IT WAS definitely a case of the umpire strikes back for Cowling II at Skipton CI II in Mewies Solicitors Craven League Division Three.

Ajmal Choudhry was going to officiate but discovered that Cowling were one short, so got his kit out of the car and was their man of the match.

He took 4-16 as CI were castled for 96 and then scored 62 not out in a 10-wicket victory, with skipper Steve Dalby scoring 31 not out as the target was passed in the 25th over.

Aqib Chatta helped Choudhry in the bowling stakes, taking 5-40, while another Choudary, this time Sohail, starred for CI, hitting 46 that contained three fours and three sixes,

Promotion contenders Cononley had an awful afternoon, being dismissed for 41 on the way to a nine-wicket defeat.

Skipper Nathan Parker and Harry Parker each scored eight in Cononley’s innings, with Hepworth & Idle II then winning by nine wickets to swap places in second and third.

Stand-out innings of the day came from Denholme II’s opener Ben Burkill, who scored 203 in their 334-6 against Gargrave II for whom Tony Spensley took 2-59 and Dieter Kayley 2-37.

Gargrave then ended on 193, with Spensley scoring 64 at No 7, adding 59 for the fifth wicket with John Roughton (9), while Adam Hudson chipped in with 36.

There was better news from Gargrave’s first team at Skipton Road, where Haworth Road Meths were beaten by six wickets in Division One.

Meths could only total 51, with just Naseeb Ali (14) in double figures as Ben Howlett took 5-8 and John Beckwith 4-34.

The latter’s brother George then scored 28 as Gargrave triumphed halfway through the 15th over.

Second-placed Oakworth ensured that the gap between themselves and leaders Bingley Congs did not extend beyond 20 points.

The hosts sent in Sutton and restricted them to 190, despite another half-century opening stand between skipper David Snowden (28) and Sam Solley (69), this time of 52, while Sachin Abraham weighed in with 25.

With Bradley Powell (110no) batting throughout Oakworth’s reply, they won by seven wickets at the end of the 31st over.

Cowling did not delay visitors Bingley Congs for very long, making only 100 after being sent in at Keighley Road.

Daub Khan was the only Cowling batter to trouble the scorers to any degree, making 39, and Congs won by nine wickets halfway through the 16th over.

Silsden seem determined to keep the second promotion spot interesting in Division Two.

They were at home to Long Lee, who were sent in and made 239, with runs throughout the innings as Ben Sugden took 4-52.

Silsden could only make 193 after tea, despite opener Joshua Waind scoring 51.

Skipper Jack Roberts was one of four players to score twenties, with the others being Jack Lister (23), Tom Greenwood (20) and Lewis Middleton 23, but it wasn’t enough to thwart Long Lee, whose wickets, like Silsden’s runs, were shared around.

Silsden are on 210 points, but now only lead third-placed Eldwick & Gilstead by six points.

Leaders Riddlesden do not believe so much in sharing the runs and made 237 at home to Glusburn, with Mohammad Shahnawaz making it back-to-back centuries with 104, despite Irfan Khaliq (3-59) and Umar Farooq (3-48).

Glusburn were then castled for 80, with No 8 Khaliq (39no) the only player in double figures as Mohammed Zulfiqar took 8-23.

Brett Parkin (7) deserves a mention for adding 52 for the last wicket with Khaliq.

Toby Meynell again proved the ace in the pack for Bradley.

The 18-year-old took 5-16 as hosts Bradford & Bingley III were dismissed for 134 and then saw the visitors home with 49 not out.

Mohammed Qadeer (2-24) and Vince Grant (2-13) supported Meynell with the ball, while opener Muhammad Mansha (44) and George Bell (22) did the business with the bat as Bradley won by seven wickets, with Mansha and Meynell adding 57 for the third wicket.

Airedale did take six wickets in losing to visitors Skipton CI but that was about the only positive for the cellar dwellers.

The hosts only had two players in double figures - opener Waris Ismail (14) and No 9 Mick Feather (19) - in their 71 after they chose to bat, with Azhar Iqbal taking 5-9.

Keeper Ian Henderson (24) was top-scorer as CI triumphed with two balls of the 20th over left.

Michael Thompson is proving a key figure for Oakworth III in Division Four, scoring 80 in their seven-wicket victory at Sutton II.

The hosts won the toss but could only make 125, with skipper Robert Tedder scoring 24.

Jonathan Holden was man of the match for Ingrow II at Glusburn II, scoring 88 of their 204 and then taking 3-26 in Glusburn’s 180-6.

Cody Hird (3-48) and Mark Pickles (3-35) were among the wickets for Glusburn.

Akram Javed, whose 28 included seven fours, and Rafaqat Hussain (54, including 10 fours and a six) took the battle to Ingrow but they finished on 180-6, with Pickles scoring 23 and Qasim Dar 36 not out.