THERE was no joy for either Jer Lane or Oxenhope at the top of the Spenser Wilson Halifax League Premier Division.

Despite contributions from Raqeeb Younis (33), Imran Mirza (25) and Andrew Pinfield (24), Jer were skittled for a mere 109 by visitors Booth, with Usman Saghir taking 4-10 and Moazzab Ayum 3-29.

The champions had no problem reaching the target in just 22 overs as Richard Worsnop took the lead with his 47 not out.

Booth have thus opened up a ten-point lead over the chasing pack, with second-placed Oxenhope surprisingly losing a rain-affected game at home to Mytholmroyd, who brilliantly chased a target of 253 to win.

The hosts made a very healthy 283, thanks to the early batting of Liam Dyson (64) and Lewis Hopkinson (40), but the innings took off when Joe Ousey walked to the crease, making 100 not out, big hitting seeing him reach his second 50 in only four overs.

In reply, Mytholmroyd got off to a good start as Jack Earle (91) and Wajid Ali (57) were to the fore before a flurry of wickets reduced them to 170-5.

Dyson (3-98) and Tom Mawer (2-52) took the wickets before several showers meant the players were on and off the pitch.

The Oxenhope total was reduced to 257, which the visitors knocked off with no further loss as Thomas Conway (57no) led them home.

SBCI's climb up the table also came to a stuttering halt against Thornton as the visitors won by seven wickets.

Despite an opening stand of 52, the hosts could only manage 143, with Greg Soames taking 5-36 and Joe Blencowe 3-8.

Then followed the Joshua Hutchinson show as the No 5 batsman, coming in at 16-3, simply tore apart the hosts' bowling, hammering seven fours and 11 sixes in a knock of 103 not out.

The biggest smile of the day belonged to Queensbury skipper Phil Sharples, however.

Scratching his head in midweek, wondering where his promoted side were going wrong, their first win of the season came at home against fellow strugglers Copley, but only by one wicket.

Sharples was involved in a last-wicket stand of 20 that secured the maximum points.

Copley, boosted by Oliver Thorpe (67) and William Rushton (40), made 177, despite Gurdev Singh taking 8-59.

Queensbury had four ducks among their first seven batsmen, but were revived by Bradley Gerrard-Harrison (50), Amjad Ali (33) and No 10 Russell Stewart (40), with Sharples (10no) and Philip Rankin (17no) seeing them over the line, despite 5-104 from Chris Dennison and 3-65 from Ian Hartley.

Northowram Hedge Top openers Daniel Cole (72) and Dan Klemm (64) set the tone for an excellent win at Triangle as they put on 125.

Four other batsmen chipped in with scores of 25 or over, and in reply the home team never looked in the hunt. Chasing 282, they fell 125 runs short, with Thomas Clee taking 5-68.

Cullingworth remain top of Division One (by a point) after winning by two wickets at Stones.

The hosts were bowled out for 177 (Jack Collins 86) as Phil Poole (4-20), Ben Burkill (3-44) and Dave Robinson (3-37) claimed the spoils before Steve Welch saw his side home with 56.

Blackley's promotion challenge continued as they won their home match with Great Horton Park Chapel (Matthew Jordan 67, Dominic Anderson 50) by five wickets, thanks in the main to a 145-run partnership between Adam Turner (84) and Thomas Baxter (71), who came together at 11-3.

Shelf had a welcome home win against Bridgeholme, and another excellent chase was required to collect 11 points.

Both teams lost early wickets and it was the middle-order batsmen that came to the fore, none more so than Shelf's fifth-wicket partnership of 145 between Billy Sugden (84) and Andy Dimbleby (78) that helped to guarantee the points, Babar Nawaz Malik hitting an unbeaten 44.

In Division Two, Low Moor Holy Trinity were another team who chased a challenging total - this one at Luddendenfoot - needing 248 runs to collect 11 points.

After Martin Jenkins took 6-82, brothers Bradley Osborne scored 99 not out and Scott Osborne 99.

Third-placed Clayton were indebted to Mitesh Mistry, who turned in the bowling performance of the day against Old Town, recording figures of 14-3-42-8 as the hosts were all out for 99.

The visitors stuttered to victory, however, and needed nine batsman to reach the 100 runs required, Mohammed Khan causing lots of dithers as he took 4-36.