WHAT is it with Steeton and Otley?
The Keighley club have beaten Otley twice on the way to three successive Waddilove Cup finals and now they have won an Aire-Wharfe League Premier Division clash against the leaders, having only lost the reverse fixture by eight runs earlier in the season.
Yet Otley are 33 points clear at the top and Steeton are in a relegation battle.
The truth is that, Alex Atkinson apart, Otley’s batting display was below par after they won the toss and made 216-9 at Summerhill Lane.
Despite feeling under the weather, opener Atkinson scored 72 off 89 balls, including eight fours and a six, and put on 76 for the second wicket with Josh Atkinson (40), but only Steve Brown (29) batted for long after that as they nosedived from 142-3.
Steeton were put ahead of the run rate by overseas opener Tremaine Dowrich (103) and Ben Hemsley (60) and won by four wickets in thr 41st over, despite Sam Kellett taking 3-23.
Burley remain in fourth after a comfortable home win against basement boys Bilton, Joe Hall (84) and skipper Dan Revis (47) getting half of Burley’s 250-5 in a second-wicket partnership.
Opener Hall was in for 127 deliveries and hit 12 fours and two sixes, and Mark Harrison chipped in with 43 not out.
Bilton threatened with their own second-wicket partnership of 70, but Nick Walker (103) ploughed pretty much a lone furrow after that as they were dismissed for 179, with Sam Fox taking 4-36, Jon Postle 3-43 and Revis 2-35.
Horsforth Hall Park, who are fifth, warmed up for their Waddilove Cup final against Steeton in style by scoring 300-7 after winning the toss at Pool.
South African-born English-qualified Michael Loubser scored 140 off a mere 78 balls, including 16 fours and seven sixes, adding 80 for the fourth wicket with Priyank Koli (42) and 95 with Andy Bairstow (38) before putting on 54 with Jacob Phillips (26no).
Pool were given a fine start by Logan Duval (41) and David Amos (26) in a stand of 70, but only Will Pallister (45) and Krutik Patel (20) contributed much after that as they were dismissed for 211, with Koli taking 3-46, Jake Littleton 3-25 and Phillips 2-19.
Third-from-bottom Rawdon, in danger of being caught by Steeton, lost by 36 runs at home to North Leeds, who made 233-9 after winning the toss.
Rawdon were 31-3 in reply and, despite partnerships of 54 for the fourth wicket between Tom Wrigglesworth (81) and captain Joe Smith (18) and 50 for the eighth between Wrigglesworth and Andy Doidge (33), were back in the pavilion for 197.
Division One leaders Addingham appear to have got over their stutter and made it three wins in succession by defeating visitors Guiseley by eight wickets.
Sending in Guiseley proved a smart move as they were dismissed for 132, despite 51 from Aniket Rana and 34 from keeper Joe Fisher, with Nick Farrell bagging 4-31, Ricky Palacio 3-40 and Rob Ellis 3-26.
That total proved no bother to Addingham, who had a first-wicket stand of 70 between Robbie Millar (45) and Palacio (30), further partnerships of 31 and 33 unbroken taking the hosts to an eight-wicket win in just 26 overs.
Addingham’s cause was helped by not only third-placed Guiseley losing, but also second-placed Beckwithshaw, who lost by eight wickets at home to Ilkley.
In a similar match to that at Addingham, Beckwithshaw chose to bat but were castled for 117 by James Bourke (4-36), Paul Dover (2-16) and Tom Rowell (2-26).
Again an big opening stand set Ilkley on their way - this time 80 between keeper Will Spivey (48) and Robbie Murray (42) - and a partnership of 35 between Murray and Will Jones (20no) almost got Ilkley over the line, a feat they achieved in the 28th over.
Ilkley are now up to fourth, just four points behind Guiseley, but Olicanian dropped two places to sixth on the back of a home defeat to Colton, who were one of two clubs to climb above them.
Colton made an imposing 277 after winning the toss, James Hudson polishing off the tail with 4-19, but Tom Smallwood played a lone hand after tea, scoring 78 as Olicanian were dismissed for 168.
Smallwood’s innings lasted 81 balls and contained 10 fours, but only Dave Healey (27) and Harry Smallwood (25) also topped 20.
Menston remain in pole position in Division Two, leading the table by 19 points from Kirkstall Educational (248 points v 229) after beating Old Leodiensians in a run-filled encounter.
After winning the toss, Menston racked up 331-6, with No 3 Fraser Oates hitting an impressive 157 not out off 130 deliveries, including 14 fours and eight sixes.
He added 82 for the second wicket with skipper Adam Montague-Millar (66, including 11 fours), 52 for the third with JH Johnson (32) and 100 for the fifth with overseas Zarshad Khan (19).
However, Leos made a good fist of their reply, scoring 305-7 in a game of 636 runs, opener Shoaib Rehman hitting 122, with James Lowans (4-65) taking wickets down the order.
Green Lane are sixth on 154 points after losing a decent contest at Thackley.
Lane chose to have first crack and made 206, opener Chris Bogdanos scoring 62 and No 7 Neil Britton 71 off 72 deliveries, including 13 fours and a six.
However, Thackley chased that down to win by four wickets with four overs to spare, despite Mark Horsman taking 3-29 and Mark McEneaney 2-28.
Horsforth tested second-placed visitors Kirkstall before losing by two wickets with 7.5 overs to spare.
Sent in, Horsforth made 218-8, Harry Jeavons (90) and Brad Moritz (41) putting on 102 for the fourth wicket after they were 9-3.
Jeavons’ runs came off 121 balls and contained 12 fours and a six, but he was indebted to a tail that wagged.
Kirkstall had stands of 82 and 41 for starters and 43 down the order to defy Matt Cordingley (3-66) and and Matt James (3-19).
Leeds Modernians, in a re-election berth, lost narrowly at Skipton, who made 215-8 after winning the toss, Ashley Rowden taking 3-44.
Mods replied with 210-8, captain Jonathan Wiggan (42) putting on 58 for the second wicket with Muzamal Ahmad (26) before Rowden (36) added 54 for the fifth with Greg McManus (57).
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