ON A remarkable day, Triangle threw the Spenser Wilson Halifax League Premier Division wide open with a 147-run with over leaders Thornton.

As Nathan Madden was dismissed by opening bowler Joe Blencowe, few watching at the postage-stamp sized Grassy Bottom ground would have envisaged the batting carnage that would follow.

Step forward captain Christian Silkstone.

Known for his explosive batting, Silkstone set about dismantling a Thornton attack that has swept all before them this season.

His individual score of 316 (out of a total of 433) is the highest score in over 100 years of Halifax League cricket, featuring a phenomenal 34 sixes and 18 fours.

The Thornton bowling figures made sad reading.

Ross Parr, a barometer of consistency this season, saw his average fall apart as he was dispatched for 127 in nine overs.

Similar tales existed across the innings but credit goes to Thornton, who managed to get maximum bowling points.

In reply, they battled their way to 286, with Josh Hutchison (110) and Michael Shanks (77) the main contributors, enabling Thornton to pick up maximum points in defeat.

Booth had an opportunity to close the gap at the top at Shelf Northowram Hedge Top.

Batting first, Booth posted 287-6, with Rob and Richard Laycock both posting half-centuries and Rob Worsnop (41) and Jon Midgley (48) adding valuable runs.

Hedge Top’s reply faltered, losing four of their top six for only six runs, and it was no surprise that the innings finished on 188, but providing them with maximum batting points.

Oxenhope all but condemned Southowram back to the Roy Smith Championship Division with a crushing win at Ashday Lane.

The visitors put on 81 before losing a wicket but then slumped to 112-4, chiefly thanks to the bowling of Ian Gledhill.

Resistance came from Lewis Hopkinson, who smashed his way to 103, with 13 fours and five sixes, and the innings ended on 288-8.

Southowram, needing a victory to maintain the pressure on relegation rivals Copley and SBCI, started respectively enough but when they lost openers Ian Gledhill and Tom Belfield for only 34, the pressure was mounting.

Dean Crossley provided some much-needed steel with 41, but when he fell with the score on 91, any hope of victory went with him.

The tail wagged a little but only to take the score to 172, and Southowram now face an uphill struggle to stay up, with Copley only needing six points from two games for safety.

Warley solidified their position in the top four with a three-wicket win against SBCI.

The latter needed points to pull themselves away from the relegation zone, and started well with Lewis Firth (46) and Simon Wood (86) building a great platform.

The rest of the innings failed to fire and they succumbed for 220, with Cameron Rodney Jansen van Rensburg ending with 6-67.

Warley were always in control, and Nolan Bottomley (104) and Greg Keywood (51) guided them to victory, finishing on 221-7.

Mytholmroyd all but secured their Premiership future with a nine-wicket win at home against doomed Bridgeholme.

Bridgeholme only managed to post 105, the highlight of which was 42 from Aaron Terry-Davis. He, as did many others, eventually succumbed to the spin bowling of all-rounder Adrian Gawthorpe, who produced the third best bowling performance of the season, returning 8-41.

Despite trapping Mytholmroyd skipper Tom Earle for eight, Bridgeholme struggled to establish a foothold, and Matthew Schofield, at his destructive best, finished the job with 69 not out.

Copley knew they were in for a stern test at St Peters Avenue when they took on Sowerby.

The home side have had an up-and-down season due to player availability, but have still managed a top-half finish.

Copley batted first and were immediately on the back foot, losing starlet Gavin Whipp for only four.

They regrouped quickly, however, and fellow opener Alex Blagborough – one of Copley’s transfers of the season from Outlane – and skipper Ollie Thorpe steadied the ship.

Blagborough was finally dismissed for 65, but No 4 Alex Rowles stepped into his shoes admirably, and he and Thorpe, who was starting to craft his own half-century, moved the score to 194 before Rowles was caught for 50.

Thorpe fell soon after but Copley managed to reach a respectable 243-8 on what is still one of the biggest grounds in the league.

Sowerby St Peters' reply was muted at best, with none of the top six scoring more than 20.

Their innings never got going and, despite the tail wagging significantly with Matthew Hoyle, Billy Watson and Jack Leonard all posting 25 plus, the innings ended on 175, with Thorpe bowling through to finish with 7-81.

Illingworth St Mary’s fresh from confirming promotion from Roy Smith Division One, managed a hard fought win at third-placed Great Horton Park Chapel to put them in the driving seat in advance of the last match of the season.

They play a Stones side already condemned to life in the bottom division, and are heavy favourites to go through both the lower echelons of the league as champions in consecutive seasons.

They didn’t have it all their own way at home against a Great Horton side who can be proud of their season.

Illingworth only managed to post 183-9, with Hamza Mehmood and Ben Robertshaw the pick of the batting with 43 and 47 respectively.

Daniel 'Twigg' Murfett passed the 1000-run league milestone during his knock of 24, and it was spinner Murfett and opening bowler Jamie Moorhouse who did the damage with the ball.

Both bowled 21 overs apiece and got four wickets each, finishing a Great Horton innings that included two run outs and fell 16 runs short.

Clayton are another side who are safe and not challenging for promotion, and it showed in their defeat to a relegated Queensbury.

