BIRSTALL have closed the gap on leaders Wrenthorpe to two points in the race for the Central Yorkshire League Premier Division title.
Both sides recorded victories last Saturday but while Wrenthorpe claimed four points against Liversedge, Birstall took six in a nine-wicket triumph over Batley.
The visitors never recovered from losing a wicket without a run on the board and despite
20 from Kashif Talib Batley were dismissed for 78 by John Carruthers (5-27), Danny Busfield (2-35) and Rob McFarlane (3-8).
McFarlane (26) and Connor Williams (10no) put on 39 for the first wicket before Vikram Rathour hit an unbeaten 33 to see Birstall to 79-1 in their 15th over.
Liversedge produced a determined effort at Wrenthorpe but the hosts secured a 33-run success.
Openers John Inglis and Eric Austin provided the platform for Wrenthorpe's victory, putting on 158 before Inglis was bowled by Josh Tingle for 92.
Austin went on to complete a century before falling on 104 to Tingle, who finished with 5-80, while Simon Purdy took 2-114 as Wrenthorpe reached 261-7.
Gary Fellows (4-69) dismissed Azhar Chunara (17) early on before Alan Bentley (62) and Zulqairain Haider added 71 runs.
Haider reached 56 before being caught off Neil Gill while Imran Dawood blasted 60 before he fell to Gill (2-68). Kevin Watson took 2-45 as Liversedge stood firm to close at 228-8.
Third-placed Methley (187-5) won by five wickets at New Farnley (186-8) to stay eight points off the leaders while Farnley remain second-bottom, two points behind fourth-bottom Batley and third-bottom Northowram Fields, who lost by four runs at home to Ossett.
Mark Atkinson (43), Chris Day (23) and 21 byes helped Ossett reach 162 all out as Peter Forsythe claimed 4-38. Chris Smith then took 5-62 and Stephen Brown 3-75 as Northowram, with Gary Rodger hitting 47 and Nadim Hussain 39, fell just short on 158-9.
Scholes are eight points adrift at the foot of the table after a six-wicket defeat at Wakefield Thornes.
Nahim Ashraf made 35, Craig Wood 20 and Graeme Winn 22 but Scholes were 142 all out as Michael Halloran took 3-35 and spinner Tushar Saha 6-37.
Thornes wickets fell to Ben Burkill (1-30), Winn (2-47), Matthew Barnes (1-27) and Wood (1-19) but Scholes's total was never enough and the hosts eased to 148-4 as Kabir Rashid top scored with 28 not out.
Mirfield Parish Cavaliers had a day to forget as they were skittled out for 41 at Townville.
Iqbal Khan made 26 as John Rickers claimed 7-15 in 11 overs and Salman Fazal Khan 3-6. Tim Walton hit an unbeaten 26 in Townville's 44-4 as Alex Scholefield took 3-20 and Mohammed Shahnawaz 1-23.
In Division One, Hopton Mills missed the chance to move off the bottom of the table as they lost by 114 runs at East Leeds.
Nirrash Nadesananthan top scored with 65 as East Leeds were bowled out for 249 by Mark Hall (3-61), Andy Grey (4-92), Gary Senior (1-25) and Steve Bland (2-60).
Vas Patel made 22, Bland 28 and Grey 29 but 10-man Mills were dismissed for 135 in their 36th over by Zahid Tarvaz (4-31) and Allan Olbison (4-65).
Moorlands were not in action while fellow strugglers Buttershaw St Paul's moved six points clear of the Memorial Park side with a 40-run win over Carlton.
Stanley remain top despite their home game with Wrenthorpe A being abandoned due to an unfit ground but rivals Altofts suffered a surprise 23-run defeat at home to Wakefield St Michael's.
East Ardsley took advantage to go second, three points behind Stanley, with a superb bowling display as they thumped visitors Hunslet Nelson by 129 runs.
Mujahid Hameed hit 72 not out as Ardsley made 144-9 before Duncan Arnolda (7-5 in seven overs and four maidens) and Christian Musgrave (3-7 in 7.3 and five maidens) ripped through the visitors' order to see Nelson 15 all out.
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