THORNTON have kept up their quest for the ENCO Halifax League Premier Division title with an eight-wicket victory at Shelf Northowram Hedge Top.

The hosts were asked to bat first and they were grateful for the efforts of Keir Litjens (55), and Charlie Holt-Conway (40) in a score of 150 after 37.4 overs, Dominic Anderson being the pick of the bowlers with 5-38.

The leaders required only 22.1 overs to gain another maximum-points haul as Grant Soames (71no) and Josh Hutchinson (42no) featured.

Copley registered the highest score of the day - 274-3 at The Arches when Oxenhope visited.

Electing to bat first, Gav Whipp hit 73 and then Oliver Thorpe dominated proceedings, taking his score to a career best 158 not out.

He has scored at least one century in eight of the last ten seasons, with the latest eclipsing his previous best of 153 in 2015.

Oxenhope, however, made a fine attempt in their chase, but eventually fell just 22 runs short.

Will Rankin (68), Rohid Ali (45) and Ben Howell (44) were the leading players in a brave attempt to secure a win but trhey ran out of overs at 252-7.

Whipp had a good all-round day, adding 4-63 to his batting effort.

For First Division leaders, Upper Hopton, who opted to bat, skipper Harvey Lockwood scored his first century (101) since 2018, dominating his team’s 40.3-overs total of 196 against Greetland.

His personal total was enough to beat the visitors alone as tjey were bowled out for a miserly 52, with only two of teir batters reaching double figures as Charlie Wightman took 4- 21.

Second-placed Clayton kept up the pressure in the promotion race, easily accounting for Low Moor Holy Trinity at The Avenue.

Batting first, they scored 218-9 via a team effort, led by an opening partnership of 105 between John McDermott (47) and David Paynter (46), with Mark Stokes (5-48) easily the best bowler on show.

In reply, the visitors failed to reach three figures, being all out for 85 as Mitesh Mistry (5-29) was on top form.

Augustinians’ troubles continued at Great Horton Park Chapel as they lost by ten wickets in a match that was finished within 25 overs.

They are now odds-on favourites to be the only team relegated to the Second Division.

Inserted, trhey could only muster 57, with Daniel Gill taking 5-25, four of which were clean bowled.

Horton skipper Adam Beesley was in charge of the reply with 38 not out as his team continued to press for promotion, being one of three teams in the frame.

In the Second Division, Outlane’s revival continued, with their second success in eight days coming at Cullingworth, inspired by Zeeshan Rahman and Anurag Bhope.

The hosts were asked to bat and posted 182, with the three main contributions featuring Chris Welch (43), Michael Dennison (40) and Rahman (5-45_).

In reply, Outlane scored a winning 183-6, led by Bhope’s 71, his second successive fifty, aided by Lee Mellor’s 37 not out.

The Oakworth Powells, James (87) and Bradley (49), top scored for their team as they elected to bat against visiting Queensbury and posted 219-8 in their 45 overs.

The latter replied with 167, five batters passing 20 but none reaching 40, with Noah Thirkill the pick of Oakworth’s bowlers with 5-34.

They thus retained second place, albeit 17 points adrift of the top.

Southowram struggled all afternoon after being sent in by visitors Mount.

In particular, they found the bowling of Mahmadbhai Makda (5-15) more than difficult as he removed all of the top four as the score read 27-4.

There was a slight improvement from the middle order but they soon capitulated to 107.

However, it proved more than enough as the visitors collapsed to 61, Neil Eastwood on top form with figures of 8-2-15-6.