OTLEY, runners-up in the Aire-Wharfe League’s top flight for the past three seasons, have made a positive start to 2024.

The only team to win in the Premier Division on April 27 - only their match started - they backed up that victory with a comprehensive triumph over Pool.

The visitors chose to bat at Cross Green and began like a train, with Logan Duval (37) and Krutik Patel (32) putting on 57 in eight overs.

However, it was all downhill from there, with Aussie left-arm spinner Roby Lane bowling superbly to take 4-13, being well backed up by Ollie Halliday (3-22) and Steve Brown (2-19).

Needing just 127 for victory, Alex Atkinson, who had scored a ton in the win over defending champions Collingham the previous week, made 61 not out, putting on 49 for the first wicket with Ben Morley (28).

Captain Josh Atkinson (no relation) then came to the crease and scored 31 not out as Otley won by nine wickets by the end of the 23rd over.

Horsforth Hall Park racked up 295-6 after being sent in by visitors Rawdon, with Michael Loubser finishing on 100 not out, made off just 47 balls and including four fours and an impressive 11 sixes.

Support came from Joe Greaves (50), Priyank Koli (49), captain Jake Littleton (26) and keeper Andrew Bairstow (24), with Greaves and Koli adding 89 for the third wicket and Loubser and Jake Phillips (9no) 68 unbroken for the seventh.

Opener Jake Hodges (29) and keeper James Dobson (34) put on 58 for Rawdon’s second wicket, but that was the only partnership of note as they were back in the pavilion for 121, Charles Greatbatch taking 7-34.

In a similar encounter at Adel, Burley’s batting failed in a 154-run defeat.

Adel, asked to bat, scored a daunting 263-9, with three players making half-centuries, Joe Hall doing well to come away with 4-47 from 11 overs.

Only opener Mark Harrison 937) and Hall (30) then troubled the scorers to any degree after tea as Burley subsided to 109 all out, with the duo adding 65 for the fourth wicket.

In Division One, Ricky Palacio was an easy choice as man of the match as Addingham won by six wickets in their derby at Ilkley.

First-change Palacio took 5-49 after Ilkley were sent in and made 166, opener Sam Housam (48) and Woodie Luffman (20) adding 47 for the second wicket before the tail wagged from 128-8.

Palacio then fell agonisingly short of a century, being caught on 97, which came off 107 balls and included 16 fours.

Nick Farrell (45no) helped the opener put on 96 for the fourth wicket as Addingham won in the 38th over.

Olicanian were on the wrong end of a thiller at home to New Rover.

Sent in, Ollies were 38-3 before being revived by a partnership of 59 between Harry Smallwood (33) and skipper James Hudson (40), but only one other player made double figures in their 146.

The visitors had an opening stand of 88, but it was downhill from there as Christy Byrne (6-44) found his groove, and it needed a last-wicket stand of six to get New Rover over the line.

Guiseley dominated their match at home to Calverley, dismissing the visitors for 59 after asking them to have first knock, the wickets being shared between Aniket Rana (3-1), Louis Barker (2-10), Max Hamilton (2-16) and Joel Newlove (2-32).

Keeper Viraj Bhosale (25no) and captain Rob Butterfield (23) then almost took Guiseley to victory with a partnership of 54 as they triumphed by nine wickets in the 11th over.

Horsforth’s openers did better than that in Division Two, putting on 129 at Leeds Modernians after being sent in.

Tom Colley scored 62 and captain Joe O’Gorman 78, finding the boundary 20 times between them in a total of 240-5, Brad Moritz weighing in with 41 not out.

Change bowlers Moritz (4-27) and Alex Wiggan (3-18) then ensured there were no alarms after tea as Mods were castled for 108.

Menston also won, despite Green Lane opener Max Lee scoring 57 and skipper Dan Husband 31 in their 125 at Nunroyd Park.

Opening pair Zarshad Khan (5-25) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (4-32) put the skids under Green Lane, the visitors then losing only four wickets in their reply, JH Johnson making 44.