GARGRAVE, who showed their potential in the Covid-hit half-season of 2020 and backed that up with promotion last year, are having a solid campaign in the top-flight of the Mewies Solicitors Craven League.

They made visitors Wilsden regret sending them in first at Skipton Road by making 290-9, which included a century for Matthew Simpson in the middle order.

His 108 off 91 balls included eight fours and seven sixes and he added 127 for the fourth wicket with John Beckwith, whose 55 came off 65 deliveries and contained three fours and a six.

Keeper James Freebury did his bit with 38 and it soon became obvious that Wilsden were not going to challenge that total as they were dismissed for 116, with Ben Howlett taking 4-31, Simpson 3-26 and Will Storr 2-20.

Gargrave are fourth on 235 points, and Cowling, third last season but sixth this on 164 points, were also in the runs at home to Denholme, scoring 271, which was chiefly due to Naqi Hassan’s 114, with smaller efforts by captain Laiq Ur Rehman (45) and Martyn Dalby (43).

Denholme’s erratic form with the bat continued and they were toppled for 95, with only four players making double figures as Junaid Hussain led Cowling’s attack with 4-19.

Sutton are off the bottom after notching a fourth win of the season, this time at Barrowford, but they are still a fair way off top-flight survival.

The Lancastrians won the toss but were castled for 52 in 25.4 overs, being unable to cope with Sachin Abraham (9-4-11-3), George Elrick (2-12), David Snowden (3-17) and Sam Stoneman (2-1).

That innings contained four ducks, and Sutton were in bother themselves at 25-6 before Craig Thornton (18no) saw them to a three-wicket victory in the 22nd over, with Elrick (10) and Dylan Hanson (11) also reaching double figures.

In Division Two, Riddlesden have increased their lead at the top to 74 points, and were in their usual robust form in making 266-7 at Skipton CI, despite Azhar Iqbal taking 3-68 and Aneesh Babu 3-55.

Any doubts about the result were dispelled when CI’s first three batters - Rob Cockell, Danny Smith and Babu - made ducks, and they ended on 146, which was a big improvement on 17-5.

The late runs started with keeper Ian Henderson (22), with Luke Cater (15) adding 34 for the seventh wicket with Sohail Choudary (18) before No 10 Danyal Iqbal (37) and Irfan Bandshah (17no) put on 70 for the ninth.

Silsden, whose form has dipped alarmingly, are still in the promotion mix in fourth on 218, but lost to Glusburn by 126 runs.

Sent in, visitors Glusburn were given a solid start by skipper Steve Brown (61), who dominated his first-wicket stand with Iain Beattie (4), with keeper James Tillotson weighing in with 32 in their 156 as Joshua Waind (3-40) and Ben Sugden (5-28) made inroads.

Silsden began their reply well, with Robert Jones (34) and Sugden (19) adding 54 for the second wicket, but there was precious little after that and they lost their last four wickets at 86, unable to defy Irfan Khaliq (4-13) and Dom Mortimer (4-12).

Glusburn aren’t out of it either as their win has pushed up them up to 212 points in fifth with six matches to go.

Bradley, now seventh, were also beaten, becoming the latest victims of a resurgent Bingley Congs II at Beckfoot Lane.

Congs made 194-6 and Bradley replied with 155, with Iklaq Ahmed hitting 54, including seven fours and two sixes.

In Division Three, there is seemingly no holding back Thornton-in-Craven, who lead the table by 41 points after notching their 13th win of the season.

The hosts dismissed Gargrave II for 50, with only Ben Wood and Giles Winterton (both 13) and Tom Vernon reaching double figures as the innings recovered from 11-5.

Ian Holden (3-20) and Mark Laycock (5-22) proved a deadly duo, and it then took the front-runners only 12.1 overs to win by nine wickets, with Scott Howarth-Hynes (20no) and David Holt (18no) adding 47 unbroken.

Cononley avoided a potential banana skin by triumphing at Skipton CI.

The visitors won the toss and made a decent 190-7, with Colin Stead providing the biff with 47 not out off 49 balls, including six fours.

Other contributions came from skipper Andrew Starkey (34), Harry Parker (22), Scott Brook (21) and Ihsanulla Daulatzia (16no) as Sefal Allam took 3-36 and Paul Smith 3-37.

CI had a second-wicket stand of 79 after tea between skipper Jonathan Sharpe (31) and Mel Seward (61no, including seven fours and a six), but then the innings wasted away to 157 all out, with Tom Feather (4-17), Parker (4-49) and Stead (2-28) among the wickets.

Cowling II found life easy at home to Wilsden, dismissing them for 139, with Ajmal Choudhry (4-20), Yasser Chatta (4-42) and Aqib Chatta (2-29) in the wickets.

The hosts lost Steve Dalby for a duck, but that was their only reverse as Choudhry (74no) and Yasser Chatta (61no) put on 139 unbroken.

Choudhry’s innings lasted 117 balls and contained 12 fours, while Chatta was in for 85 balls and hit six fours and two sixes against an eight-man attack.

Keighley III are increasingly looking like nailing promotion from Division Four and racked up 337-4 on a good wicket at Glusburn II.

Glusburn’s creditable reply of 268-6 was dominated by Rafaqat Hussain, who made 144 not out off 119 balls, an innings that contained 24 fours and two sixes.

Captain Mark Pickles more than did his bit with 70 off 62 balls, including 10 fours and a six, and the pair put on 175 for the third wicket.

Sutton II were no match for leaders Bingley Congs III at Royd Hill, despite Alastair Wallace taking 4-35 in Congs’ 152-8.

Skipper Rob Tedder (21) and No 10 Ben Seward (10no) were the only players to reach double figures after tea in Sutton’s 64.