped Undercliffe triumph by just 20 runs.

Even better news for Methley, five points behind joint leaders Scholes and Wrenthorpe going into the day's play, was that both had lost.

Sam Gatenby (43) and Yasir Ali (41) were the leading batsmen in Scholes' 135 as Mounam Ejaz (4-25) and Mushtaq Ahmed (4-27) enjoyed the conditions, but Jonny Reynolds saw Baildon home by two wickets with a diligent 68 not out after Ali (3-10 off 15 overs) had put them on the back foot.

One dominant display also accounted for Wrenthorpe at Morley, home skipper Ollie Halliday taking 6-11 as the Wakefield club were sent packing for 83, Matthew Dowse (4-29) bagging the other wickets.

Sangeeth Cooray (45) had top-scored in Morley's earlier 156 as the wickets were shared between James Glynn (4-50), Jonathan Rudge (3-32) and Matthew Holstein (3-35), but the top scorer in the match was Wrenthorpe's Luke Patel with 47.

Gomersal's two half-century makers – Liam Thomas (59) and Richard Wear (58) – was just enough to gain them victory over Yeadon, whose innings of 176 only contained one, that of skipper Damon Gormley (55).

Meanwhile, Ossett, whose John Sadler made 109 (seven fours, eight sixes), gained an important victory over Bankfoot to distance themselves from both the losers and Birstall.

Ossett, who were also indebted to Javid Umarji (40), defied Undercliffe skipper James Lee, who took 6-46 in Ossett's 209 and then scored 64 not out in the Intake Road club's 141 as Paul Malone returned an impressive 7-37.