OXENHOPE and Sowerby St Peter’s were the main beneficiaries in the Premier Division from the change to the points system during inclement weather in the Spenser Wilson Halifax League.

The Keighley club had another excellent win to notch 11 points at Copley, while St Peter's gathered 12 against Queensbury.

Joel Fothergill took 5-30 and Robin Cusdin 3-72 in Copley's 132-8 off 30 overs.

Then Oxenhope openers Joshua Fleetwood (66) and Craig Bartlett (51no), fearing the onset of rain, hurried then towards a seven-wicket victory in just 16.3 overs.

It looks like being a season of strife for Queensbury, with visitors St Peter's making over 200 in another rain-reduced match before dismissing the hosts for 63, with six batsmen failing to trouble the scorers, Matthew Hoyle taking 5-9.

For matches called off without a ball being bowled, plus those abandoned without any bonus points being awarded, only two points are now awarded to each side as opposed to the previous four.

As a result, across the divisions, the six teams that managed wins certainly benefitted more than last year as eight matches fell into the 2-2 category.

Booth will not be too disappointed with their six points at SBCI, where the elements intervened to prevent a likely win with the home team struggling at 33-5 chasing a far-off target of 183.

Those points edged the champions eight points clear of second-placed Jer Lane, who were among those who were inactive.

Blackley were the only winners in the First Division, reducing the gaps to eight from leaders Sowerby Bridge and two to  second-placed visitors Cullingworth.

Cullingworth scored 162-4 in their 26 overs, with openers Ben Burkill (46) and Jon Terry (39) putting on 89, backed up by Steve Welch (30no) and Graham Rankin (28no).

However, Blackley were just up to the task and met the target with three balls to spare.

All other matches in the division were called off without a ball being bowled.

In the Second Division, Illingworth St Mary’s took advantage of the better weather in Hebden Bridge by beating Old Town by eight wickets after dismissing the hosts for 78.

Old Town had little to offer against a formidable St Mary’s attack, especially when third-change bowler Veryan Brooksby recorded the remarkbale figures of 3.3-0-9-5.

As the rains threatened, Illingworth knocked off the runs in just ten overs, with opener Callum Cook making a quickfire 40 not out.

Front-runners St Mary's thus extended their lead to seven points over Bradshaw, who also won at home to Clayton.

Bradshaw had a larger target of 186 to chase following a second-wicket partnership of 85 between opener Tim Evans (53) and Tanweer Aslam (46), with Aaron Buckley taking 5-75.

There is always a hard-luck story, and this week it was Bradshaw's Matthew Crowther, who was 96 not out (12 fours, three sixes) when the target as reached in just 26.5 overs.

Third-placed Outlane will be disappointed not to have capitalised on the weather after losing a shortened match at home to Luddendenfoot, leaving them nine points behind Bradshaw.

Outlane scored a respectable 127-5 in 20 overs but, despite Callum Westwood’s 4-32, the visitors needed only 18.3 overs to claim a welcome ten points.

The only other match to start was at Greetland, just over three miles from Outlane, but the vagaries of the weather saw Low Moor HT bat for just 3.5 overs before the match was abandoned.