GLUSBURN are coming up on the rails in their bid for promotion from Division Two of the Mewies Solicitors Craven League.

Since losing to leaders Oakworth on June 20, the Park Field side have won four out of four to climb to from a mid-table fifth in what looked a four-horse race for the title to being right in the thick of it at equal third.

Their latest victory came at Long Lee, who looked like they might be in with a sniff when they took five relatively cheap wickets.

However, Matt Lloyd (49) was helped by tail-enders Dave Atkinson (51no), Josh Banks (29) and Jack Baker (23) as the score was boosted to 226-9, and those late runs were vital when Long Lee collapsed from a position of strength to 183, Atkinson completing a good day by taking 3-47 and Steve Brown 4-87.

Cowling and Thornton-in-Craven are also in the mix but lost to Ingrow and relegation-threatened Bradley respectively.

Martyn Dalby (72), Shahid Hassan (42), Mike Dudley (30) and Mark Adams (28) made Cowling feel content at tea-time with 228-9 on the board but Ingrow made that look very below-par by replying with 230-4 off 32.3 overs.

Thornton, bolstered by Kev Pollard's 70, made a more modest 157-9, John Duffey taking 4-22 and John Drake 3-32 for Bradley, who made 158-6 in 31 overs, opener Neil Andrews making 75 not out as Will Procter bagged 3-38 and Jack Laycock 3-75.

Bradley's win takes them out of a relegation place but leaves Gargrave in there instead after they were castled for 85 at home to Airedale, Harry McEneaney at least shining with the ball by taking 4-15 in the five-wicket defeat.

Division One Sutton have emulated Bradley's achievement in moving out of the bottom two, and have three players to thank in their 14-run victory in a low-scoring clash at home to Embsay.

Opener David Snowden (36), Chris Walker (5-21) and Justin Holdsworth (4-29) were the key figures, outweighing Phil Binner (3-51) and Morgan Davies (30) as Sutton made 120-8 and Embsay 106, being bowled out in the 40th over.

The promotion prospects of Cononley and Skipton CI suffered blows when they lost at home to Bradford & Bingley and at Haworth Road Meths respectively in Division Three.

Andrew Starkey made 41 in Cononley's 143 but Andy Dobson was the key figure for Bingley, taking 3-30 and scoring 72 not out in a five-wicket victory.

The churchmen's three-pronged attack of John Stuttard (4-47), Alex Horsfield (3-48) and Sam Smith (3-58) did their stuff as Meths were dismissed for 197 but the visitors went from 146-5 to 170 all out as only their middle order fired, Ian Henderson hitting 53, Martin Seward 30, Ian Burke 25 and Tom Mitchum 23.

Meanwhile, the efforts of Jonny Coward (5-45 and 36), aided by No 9 Max Walker (33no), were just enough to take Embsay to a one-wicket victory at home to Haworth West End.

Batsmen were in the ascendancy as Glusburn gave their Division Four survival hopes a large shot in the arm with a home win against Haworth, who made 215-2 only for that to be overtaken in the 42nd over with six wickets down as Richard McCullough scored 71, wicket-keeper Pat Lee 49 and Paul McCullough 24 not out.

Gargrave look doomed, however, after their 12th defeat in 14 matches, mustering only 80 at Airedale after Tom Storr (3-16) and the deceptive Richard Saxby (3-24) had kept the hosts down to 147-9.

Thornton-in-Craven maintained their outside hopes of promotion by chasing down 192 in the 40th over at Foulridge, with the reliable Paul Ellis making 54, skipper Dan Oldfield 50 not out and Mark Laycock 33.

Division Five leaders Cowling were handed a walkover by Long Lee but life was much harder for second-placed Sutton, who only won by 13 runs at Bradley.

Sam Solley (83) and Stuart Tillotson (43) were largely responsible for Sutton's 205-9, Tim Rudden toiling for 6-74, and Danny Smith (59), Chris Kimberley (57) and Daniel Hunt (35) almost took Bradley home, Carl Jopson's 6-54 proving crucial.

A second-wicket partnership of 102 between Tom Carlisle (77) and Martin Chisnall (55), plus the diligent Chris Windle (15-2-33-3), gave Skipton CI a 90-run win at home to Ingrow, while Cononley skipper Paul Hogg's 45 could not prevent a ten-wicket defeat at Sandy Lane.