CARLTON have gone 15 points clear at the top of Championship Two after securing a 125-run win over East Ardsley.

They took advantage of the fact that previous leaders Yeadon were without a game to hit the front in the promotion race.

They had a huge scare in the opening overs of the match when their two leading runscorers Daniel White (0) and Kershaski John Lewis (2) were run out.

But is a measure of the strength of the Carlton side that they recovered to make 258-5 with Steve Cooper hitting a superb 129, an innings containing 22 fours. Arman Hussain (43no) helped swell the total in the closing over.

Louie Hurley (3-62) was the best of the East Ardsley bowlers and he followed up by top scoring with 48 as his side were bowled out for 133. Joshua Wild (33) was the other main contributor as Kieran Holliday chipped in with 4-13.

Birstall are now just eight points behind second-placed Yeadon after maintaining their promotion push with a 212-run win over Hopton Mills.

Australian Ashley Burton (70no), Eric Austin (63), Rishy Limbechaya (41) and Nick Kaye (36) helped Birstall to 282-6. Mills were rolled over for just 70 with left-armer James Russell taking 4-14. The best individual performance for the losers came from Michael Carroll (4-61).

There was an amazing game at Adwalton where visitors Spen Victoria won by two wickets in an encounter that produced 711 runs.

Peter Jackson scored a career-best 155 not out which enabled his side to chase down Adwalton’s score of 354-7 to win with four balls to spare.

Jackson struck 10 sixes and 14 fours and was backed up by Liam Grant (47), George Deegan (44) and Sam Gatenby (43) as Spen retained their hold on fourth place despite the efforts of Vinit Patel (4-71). Jackson shared a vital third-wicket stand of 115 with Grant.

Adwalton, fresh from their first win of the season last week, set the tone for the match with Umar Shakir (95), James Sherrin (85no), Matt Donohoe (77) and Patel (51) all making it a tough afternoon for the Spen bowlers.

Donohoe and Patel added 109 for the fourth wickets while Shakir and Sherrin shared a seventh-wicket stand of 143.

Bowling Old Lane dropped into the bottom three after suffering a 99-run defeat at the hand of Buttershaw St Paul’s.

Jonathan Burston (86) and James Crossland (77) put on 128 for the second wicket before Ben Platt blasted an unbeaten 68 which swelled the total to 263-6.

Ahsan Butt made an unbeaten 82 for Old lane but lacked effective support as his side were dismissed for 164. Platt completed a fine individual performance by taking 5-35.

Opener Tahir Khan made a fine 102 as Jer Lane halted their slide with a 61-run win over Altofts. Khan struck 19 fours and was backed up by Imran Mirza (35). Ismail Patel (5-38) was the pick of the Altofts bowlers,

Amjid Khan produced a crucial spell of 6-34 as Jer Lane dismissed Altofts for 157. Sam Huitema was again their top scorer with 32.

Todd Reeday (6-11) and Josh Bennett Kear (4-41) bowled out Liversedge for 103 to secure a five-run win for Northowram Fields in a low-scoring encounter.

Asad Mahmood (61) tried his hardest to get Liversedge home but the Northowram Fields bowlers frustrated his efforts.

The Northowram Fields batsmen had found runs hard to come by when they batted first. James Lunn (4-13) and Ben Ford (3-20) were the pick of the Liversedge attack.

Meanwhile, in the Conference, centuries from Tyson Freeman and Ben Broxup powered Great Preston to a 121-run win over Oulton which has taken them one point ahead at the top of the Conference.

Freeman (137no) and Broxop (103) shared a stunning fifth-wicket stand of 219 after coming together with their side in trouble at 42-4.

Australian Freeman smashed six sixes and 11 fours while Broxup struck three sixes and 11 fours as Great Preston ran up a total of 282-5.

Ben Child hit 15 fours while making 73 in the Oulton reply of 161. Jacob Wright (3-22) and Lee Russell (3-22) sealed a 20-point maximum for Great Preston.

Sandal’s Australian bowler Ryan Bishop Perrett took 6-32 as they bowled out Heckmondwike & Carlinghow for 103 before romping to a seven-wicket win. Matt Crowther (42) top scored for Heckmondwike & Carlinghow while Karl Hewitt led the way with 36 in Sandal’s reply.

Third-placed Gildersome & Farnley Hills chased down a Windhill & Daisy Hill total of 229-6 to secure a one-wicket win with 11 balls to spare.

Reece Thompson (84) and Josh Potter (60) led the victory charge despite some good bowling from Muhammad Awai (5-43) and Gaurav Patel (3-48).

Windhill & Daisy Hill had built their total around the contributions of Matthew Marshall (48no), Maz Bhatti (39no), Patel (36) and Adam Swaine (33).

Rodley are up to fifth after a comfortable 89-run win over East Leeds.

Skipper Rob Young (95) and fellow opener Gary Sagar (41) set the tone as their side made 224-8. Banaras Hussain (3-26) was the best East Leeds bowlers while Garry Bettison (42) top scored in their reply of 135. Lachlan Roche (4-39) and Sagar (3-24) helped seal Rodley’s win.