JOSH Hutchinson was at his imperious best as Thornton won their top-of-the-table derby against Oxenhope in the ENCO Halifax League Premier Division.

Oxenhope had reduced Thornton to 27-2 before Hutchinson took charge, hammering 151 runs in 77 balls like few can, a blitz which included 14 fours and 12 sixes.

Opener and keeper Jordan Croft joined him in the carnage with 81 not out as they added 211 runs for the third wicket in a total of 284-5, with the last three bowlers Oxenhope used going for a combined 146 in 13 overs.

At the tea interval, Oxenhope were maybe querying their decision to field first, and they certainly did some 37 overs later as they slumped to 109 all out, off-spinner Greg Soames taking 5-27 as his team went top for the first time this season.

Meanwhile, Shelf Northowram Hedge Top proved much too strong for visitors, Luddendenfoot, defeating them by 97 runs.

Hedge Top scored 222-9, with Daniel Barron (60no) and Chris Metcalf (46) top-scoring.

In the Foot reply, only Isaac Baldwin (45) and Harry Clarke (25no) were able to thwart the main Hedge Top attack of Gurdev Singh (5-31) and Harry Talbot (4-22), and the innings closed on 125.

In the First Division, Blackley had a dreadful start against visiting second-placed Upper Hopton, losing their first four wickets for 13.

Matthew Broadbent (5-19) was responsible for three of those, and, when Jack Stephenson (5-31) picked up the wicket of home skipper Michael Midwood (17), the score stood at 25-5 after 15 overs.

It hardly got much better as the last five wickets fell for a further 30, with Blackley 55 all out in the 20th over, with only two Hopton bowlers being used.

Hopton required less than 15 overs to claim maximum points, scoring 61-1 to remain second in the table.

Leaders Great Horton Park Chapel were grateful for Fahad Shabbir’s input in their home fixture with Clayton, wickets falling around him as the scoreboard showed 60-5.

Shabbir continued to take the visiting attack to task and his maiden century came after 96 balls, eventually being dismissed for 119, which included 12 fours and six sixes.

Horton’s total of 207 proved 92 too many for Clayton, who succumbed for 115, with Zafar Anwar claiming 5-26.

Horton have now remarkably taken maximum points from their first six matches.

Mytholmroyd’s Matthew Scholefield, introduced into the attack as second change against visiting Low Moor Holy Trinity, returned personal-best figures of 7-27.

Trinity were going well at 60-0, with Chris Ramsden (43) in form, but the introduction of Scholefield saw fortunes dip as only two other batters hit double-figures in a total of 141.

The Royd notched up its first win of the season, replying with 143-6, as Jacob Travis (56) and Luke Sutcliffe (37) both took time to craft their knocks.

In the Second Division, the match at Stones had twists and turns before visiting Oakworth scrambled home by two wickets.

The home team’s innings was held together by William Thickett’s 66 as five batters failed to score, Jake Keslinke (4-12) and Jack Davison (4-24) being the principal bowlers.

It was Davison who then rescued Oakworth from the depths of 29-6 and 51-7.

Davison (45no), together with Tom Fothergill (20) and Akeel Umar (18), somehow steered their team to a winning 130-8, with Sam Foster (4-34) left pondering how his team had lost.

Queensbury’s visit to Bradley & Colnebridge proved fruitful as they came away with a five-wicket win.

The home team batted first and were dismissed for 180, with Saqib Khan (57) and Gareth Walker (5-23) featuring.

In reply, Queensbury had scored 65-0 before Phil Sharples (36) was run out.

However, the runs continued to flow, in particular from Walker (47), who had a fine all-round match.

Mount had little difficulty in overtaking the below-par first-innings score of 169 by hosts Bridgeholme.

The latter’s effort was very much a hit and miss affair, with the majority of their runs coming from four batters, headed by Waqas Raja (52) as Ismail Mayat took 4-23.

Mount were heading home before the end of the 25th over as Anees Rawat hit 93 not out in 66 balls, just missing out on a century as 172-2 was reached. 

Michael Dennison (84) and Bilal Khalid (64) were the main contributors in a Cullingworth total of 227 as they were sent in by visiting Leymoor, for whom three bowlers took three wickets.

The Golcar team, in reply, were simply overwhelmed as they limped to 69, with only three players reaching double figures.

Cullingworth's Graham Rankin (7-40) was yet another player to record a personal best.