RIDDLESDEN have suffered only their fourth defeat in four seasons in the Timothy Taylor’s Craven League.
Seeking a fourth divisional title in as many years, the away side were dismissed inside 25 overs for just 73 by early Division One leaders Gargrave.
Keeper Arfan Mahmood (15), skipper Mohammed Gulnawaz (12) and Mohammed Kamran (10) were the only trio to break double figures for the Grange Road side, Gargrave then triumphing by nine wickets.
They are on 49 points, but just a point behind in second are Cowling, who won by three wickets over Eldwick & Gilstead at Grange Road.
Sent in, E&G were boosted by a wagging tail to finish on 130, with Danish Hameed taking 4-30 and Martyn Dalby a miserly 2-14 off his 12 overs, a third of which were maidens.
Skipper Dalby then led his team to victory in the 35th over with 30 not out at No.8, after openers Wasim Hussain (30) and Rahman Ali (25) and Vasu Goyal (21) had made important contributions.
Glusburn are up to fourth after tasting victory for the first time, and they made hay on what must be one of the best wickets in the league, scoring 217 after winning the toss at Park Field.
However, despite 39 from captain Steve Brown, they did have to recover from 87-5, Abrar Sarwar scoring 73 and No.9 Danny Ridehalgh chipping in with an unbeaten 38.
Charlie Jackson took 4-43 for the Brontelanders and Danny Spencer 3-49 before Sarwar (3-16) and Ridehalgh (3-21) completed fine all-round matches.
They were backed up by Umar Farooq (3-31), as cellar dwellers Haworth were skittled for 93, 47 of which came from Jackson.
Also notching their first win were Bradley on a good day for the promoted duo, who were sent in by hosts Wilsden and made 142.
Keeper Dave Hunt (30) and Iklaq Ahmed (38) were the main men with the bat, and Zain Naeem then took over with the ball, bagging 5-34 as Wilsden were back in the pavilion for 109.
Silsden, whose 2023 was hampered by a points deduction, lead Division Two on 50 points and were also in the runs at Cononley, making 243 after winning the toss.
Joshua Waind went at the home attack from the off and finished with 105, which included seven fours and 10 sixes.
Keeper Tom Greenwood also more than played his hand with 65, hitting five fours and three sixes.
Herbie Starkey (6-47) was the stand-out Cononley bowler, and he then scored 30, adding 62 for the third wicket with his brother Andrew (39) after they had been 0-2, but there was nothing else to speak of as they were dismissed for 124, Ben Sugden bagging 5-35.
Just a point behind Silsden are Thornton-in-Craven, who scored 185 after winning the toss at home to Sutton, whose most successful bowlers were Sachin Abraham (3-35) and Dave Snowden (5-40), the fifth man to be used.
Sutton, who are in danger of a second straight demotion, were 58-1 in reply, with Sam Solley making 29 and Snowden 17, but they could only total 102.
Denholme are off the mark after a more than decent contest against Hepworth & Idle II at Westfield Lane.
The visitors won the toss and chose to bat, Adrian Shires (67) and Hussnain Ali (30) then putting on 88 for the first wicket.
Captain Adam Taylor (40) helped Denholme to 201-9 before Ryan Clark (3-33) and Shires (3-27) restricted the second strings to 193 and an eight-run defeat.
Airedale also posted victory after a low-scoring derby at Ingrow, who were dismissed for 73 inside 24 overs after the hosts won the toss.
John Allott and Alex Frye both made 17 for the home side as Ijaz Shah (6-30) and Ahsan Rizwan (4-37) bowled unchanged.
Mathew Cox then scored 23 as Airedale won by four wickets in the 23rd over, despite Tobias Hartley taking 3-11.
Cowling II lead the way in Division Three after winning a low-scoring affair at home to Wilsden II.
Haseeb Majid (23) and Ben Davy (21) were the only players to top 20 in Cowling’s 108 after they won the toss, and Majid then showed his skill with the ball by bagging 4-25, backed up by Ubaid Rauf (3-42) and Yash Sethiya (3-6), as the next-to-bottom visitors were restricted to 84.
Long Lee are fourth, but were beaten for the first time in the league this season after Bingley Congs III made 125 at Sandy Lane, Shahbaz Ahmed taking 3-16 and Yasser Chatta 3-36.
The Keighley visitors were then back in the pavilion for 102, with four players reaching double figures - Dan Kernan (25) the best of those.
Silsden II, who were 16-4 and 59-7 at home to Bradford & Bingley III, also suffered league defeat for the first time in 2024, but did well to reach 105, chiefly thanks to Finlay Nixon-Snowden’s 31.
Despite Bilal Mahmood (5-28) dismissing five of the first six batters, Bingley then won by four wickets, having been 22-5.
Sutton II are off the mark after castling Gargrave II for just 32 at Royd Hill, the wickets being shared by 15-year-old Sam Stoneman (3-4), 18-year-old Laurence Powell (3-13) and 14-year-old Will Tedder (3-2).
No-one made double figures as the innings was wrapped up in 18.4 overs after Sutton had made 115-8, 44 of which came from veteran Tony Walton as Will Storr took 4-20.
It was another chastening afternoon, however, for Keighley III, who sent in Menston IV, only for the hosts to score 290-7.
Keighley were then skittled for 30 in 18.2 overs, with only opener Amit Mistry (12) making double figures in a 260-run defeat.
Bradley II are third in Division Four on 44 points after defeating Menston V at Matthew Lane by 35 runs.
Harry Andrews scored 52 opening the batting for Bradley, who made 144, after subsiding from 83-1.
Luke Watson (5-26) and Charlie Andrews (3-19) then proved deadly with the ball as Menston were back in the pavilion for 109.
Umar Dar (27) and Ryan Fountain (21no) did best with the bat for Glusburn II in a total of 121 at Airedale II, Paul Feather taking 3-31 and Calum Davies claiming 3-29.
Tahir Mehmood (6-10) then proved unplayable as the visitors were sent packing for 45, having been 30-1, Rafaqat Hussain taking 3-6 in a triumph for the fourth and fifth bowlers used.
Haworth II are off the mark, defeating Denholme II in a low-scoring derby at Keighley Road.
Gareth Griffiths (22) and Max Wareing (21) were the only players to break 20 in Haworth’s 81 after they had won the toss, with Guy Flanagan returning an impressive 6-16.
But Denholme only had opener Pat Clark (24) doing likewise as they were toppled for 53 by Matt Wooding (5-26) and Wareing (3-1).
Long Lee II went down by eight wickets to surprise leaders Hepworth & Idle III, with the latter dismissing the hosts for 114, despite 38 from opener Tom Butterfield and 21 down the order by Qasim Tarin.
Tarin then took 2-14 as the Westfield Laners won in the 30th over.
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