MENSTON made the most of their double weekend, taking 39 points from a possible 40 to move to the top of Aire-Wharfe League Division Two by four points from Kirkstall Educational.
After winning the toss on Saturday at home to Green Lane, Menston cashed in via an opening stand of 88 between captain Adam Montague-Millar (40) and Tom Mounsey (60), No 3 Fraser Oates (34) and overseas Zarshad Khan (20) then helping the hosts to 217 as Ben Roberts took 6-51.
Green Lane were 34-5 and did well to reach 130 via a wagging tail, with No 9 Neil Britton ending on 30 not out as Khan (11-4-16-3), George Marsden (2-45) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (2-32) put the skids under their reply.
Menston also won the toss the following day against Bingley Congs in a match that was re-arranged from the start of the season, and did even better, totalling 256-7.
Montague-Millar (19) again put on a half-century opening stand, but the real impetus came from fellow opener Mounsey and Oates, who both scored 82, adding 124 for the second wicket.
Mounsey hit 14 fours and Oates 14 fours and a six, JH Johnson scoring 39 at No 4.
Congs were then dismissed for 172, former Ilkley RU player Charles Ramsey top-scoring with 53 as Alex Texel took 4-44.
Leeds Modernians edged their match at Horsforth by seven runs, with Jacob Douglass (38) and Dirdh Patel (46) putting on 88 for the third wicket in Mods’ 179.
Alex Wiggan (3-19) cleaned up the tail, and was well backed up by Matthew Wainwright (2-24) and Matthew Cordingley (2-32).
Horsforth captain Tom Colley then scored 79 before being seventh out at 152, adding 53 for the first wicket with Cordingley (16), but his team finished just short on 172 as Ashley Rowden took 3-45 and Patel 3-37.
In the Premier Division, Otley remain 38 points ahead at the top after a convincing victory at Pool.
The leaders made Pool regret their decision to bat first, dismissing them for just 106, despite an opening stand of 46 between Logan Duval (20) and David Amos (21).
Steve Brown (4-18), Damon Reeve (2-24), Ollie Halliday (2-39) and Roby Lane (2-6) shared the wickets and, despite losing George Huntley for one, there were no alarms for Otley after the tea interval.
Alex Atkinson (64no off 45 balls including 12 fours and two sixes) was joined at the crease by George Myers (40no, including four fours and two sixes), and they added 101 unbroken to see Otley to the winning line inside 16 overs.
Burley stayed third, despite losing at home to Adel, although the latter, Horsforth Hall Park and Saltaire are now breathing down their necks.
Opting to bat, Burley only made 176, with Nicky Bulcock (50no) supporting the lower order after opener Jason Krafft had scored 38.
Adel may have lost seven wickets in reaching their target, but time was no issue as they only used up 31.2 overs.
One of the day’s most exciting contests was at Rawdon, who made 228-8 after winning the toss in their derby against Hall Park.
Home skipper James Dobson dominated the innings, scoring a run-a-ball 137 from No 3, hitting 16 fours and four sixes and adding 71 for the second wicket with Henry Scanlan (20) and 62 for the third with Tom Wrigglesworth (20), Ricky Halloran finishing with 3-83.
Hall Park were 70-4 in reply, but found the men for the moment in Jacob Phillips (76), Jake Littleton (39) and keeper Andy Bairstow (47no) as they won by three wickets with four balls remaining, Littleton putting on 94 with Phillips.
Addingham have put their National Village Cup disappointment behind them and lead Division One by 37 points after defeating derby rivals Ilkley by 27 runs.
Skipper Richard Atkins scored 71 of Addingham’s 189 after winning the toss, putting on 54 with Nick Farrell (17) for the fourth wicket as Tom Rowell took 3-47 and Nick Schofield 4-36.
Opener Will Jones (57) anchored Ilkley’s reply, being eighth out at 131 and added 60 for the sixth wicket with Rob Spivey (42), but despite Schofield scoring 21 not out they were dismissed for 162.
Rory Stead (3-38) and Farrell (5-48) did the damage with the ball.
Ilkley dropped to fourth as a result, being overtaken by Guiseley, who timed their run chase nicely at Calverley.
The hosts were dismissed for 165, Louis Barker (3-27) and Viraj Bhosale (3-24), the fifth and sixth bowlers used, being the most successful.
Guiseley were set on the road by openers Bhosale (60) and Rob Thomas (22), who put on 58, and Aniket Rana (28) and Jake Whittaker (24no) then added 44 for the fourth wicket as victory was achieved by six wickets with almost 10 overs to spare.
Olicanian lost a run-fest at New Rover, who made 384-8 after winning the toss, Tom Starkey doing well to take 6-94.
The visitors replied with 297-7, opener Harry Smallwood scoring 93, Neyko Stiglingh 68 and Dom Oldham 44.
Stiglingh’s runs came off 63 balls and included six fours and four sixes, while Smallwood hit 13 fours and Oldham six fours.
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