THEY say good things come to those who wait, and that certainly seems to be happening for Otley in Division One of the Aire-Wharfe League.

After a disappointing start to the season, the Cross Green side lie third, having won their last five league matches, with Saturday’s victory at home to leaders Saltaire perhaps their most impressive.

With a rain delay reducing the match to 30 overs, Saltaire’s bowling attack won through in the opening stages, with the hosts falling to 51-3.

But a 44-run stand between Oliver Halliday (18) and Stephen Brown (28) steadied the ship, with bowler Rob Spivey then putting on a display to score a superb 46 not out from 34 deliveries to help his side to 177-7.

A 52-run partnership between Awaise Hussain (29) and wicketkeeper Bilal Hamid (39) looked to have set up Saltaire nicely, but the visitors’ lower order fell cheaply, leaving them eight runs short.

James Davies (3-37) was the pick of the bowlers for Otley, with Halliday and Brown also picking up two wickets apiece.

Second-placed Bilton are now just 16 points behind after a five-wicket win at last-placed Horsforth.

Batting first, the hosts owed much of their 143-7 to middle order Charlie Andrews (48no) and Danny Taylor (35), with Awais Ejaz starring with the ball, taking 4-18 from his 12 overs.

Bilton stumbled to 14-2 in their reply before Callum Cardwell (38) and Jamie Bryant (62) put on 70 for the third wicket to see the visitors home with 10 overs to spare.

Rawdon dispatched Olicanian’s 158-7 in similarly comfortable fashion, with Ben Morley (48), wicketkeeper-batsman James Dobson (47) and George Myers (39 no) contributing the majority.

Tom Smallwood (50) and skipper Harry Smallwood (34no) had earlier impressed with the bat for Olicanian.

Collingham & Linton were perhaps left ruing their decision to field after they failed to get going in a 77-run defeat at home to Burley-in-Wharfedale.

Opener Jason Wright scored six fours and four sixes on his way to a magnificent 95, with wicketkeeper Gabriel Field adding 68 from just 39 deliveries as Burley recovered from 13-2 to post 212-5 from 29 overs.

Charlie Swallow (3-46) did the most damage with the ball.

Sam Fox (4-16) and Joe Hall (3-34) tore apart any hope of a Collingham recovery, the hosts struggling to just 135 despite a strong performance from Jack Harrison (43).

However, Ilkley’s poor campaign continued after they were easily beaten at home to Beckwithshaw.

Placed into bat, the hosts made a disastrous start, falling to 56-7 before a 52-run stand between tailenders James Nixon (33) and Alex Bailey (27) saw them to 110-8.

But that was a total which Beckwithshaw reached in just 26 overs thanks to skipper Ben Holderness (34) and Joseph Holderness (22).

Leaders New Rover were the only one of the top three teams to win in Division Two, claiming a fantastic nine-wicket win at home to Follifoot.

Batting first, the visitors made a respectable 202-8 from 30 overs, with captain Nick Robinson (37) standing firm against an impressive bowling attack that included Fahid Rehman (4-41) and Aqsad Ali (2-40).

But a stunning 99 not out from New Rover skipper Michael Richmond, which included 12 fours and two sixes, and 53 from Adam Patel saw the leaders reach their revised target of 119 from 29 overs with balls to spare.

Second placed Green Lane had their total of 172-9 comfortably dispatched by Tong Park Esholt, who sit fourth.

Placed into bat, the Guiseley-based side started well thanks to Waleed Akhtar (42) and Imran Zaman (27), but a middle order collapse saw them fall to 88-7, before a late charge from bowler Neil Britton (42) bolstered their total.

Saqib Mir shone with the ball, finishing with a magnificent 5-28.

However, none of the hosts’ six bowlers made a significant impact, with Dru Patel (50), Daniel Groom (43) and skipper David Hester (35) seeing Esholt claim a six-wicket victory and 19 points.

Elsewhere, Pool remain third after falling to a narrow 15-run defeat at home to Bardsey.

Will Pallister (4-49), David Amos (3-47) and Sam O’Sullivan (2-24) were in the wickets for the hosts but they could not prevent Bardsey reaching a competitive 177-9 from 27 overs.

That total was largely due to Waqas Rasheed’s unbeaten 24-ball half century and 33 from middle-order Tom Franklin.

Opener Krutik Patel (66) put in a characteristically strong performance for Pool in their reply but Rasheed (2-38) and Amjad Ali (2-48) won through, with the hosts managing only 162.