IN the Halifax League Second Division at the weekend, Queensbury recorded a mammoth club record total of 406-6 at Bridgeholme, as the home team’s bowlers wilted in the hot sun.

The top seven Queensbury batsmen made substantial double-figure scores, led by Steven Priestley (96), Jack Richardson (77) and Joseph Clough (63).

Seven home bowlers attempted to stop the rot, but to no avail, with one analysis reading 13-0-110-3.

In reply, Bridgeholme put in a magnificent effort to chase the win, falling just 33 runs short of the Queensbury total.

Two centurions were at the forefront of the chase as Zaheer Abbas (108) and Sohail Sajjad (100) returned some of the punishment they had received from the opposing batsmen.

Their fifth-wicket partnership brought 138 runs and had Abbas not lost his wicket to Oliver Challis (3-78) at 342-8 the result would have been even closer.

The 373 that Bridgeholme made was their club record total too, and unsurprisingly, it was the most runs ever scored in a single game at the ground.

The Premier Division title race contracted even more on Saturday as five teams are now positioned within nine points of each other.

Triangle remain top of the Covid-19 adjusted table, but are now just two points ahead of Illingworth St Mary’s, after they suffered a shock nine-run defeat to Blackley.

Illingworth nearly lost themselves, but scrambled over the line by two wickets against fellow title rivals Bradshaw.

High-flying Booth were defeated too, by two wickets at Mytholmroyd, and all of a sudden, Thornton are right back in the title race, as they beat lowly SBCI by 36 runs.

Thornton found themselves in early strife as their score stood at 16-4, with the usual danger men back in the pavilion.

However a rescue act again came from Ross Parr (63), ably assisted initially by Vijay Chauhan (34) and then No.10 Bradley Weatherhead with a 23-ball cameo of 39 not out, as Thornton closed on 201-9.

SBCI could only manage 165 all out in reply and as a result slipped into the relegation places. Thornton's win moved them to within nine points of the leaders.

Warley, on their visit to Shelf Northowram Hedge Top, capitalised on the problems of the rock-bottom hosts and rattled up 247-6.

But a shock ensued as Hedge Top gave themselves a massive lift for the season, as they knocked off the target with just three balls to spare.

A cumulative improvement saw the top six batsman all score between 27 and 45 with Harry Talbot (45), Daniel Cole (42) and James Fearnley (40no) featuring in the 250-7 winning total.

The top-of-the-table First Division clash between Sowerby St Peter’s and Oxenhope went in favour of hosts Sowerby, as they restricted their visitors to 156-8, a score largely dependent on Edward Jackson (38no) and Liam Witney (27no).

Sowerby were floundering on 83-6 in reply, but eventually squeezed over the line at 159-7, to go 11 points clear at the top.

At Clayton, the home team skipper Joseph Brown (123) scored his maiden century and, in tandem with Andrew Sutcliffe (80), shared a third-wicket partnership of 141 runs versus Low Moor Holy Trinity.

That saw them post an impressive 281-8. Despite Andrew Pinfield hitting 77 in the reply, Trinity were never in with a real chance and the innings closed at 188-9.

Another century partnership came at Great Horton Park Chapel as Jonathon Phillips (56) and Ricky Hassall (53) scored 109 together setting up a 45-over score of 231-7 against Upper Hopton.

The Hopton reply never achieved any momentum and with Harris Cunningham taking 4-18, the innings fizzled out at 109.

Back in the Second Division, there was a strange match at Southowram, as Cullingworth visited.

The home team’s innings was totally dominated by Dean Crossley, who hit 111 runs in a score of 196-9, as Dave Robinson (4-39) in particular bowled well.

But his side's reply was a complete disaster. Cullingworth were bowled out for just 32, with no-one scoring more than five.