The Old Guy Road side have flattered to deceive this season and lost some games they should have arguably won – the reason for the trap-door exit to Terry Wynne Division Two.

However, this was their day.

Clayton, batting first on what can only be described as a green top, started steadily enough, with opener Jason Gelder and No 3 Joe Brown scoring 20 and 47 respectively.

Gelder has been a pivotal signing for Clayton and his runs have helped to keep them safe.

Skipper Josh Dougall brought himself on and, in favoured conditions, became Queensbury's saviour, taking 6-25 in 10 overs, supported by paceman Joe Clough (3-84) as the innings ended on 164.

Queensbury’s batting has frequently been their Achilles heel, and threatened to be so again, losing Clough and Joshua Dougall to be 16-2.

When opener Jack Richardson went for 34 with the score only on 61, there was a real danger of deja vu.

However, as has happened a lot this season, Ollie Challis was on hand to solidify the innings, and his unbeaten 71, combined with 14-year-old Harris Cunningham’s stubborn 20, helped Queensbury over the line for only the third time this year as they posted 165-7.

Sowerby Bridge kept their faint championship hopes alive with a resounding success over a Blackley side, who confirmed their league status the previous week against Queensbury.

The holiday season it seems has hit Blackley at full tilt and they capitulated tamely for 82, Bilal Sheraz and the returning Matty Britton being the only men to reach double figures.

Jake Dixon was tormentor in chief with 6-41, and was ably supported by Sam Mellor (4-28).

Sowerby’s reply was never in doubt, despite losing three early wickets, and they wrapped up victory in just 18 overs.

Bradshaw put in a better batting performance at Stones' Swift Cross ground.

Batting first against a struggling Stones side, who could have been relegated in the last two years if circumstances had been different, Bradshaw hammered their way to 326-6.

Dean Cotton (138), Connor Ryan (55) and James Thompson (50) were dominant as the Stones bowling was dispatched to all corners.

Stones have little or no fight left in them and their reply was subdued at best, being all out for 82, with Aaron Buckley finishing with 5-8.

Mount have all but secured promotion from the Terry Wynne Division Two with their defeat of second-placed Luddendenfoot.

Foot had to win to give themselves a realistic chance of winning the title but their bowling could never get any traction on their Lee Green ground.

Mount were in awesome form with the bat and were clearly on a promotion mission.

Mahmad Gheewala was again on top form with 94 and took his season’s total to 1,055 at an average of 81.15.

He was ably supported at the top of the order by Imran Ravat and Imran Rawat, who chipped in with 47 and 42.

Four of the remaining Mount batsman scored 20 plus and with extras a high 31, the innings concluded on 361-9.

Luddendenfoot were not going down without a fight, and in Tom Hosker and Lee Broadbent they found batters in a rich vein of form.

Both plundered their way into the 80s before falling to catches by Ravat.

Hayden Bruce continued the resistance with 50 but when he and big hitter Charlie Holt-Conway were dismissed, chasing the big total was always going to be a challenge and Foot fell short by 37, ending on 324.

Upper Hopton kept the pressure up on Foot for the final promotion place with a 177-run win over Cullingworth.

David Stones and Ian Wightman set Hopton on their way with 60 and 76 but it was Jack Stephenson, who hit 94 not out, including 15 fours, who really took the game away from struggling nine-man Cullingworth.

Hopton ended their innings on 301, and Cullingworth’s Steve Welch batted admirably for his 55 but his efforts were in vain as they were bowled out for 124.

Hopton now face games against Cullingworth (away) and Leymoor (home) and must be favourites to be promoted as Foot face significant greater challenges against Bradley & Colnebridge (home) and Low Moor HT (away).

Low Moor put the final nail in Bradley and Colnebridge’s promotion coffin with a three-run win. Batting first, Low Moor posted a competitive 243-8, with 61 from Mark Stokes and 33 from James Overend.

Andrew Mitchell bowled all the way through, ending up with 4-84, and Abdul Sami took 2-28.

Bradley’s reply faltered after losing Ray Mitchell and Mujahid Hussain to the accurate bowling of Mark Stokes, but Carl Austin (27) and Abubaker Iftikhar (66) provided a solid rearguard action before Ryan Williamson (3-39) and Overend (3-31) provided a dramatic finish, bowling Bradley out for 240.

Leymoor dominated against Outlane.

Opener Jack Roberts carried his bat for 120, and Martin Allison (65) and Pierce Walker (48no) provided support as Leymoor accrued 290-2.

The Outlane reply was always struggling and they lost their first three batters for the grand total of 12.

Luke Webb (42) and James Page (27) stabilised the middle order but the tail fell to Mitchell Phillips (3-15).

Old Town and Greetland fought out the lowest scoring game of the day.

Old Town could only muster 121, with Mushtaq Mohammed (4-49) and Hizar Hayat (5-44) doing the damage.

In response, Greetland must have felt confident but Mushtaq Mohammed, Paul Quarmby and Scott Whelan could only post 19 between them and it was game on.

The middle order all contributed runs but got in and out, and the tail failed to wag as they capitulated for 100, with Abdul Ghaffer Baig returning 4-6 from 4.2 overs.