SUTTON are within sight of pulling off the great escape in the Mewies Solicitors Craven League.

The men from Royd Hill, who have won four of their last five matches, only losing to prospective champions Bingley Congs, triumphed at Haworth Road Meths to move out of the relegation places.

Sutton sent Meths in and dismissed them for 154, which was largely down to David Snowden taking 7-30.

The latter then only scored one with the bat as Sutton slipped to 21-3 but fellow opener Sam Solley guided them to a four-wicket victory by making 82 not out, with 18-year-old George Elrick (23no) proving a valuable ally.

Second-placed Oakworth, 33 points behind Congs with two matches left, had an entertaining match at home to Cowling, who, not safe from the drop themselves, made 242-8 batting first.

Stands of 51, 40 and 74 helped the visitors to that impressive total, with Daud Khan (35) taking part in those first two partnerships with Rahman Ali (33) and Naqi Hassan (80), who then added 74 with skipper Laiq Ur Rehman (15).

Hassan’s runs came off 63 balls and contained 10 fours and four sixes, and Junaid Gullnawaz (37) boosted the lower order.

Oakworth’s solid batting then took them to a six-wicket victory in 33 overs.

Denholme, who are now second from bottom, seven points behind Sutton, meet them at Royd Hill on Saturday.

Haworth were the easiest winners in the top flight, skittling visitors Gargrave for 88, for whom Dave Harrop made 24 and Dom Kay 23.

Gargrave dismissed Jason Roberts for a duck but that was as good as it got on the way to a nine-wicket defeat.

In Division Two, Silsden are still in the hunt for the other promotion place behind champions Riddlesden.

The Cobbydalers only used two bowlers in their trouncing of visitors Skipton CI, with Joshua Waind taking 5-24 and Will Pullen 5-29 from their 11 overs each.

CI’s innings of 53 contained five ducks, while Rob Cockell made 19, and Silsden’s opening pair of captain Rob Jones (61) and Waind (34) had earlier put on 54 in their 211-8.

Jones and Ben Sugden (45) then added another 54 before the latter dominated a third-wicket stand of 47 with Jack Lister (6) before the inning subsided from 155-2 to 176-7, with Danyal Iqbal taking 4-58 and Jibin Jacob 2-16.

Bradley won one of the games of the season, triumphing by two wickets at Foulridge in a match of 640 runs.

The hosts made 318-8, Iklaq Ahmed doing well to take 3-45 among the carnage created by Rashid Rasheed’s 133 not out.

But Bradley had their own centurion in 18-year-old Toby Meynell, whose 110 not out off 88 deliveries, including 12 fours and two sixes, helped them over the line with just under five overs to spare.

A lot of the credit must also go to No 10 Vince Grant, who cracked 58 off 37 balls, including seven fours and two sixes, while important roles were also played by Jeremy Barker (52), Mohammad Qadeer (32), Ahmed (26) and Ibrar Ali (22).

Glusburn went down by three wickets at home to promotion-chasing Eldwick & Gilstead, making 144 after winning the toss.

Steve Brown (46) and Simon Frost (26) put on 50 for the third wicket after opener Matt Lloyd had made 20 but only Irfan Khaliq (4-45) then shone with the ball.

In Division Three, Thornton-in-Craven got the points they needed to win the title but lost their fist game of the season.

Fourth-placed Oakworth II made 132-8 at Booth Bridge Lane, with the outstanding David Wolfe returning 4-15 in his 12 overs, but the leaders were then dismissed for 105.

That was no fault of David Holt, who scored an unbeaten 50, but his only support came from Jack Laycock (14).

Cononley, now third on 282 points, are also pushing for promotion, won by 83 runs at Cowling II.

Nathan Parker played a captain’s knock for Cononley, scoring 116 of their 196-9, aided by openers Scott Brook (23) and Andrew Starkey (13).

Junaid Hussain took 6-36 and skipper Aqib Chatta 2-30, but the latter was then only one of three Cowling players to reach double figures.

Cowling were dismissed for 113, with Ajmal Choudhry (15) and Danyal Mahmood (38) the only others to keep the scorers busy as Matthew Calvert took 4-30, Harry Parker 2-21 and Tom Feather 2-9.

Haworth, best of the rest in fifth, lost by four wickets at Gargrave II after making 119, with Tom Vernon taking 5-24, Tony Spensley 2-24 and Ben Wood 2-30.

Keeper Will Peryer then made 32, Spensley 25 and Adam Hudson 32 not out as Gargrave replied with 124-6, despite outstanding bowling by 16-year-old Charlie Jackson (7-4-11-3).

In Division Four, joint leaders Bingley Congs III thrashed Glusburn II by 164 runs, with only skipper Mark Pickles (3-26), who took his keeper’s pads off, doing well with the ball.

Only Akram Javed (15), Pickles (10) and Amin Khan (17) then made double figures as Cowling were dismissed for 68 inside 20 overs.