THE undoubted shock of the day in the Spenser Wilson Halifax League came in the Premier Division at Thornton – not so much in the result but the manner of the victory for the home team.

In their top-of-table clash against Warley, the Hill Top Road team posted a middle-of-the-road 210, with Greg Soames top-scoring with 50 as Cameron van Rensberg was again in the wickets with 6-84.

However, the latter's performance was totally put in the shade as Joshua Hutchinson annihilated the Warley batting with figures of 12.4-4-31-8 as they were topped for 67, with eight batsmen contributing a grand total of 12 runs.

Thornton now lead the division by eight points, but close behind in the surprise stakes was Mytholmroyd's stunning victory at Triangle, where the home team's return to Grassy Bottom, after their mammoth score, turned into a miserable damp squib.

Mytholmroyd hit a challenging 325-8, led by Wajid Ali's 71 in a team effort where six other batsmen made welcome contributions.

However, even the visitors must have been surprised as Triangle slumped to 72-8, with Spencer Harris taking 5-63 before Liam Turner bashed 40 to leave them with an all-out score of 137 and their first defeat of the season.

Shelf Northowram Hedge Top moved into second place as visitors Bridgeholme were beaten by eight wickets.

The Eastwood team scored 216-9, with Hassan Mahmood hitting 77 not out as Jack Hemblys took 4-63.

But it was well short of a challenging total, with an unbeaten third-wicket partnership between the in-form Daniel Cole (110no) and Oliver Hemingway (55no) ensuring that Hedge Top continued their fine start to the season.

In the derby at Sowerby St Peter's, the home team scrambled a three-wicket victory against SBCI to put daylight between them and the bottom two.

St Peter's were grateful to Gareth Hall, who scored 60 in the reply to SBCI's 157-7, with Christopher Dalby hitting a half-century for the visitors as Gareth Schofield was again among the wickets with 5-53.

All 20 wickets fell at Southowram for 469 runs, but it was visitors Booth who ran out comfortable winners.

Patrick Thomas (92) and Steven Senior (68) top-scored in a 307 all-out score as Tom Belfield took 4-63.

The hosts were never in the hunt for that total at 86-6 before Ian Gledhill scored 45 not out to add some respectability.

Ominously Booth, after their opening-day defeat, have now moved within 12 points of the top.

Bottom team Copley's poor start continued as they failed by 39 runs to chase a modest 209 set by visitors Oxenhope, for whom Lewis Hopkinson top-scored with 87.

Alexander Rowles took 5-27, and in reply his team looked set fair at 109-2 as Oliver Thorpe (69) and Matthew Rowles laid the foundations, but then the last eight wickets tumbled for just 61 runs, with Scott Mallinson recording 5-49.

Bradshaw relinquished top spot in the First Division as they went down at Alloe Field View to new leaders Illingworth St Mary's, putting the shutters up to gain three points in a 91-run defeat.

St Mary's Daniel Murfet was this week's nervous nineties victim, being stumped with his score on 97, with Simon Collins the best bowler with 5-44.

The visitors had to chase 228 to win but for 'chase' read crawl as, at 30-6, it left Mohammed Yousef little option but to grind out 68 not out and frustrate the St Mary's bowlers, of whom Ben Clarke took 6-34.

Sowerby Bridge enjoyed their trip up the hill to Stones, no more so that Sam Mellor (8-80), Tim Helliwell (130no, including 16 fours and four sixes) and Paul Smith (66no) as they won in a canter for a ten-wicket win.

The margin of victory was somewhat unfair on the home team, which had battled hard to 207-8, led by Kevin O'Rourke's 56.

Blackley recorded their first victory of the season, beating visitors Queensbury by 102 runs.

It wasn't plain sailing however as, at 59-5, having lost five wickets for 11, it needed Sam Hesmondhaigh (57) and Anthony Langton (47) to steady the ship.

Queensbury were never in the hunt after that and were bowled out for just 114.

Two opening bowlers, one from each side, coincidentally took 4-40 – the home team's Jacob Linsel and Joseph Clough.

There was a tight and entertaining Bradford derby at Clayton, where Great Horton Park Chapel took the plaudits with a six-wicket win.

Clayton's Carl Bartley and Sam Wilson both recorded 47, but, in reply, excellent batting performances by Horton's top five, led by Adam Beesley with his 86, ensured victory in the 42nd over.

In the Second Division, Hayden Bruce, of new leaders Luddendenfoot, enjoyed the bowling attack of Low Moor Holy Trinity, hitting 163, of which he didn't have to run for 124 of them!

He was ably supported by Joel Cleary (60) and Thomas Hosker (54) in a mammoth total of 390-9.

Low Moor made a reasonable attempt at a chase but, having lost three early wickets, it was too much to ask but Joe Williams (65) and Craig Green (63) deserve credit for their efforts as they lost by 166 runs.

Hosts Leymoor were more than a little indebted to Martin Allison for his 86 in the all-Huddersfield clash versus Bradley & Colnebridge.

His contribution in a total of 164 was the difference in a 40-run win that knocked the visitors off top spot.

In the second innings, Pierce Walker (5-46) and Zafar Iqbal (50) were the stand-out performers.

Greetland scrapped and scraped their first win of the season at Cullingworth by just one wicket in a low-scoring affair as Lee Smirthwaite's 33 not out proved the deciding innings.

With only 227 total runs scored it was, needless to report, the bowlers who were on top, with the West Vale team's Jamie Moody taking 7-30 while Dave Robinson took 6-65 for the home team.

Old Town continue to enjoy a renaissance that started halfway through last season, and moved into third in the table with a 53-run win at bottom club Outlane.

Town batted first, with No 4 Sajid Mahmood in the grove with 80, supported by Sajid Khan (49), with Lee Mellor taking 4-63.

A total of 228-8 proved sufficient as Outlane were bowled out for 175, despite the efforts of Adam Davies (61) and George Smith (45).

The opening bowlers for Town, Ali Asghar (5-59) and Waqas Ali (4-53), were the match-winners.

Mount gained their second win of the season as their to Mirfield-based Upper Hopton team gleaned maximum points, with Mount losing only two wickets in the process.

Upper Hopton were progressing well in their innings as openers Keyur Mistry (56) and Ian Wightman (43) combined but, oddly, it was Mount's sixth and seventh bowlers who did the damage – Mahmad Gheewala (5-25) and Imran Rawat (5-37).

The home side were dismissed for 163, and the Batley-based team had no problem in reaching their target, with Gheewala also in the runs with 53 not out, aided by Anees Rawat (54 not out).