OTLEY reckon that the Aire-Wharfe League Premier Division title is theirs to lose.

After thrashing Tong Park Esholt on Saturday, they are 54 points ahead of second-placed Collingham with five matches left.

It wasn’t all plain sailing at Esholt Lane, however, as Otley were 20-4 after being sent in.

Then they were rescued by youngsters Jake Ross and Freddie Hill.

Firstly Ross put on 69 for the fifth wicket with Damon Reeve (25) and then added 68 with Hill before Ross was out for 81, made off 85 balls and containing 13 fours and a six.

Hill, younger brother of Yorkshire’s George, then batted through the rest of the innings to end on 56 not out, which came off 47 balls and included eight fours and a six.

Sam Kellett (38) gave him good support in a stand of 68 for the eighth wicket as Otley finished on 278-8.

Then it was the Reeve show as he took an incredible 9-29 off 14.3 overs as TPE were rolled over for 82 in 29.3 overs, with only three batters reaching double figures.

Burley are up to third, displacing Saltaire, who they beat by 105 runs at Hodson Park.

Overseas Jason Krafft almost batted through Burley’s innings after they opted to bat, being sixth out at 221 in the 46th over.

He scored 125 from 144 balls, which included 13 fours and three sixes, and he added 116 for the second wicket with Dan Revis (52), 49 for the third with Mark Harrison (14) and 47 with Nick Bulcock (27no) for the sixth.

Farhan Sheikh apart, who made 58, Saltaire were generally behind the eight ball and were dismissed for 139 as Revis took 5-25, Jason Wright 3-60 and Jonathan Postle 2-35.

Pool are fifth after a maximum-points haul and a mammoth score at home to North Leeds.

Sent in, Pool racked up 401-6, with two batters making tons and another 84.

Opener Logan Duval scored 111 off just 84 balls, including 20 fours and a six, while Kruthik Patel’s 116 in the middle order came off 69 balls and contained 11 fours and seven sixes.

Duval put on 167 for the second wicket with skipper Charlie Bell (84 off 83 balls, including 13 fours and two sixes), while Patel featured in partnerships of 65 with Robert Goldthorp (23) and 99 with keeper Freddie Read (30).

North Leeds replied with 245, but still lost by 156 runs as Patel completed a superb match by taking 6-66, backed up by Will Pallister’s 3-42.

Horsforth Hall Park have dropped to eighth as Steeton gained revenge for their recent Waddilove Cup final defeat at Bilton.

Sent in, Hall Park were indebted to Andy Bairstow’s 102- he scored half their runs - which came off 78 balls and contained 13 fours and two sixes.

He added 56 with Sam Dobson (13) and 91 with Sam Hyde before being dismissed at 203.

Stands throughout the Steeton innings took them to a five-wicket victory with eight balls to spare as the hosts made it six straight wins as they continued their climb towards safety.

Rawdon, on the other hand, have lost eight in succession since beating Steeton on June 22 and have dropped into a demotion berth, 36 points behind Steeton, albeit having played a game more.

Their latest defeat was at Collingham, who made 247-8 after winning the toss, Alex Lee taking 3-37.

Rawdon, who finished third last season, were then dismissed for 142, despite 42 from Andrew Doidge and 23 from his nephew James.

In Division Two, Addinghan have a 44-point lead after outclassing visitors Harden.

Sent in, Addingham were 21-2 before being revived by a third-wicket stand of 94 between the Atkins brothers, Will (68) and skipper Richard (56), with the former hitting seven fours and the latter 10 on their way to 212.

Harden, despite a third-wicket partnership of 62, were second best and were dismissed for 112, with James Nixon (7-18) proving almost unplayable.

Ilkley are a distant third, 48 points behind Beckwithshaw, despite a handsome victory at Colton.

Five players made more than 25 in Ilkley’s 242-8 after they won the toss, Woodie Luffman (28) putting on 75 for the third wicket with Sam Housam (40) before James Pearson (18) and Rob Spivey (29) added 47 for the sixth.

Nick Schofield (50) then put on 91 with James Bourke (37no) before being run out off the last ball.

Colton were 100-2 in reply, but faded to 147 all out as Schofield took 4-25 and Bourke 4-28.

Olicanian are sixth in a tight mid-table after going down by 17 runs to visitors Bolton Villas, who recovered from 79-6 to make 227, Neyko Stiglingh taking 3-46 and Ethan McLelland 2-20.

McLelland (35) and Mustafa Sajjad (31) then put on 57 for Ollies’ first wicket, but thereafter there was not enough support for Tom Smallwood (71 including five fours and three sixes) and keeper Steve Wilkinson (30), who added 68 for the eighth wicket, and they were dismissed for 210.

Guiseley are seventh on 184 points (14 points separate llkley in third and Villas in eighth) after a 60-run defeat at Beckwithshaw, who made 255-8 after winning the toss, Aniket Rana taking 3-55.

Only Viraj Bhosale (30), keeper Joe Fisher (48) and captain Joel Newlove (31) then troubled the scorers to any degree after tea as Guiseley were dismissed for 192.

Menston continue to blaze a trail in Division Three, with their 14th win in 17 matches coming against bottom-of-the-table Rodley, who were back in the pavilion for 177 after winning the toss.

It took inside 30 overs for Menston to win by seven wickets.

Green Lane are eighth on 168 points after being defeated at Shadwell, whose top order cashed in on their way to 280-8, Jack Roberts taking 3-74 and Dan Frost 3-34.

Three of Lane’s top four then contributed but they fell away from 127-2 to be dismissed for 171.

Opener Chris Bogdanos (44) put on 70 for the second wicket with Mark McEneaney (42), and Bogdanos then added 51 with Phil Atkinson (35) before the wheels came off.

Horsforth notched a fine win at home to Alwoodley, who made 196-9 after being put in, Kris Lewis taking 4-37 and Matt Cordingley 2-40.

Opener Tom Colley then almost got Horsforth over the line by scoring 111 off 144 balls, including 18 fours and a six, but he was out nine runs shy of victory.

Colley put on 66 for the first wicket with Cordingley (34) and 55 for the third with Brad Moritz (23) as Horsforth won by three wickets with 4.5 overs remaining.

Leeds Modernians are still second from bottom after losing by 65 runs in an incredible match at Bingley Congs.

The hosts, sent in, made 206, but the top scorer was ‘Mr Extras’ with a stupendous 88, which included 66 in wides, 10 from byes and 11 from no balls.

Those extras rather overshadowed the efforts of Lewis Gomersall (3-37), Dirdh Patel (3-41) and Greg McManus (2-25), with three bowlers delivering eight wides each and another nine.

Mods replied with 141, with Ashley Rowden scoring 46 and captain Jonathan Wiggan 29.