Upper Wharfedale and Steeton remain in the hunt for a promotion place from Aire-Wharfe League Division Two after both won at the weekend.

After a frustrating clash with Knaresbrough the previous weekend, where their march to victory was thwarted by the rain, Upper Wharfedale responded with a resounding six-wicket win over Illingworth.

After losing the toss – a common theme this season – Wharfedale were asked to field first on a pitch that looked full of runs.

The first exchanges did little to dispel this theory, with the Illingworth openers racing to 35 from five overs. However as the Wharfedale bowlers found their line, the runs began to dry up.

Skipper Dave Eggleton has been quiet by his lofty standards of late, but he roared back into the fray on Saturday, taking two big wickets with superb deliveries.

Both nipped back off the seam and knocked back the stumps. This signalled a middle-order collapse for the visitors, leaving them precariously placed on 73-5 on a pitch that suggested 250 would be a par score.

A much-needed partnership brought some respectability to the card, and it looked like 200 would be breached but opening bowlers Stephen Pearson and Dan Parkinson were refreshed for their second spells, leaving Illingworth on 172 all out in the 50th over.

This was a great effort from the Wharfedale attack, Pearson finishing with 4-58, Parkinson 3-41 and Eggleton 3-29.

The Greens needed a scoring rate of 3.5 an over but it seemed that opening batsman Chris Baines had miscalculated and opted at scoring at 13 an over, smashing a gobsmacked Illingworth attack to all parts.

The visitors tried six different bowlers but the result was the same – they had no answer to the power and precision of Baines.

Combined with Cam Taylor’s equally brutal approach, the pair put on 113 in just 14 overs, ending Illingworth’s challenge almost before it had begun.

Taylor fell for 46 and Baines departed for 74 from 43 balls to applause from both sets of supporters, leaving Andy Foulds and Jake Starkey to see the Greens home.

This was an important six points for Wharfedale, keeping them in touch with the leaders and sending them to front-runners Bilton in good spirit and form for what promises to be the Greens’ biggest test so far.

Andrew Luxton (65no) helped Steeton pass Bolton Villas’ 120 despite the efforts of Sam Lawrence (5-65), and Gareth Lee followed up a 4-30 spell with a top score of 44no as Calverley beat Silsden by eight wickets and dumped them back to the bottom.

Steeton’s victory was revenge for their first loss of the season. Villas had lost three batsmen for 21, both openers falling to Ross Suri, who finished with 3-19.

Neil Spragg claimed 3-20 from four overs and skipper Jon Best collected 2-16 off four overs.

Steeton lost their top four batsmen with just 13 on the board but Andrew Luxton steadied the innings, including 12 boundaries in his 71-ball stay. He was well supported by Grant McDonald (26).

Charlie Swallow (94no) and Nick Smith (103 in 90 balls) added 175 in Ben Rhydding’s 231-3 before Smith (5-36) helped dismiss Skipton for 146.