A swashbuckling innings from Gulsheraz Ahmed helped Silsden claim a second batting bonus point and extend their lead at the top of Division Three in the Aire-Wharfe League.

In the past, a Saturday where every game fell victim to the weather would have seen each team pick up a point and move on.

But the new scoring system, with up to five bonus points up for grabs for batting and for bowling, makes it possible for teams to snatch an advantage over their rivals.

Silsden managed only 36.1 overs at Hall Park, reaching 151-3, but with Majid Inayat (45no) and Ahmed (70no) putting on 105, they eased three points clear of second-placed Illingworth.

Ahmed is one of a number of changes in the line-up at Silsden as they seek to put last season’s bottom place behind them and the former Keighley and Manningham Mills batsman demonstrated what an asset he can be by smashing six fours and five sixes in reaching his total off just 38 balls.

The only other game in the division to get any play saw Calverley duo Tom Simpson (3-34) and Tom Westerman (3-7) rip through the Menston batting.

Opener Kyle Smith (27) was the top scorer in their 91, with Westerman on a hat-trick with the first ball of his next over. Calverley were 21 without loss when the rain intervened.

While most bonuses were picked up for bowling, Division Two strugglers Thackley finished only ten runs short of the 225 needed for maximum batting points thanks to a superb unbeaten century from Bradley Goodaire against Bolton Villas (13-1).

Joe Ollerenshaw weighed in with 45 as Thackley (215-6) were able to reduce the gap to the three sides above them to just six points.

Despite a battling unbeaten half-century from Ajanthe Weerapulli, who put on 54 for the third wicket with Darren Wilson (18), Tong Park Esholt struggled against the pace of Follifoot’s Umer Yaqoob (5-28) and were dismissed for 122.

The match took an interesting twist when Wilson caught Nick Robinson off the first ball of the reply but sadly the rain did not allow Park to build on that as it was curtailed without a run on the board.

Division One basement side Rawdon claimed a batting bonus thanks to a sixth-wicket stand of 50 between 16-year-old Nathan Goldthorp (44no) and Andrew Doidge (34) that helped them to 133-7 against Pool, who were 1-0 when it was called off.

Leaders Ilkley were going along well at 77-3 at Kirkstall, with Alex Bailey unbeaten on 40, when the weather stopped play.