AFTER finishing fourth last season, Oakworth are looking good bets to go higher in Division One of the Craven League this year.

They are currently second and made easy work of defeating visitors Denholme last time out.

Sent in, Denholme could only score 57, with Toby Priestley again their top scorer, this time with 25.

Harry Hollingsworth, 19, proved virtually unplayable with 6-13 and he was backed up by 16-year-old Charlie Raby (3-12).

Oakworth wasted no time in winning by nine wickets in the eighth over.

Haworth and Cowling were first and third in 2021, but haven’t always played like that this season - but this time they did.

Haworth had first use of their West Lane track and made 237-6 against Haworth Road Meths, Jamie Roper (46) and Jamie Rowell (52) leading the way with a stand of 92.

Pete Gower (26) and 16-year-old Jacob Stephens (90) then added 76 for the third wicket, with the teenager hitting 12 fours and three sixes.

Meths could then do little against a three-pronged attack of Ollie Bishop (4-24), Damian Rowell (3-17) and Jacob Hudson (3-23) and were back in the pavilion for 69.

Cowling regularly topped 200 last season, but have been more patchy this time around.

However, they made 214-9 at home to Wilsden after choosing to have first go, with Martyn Dalby (74) and Rahman Ali (56) leading the way.

Ali then completed a fine match by taking 3-8 as Wilsden were dismissed for 152.

The news was less happy for third-from-bottom Ingrow and cellar dwellers Sutton, who managed only 171 between them, and Ingrow made 132 of them at home to Gargrave.

Shahid Ajmal hit 12 fours and two sixes in an outstanding 69 for Ingrow, adding 73 for the seventh wicket with Haseeb Majid (27) but they could then only take two Gargrave wickets in defeat.

Sutton only had Craig Thornton (14) in double figures in their 39 at Hepworth & Idle, who won by nine wickets in the ninth over.

Riddlesden are strong candidates for two successive promotions and lead Division Two by 15 points after defeating Bradley by 99 runs at Grange Road.

Arfan (26no) and Ibrahim Mahmood (10) even added 38 for the last wicket in Riddlesden’s 179 after Mohammed Kamran (42) and Mohammad Shahnawaz (44) had done well higher up the order.

Toby Meynell (5-71) and Vince Grant (3-38) tried to keep them in check, but Bradley were then dismissed for 80, with 18-year-old Meynell defiant on 24 not out and captain and keeper Dave Hunt making 23 as Mohammed Zulfiqar took 4-26 and Aftab Khan 3-9.

Third-placed Glusburn made short work of Foulridge at Park Field, dismissing the Lancastrians for 78 after they opted to bat, Tanveer Munir leading the way with 4-27.

Skipper Steve Brown then saw his team to a seven-wicket victory by scoring 53 not out in 51 balls, including 11 fours.

Silsden are fourth after handing basement boys Bradford & Bingley a fifth successive defeat.

The visitors made 141, the first time in five weeks that they have passed 100, with Alex Nelson (3-35) and Lewis Middleton (3-33) doing best with the ball.

Keeper Ben Sugden (73, including 14 fours) and captain Jack Roberts (39no) then helped the Cobbydalers to a seven-wicket win in exactly 30 overs.

Also leading from the front was Matthew Stowell, whose 40 helped Long Lee to 137 at home to Skipton CI, which proved more than enough.

The Sandylanders were then castled for 78, with Jamil Muhammad taking 4-25 and Mohammad Ishtiaq 4-20.

Airedale are just three points behind their Keighley neighbours after winning a thriller against Barrowford II at the Airedale Oval.

The second strings made 114, with Josh Coppack (3-28) and Jake Wilkinson (3-17) among the wickets.

Paul Feather (26), Chris Gill (37) and Wilkinson (23no) then helped Airedale over the line by one wicket after they were 4-3, 66-3 and 81-8, with Scott Whittam-Ritchie’s 11 proving vital.

In Division Three, Cononley have won five out of five and are second in the table behind Thornton-in-Craven.

Scott Brook (36) and David Turner (41) got Cononley out of the blocks well with a partnership of 76, and Tim Feather (69) and Andrew Starkey (30) continued the good work with a stand of 87 for the fourth wicket before Charles Calvert added 28 not out in their 251-5.

Denholme II, thankfully back in action again after a number of concessions, replied with 122, with Guy Flanagan the stand-out with 60 as Brook took 6-31.

Oakworth II were equally emphatic victors, restricting hosts Wilsden II to 100-8, with Charlie Shimmin taking 3-23.

The visitors knocked the runs off for two down in the 27th over, with keeper Rob Gumbley making 35 and Sajjid Razaq 32 before retiring with cramp.

Haworth had an identical target after dismissing Skipton CI II’s for 100 at Sandylands, with 14-year-old Tom Rowell taking 4-17.

The men from Bronteland won by four wickets, with George Ingham top-scoring with 28.

Cowling II could not raise a team against Gargrave II.

Airedale II head Division Four after winning a tight contest at promotion rivals Bingley Congs III.

Sent in at Sandy Lane, Congs III made 102, with former Congs player Mohammed Ali Raja taking 4-10.

Veteran keeper Trevor Cox then scored 35 not out to see his side home by two wickets, aided by Waris Ismail (22).

Oakworth III are second after an emphatic win over Hepworth & Idle III at Cambing.

The visitors racked up 247-5, with Asim (32) and Amin Khan (48) putting on 71 for the second wicket before 16-year-old Elis Jones (71) and Michael Thompson (51no) added 107 for the fourth.

Asim Khan then took 5-5 as the third team were skittled for 45.

Sutton II fared little better at home to Keighley III, being dismissed for 63, with No.8 Stuart Tillotson top-scoring with 18 not out as the wickets were shared.

Keighley replied with 64-0, with Tahir Mehmood 46 not out.