THERE was a massive difference between the highs and the lows in the ENCO Halifax League Premier Division at the weekend.

The high was Triangle scoring 435-7 at their tight Grassy Bottom home against Sowerby Bridge, while the low was promoted Shelf Northowram Hedge Top being rolled over for just 48 at home to SBCI.

Sowerby Bridge skipper Sam Mellor elected to field, but Christian Silkstone, who played for Morley in the Bradford Premier League last season, made him pay by hammering 175 in a mere 64 balls, including 10 fours and an incredible 19 sixes.

Liam Turner (94) and Kurtis Whippey (80) added to the carnage as Razwan Saghir returned an impressive wicket haul, if not economy rate, with 4-121 from 14 overs.

Bridge were then dismissed for 133, with Jake Dixon taking 5-11.

Shelf’s match only lasted 37.3 overs, and they were soon 5-3 after being sent in, with only two of their side making double figures on the way to a six-wicket defeat.

Warley & Elland, the other promoted team went down by 49 runs at Oxenhope, who, asked to bat first, made 151, only Alex Baker (32) passing 30 as Taufeeq Ahmed took 5-38.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Alex Baker's score of 32 turned out to be a decisive one in Oxenhope's win over Warley & Elland.Alex Baker's score of 32 turned out to be a decisive one in Oxenhope's win over Warley & Elland. (Image: John Ashton.)

However, in the reply, only Ian Shaw (23) topped 20 in their 102, with four home bowlers sharing the wickets.

Defending champions Thornton started with a win, having visiting Copley at 45-6 after sending them in.

They eventually made 121, with Bradley Weatherhead bagging 5-34.

Thornton didn’t find things easy either, but the experienced Nikki Hutchinson anchored the innings with a carefully-made 29, as his side won by five wickets.

In the First Division, there was a very tight finish at Great Horton Park Chapel in a low-scoring affair, with the home team just managing to overhaul Blackley’s total of 103 by one wicket.

The visitors struggled for all of the 44.3 overs they were at the crease, only Finn Murphy (45) coming to terms with the difficult conditions.

Four batters fell without scoring, with Zafar Anwar (4-33) one of four bowlers to take wickets.

With Horton’s reply standing at 83-9, the visitors must have sniffed victory, but No.11 Richard Winn had other ideas.

He hit 20 not out in 12 balls to steer the home team to an unlikely win, Ben Pedley (5-31) being more than frustrated not to have finished on the winning side.

There was a similar match with low scores at The Holme, but on this occasion it was Low Moor Holy Trinity who triumphed by 12 runs at Greetland.

Batting conditions were again not ideal and Trinity used up 42.1 overs in reaching 118.

Only two batters scored in the twenties as four home bowlers shared the wickets.

Trinity’s score, however, proved enough as the home team could only muster 106.

Shakeel Mahmood (44) was the only Greetland batter looking likely to provide the winning knock, but when he was dismissed at 71-5, the tail failed to wag.

Four batters got ducks as Matthew Jordan (6-31) and Michael Hustler (4-12) exploited the conditions.

Promotion favourites Clayton got their season off to a winning 12-point start at Mytholmroyd.

Batting first, the visitors scored a respectable 196, with Michael Nicholson (62), newly signed from Cleckheaton, making an impressive debut, ably assisted by Scott Etherington (40).

Matthew Scholefield took an impressive 4-24 but the Mytholmroyd batsmen failed to back him up.

The Royd never looking likely to reach their target and collapsed from 93-4 to 121 all out, Andrew Deegan, also recruited from Cleck, leading the bowling with 4-39.

Only two matches survived the damp conditions in the Second Division, amazingly one of those being at Bridgeholme, which was a third underwater 10 days prior to the match.

They took advantage of that minor miracle by thumping their visitors Southowram by 132 runs.

The trip from the valley bottom at Eastwood to the heights of Queensbury was the division’s only other match to go ahead, as away side Sowerby St Peter’s won by 89 runs, although the hosts denied the visitors maximum points.

St Peter’s batted first, with skipper Aiden Green (89) leading the way as evergreen Jack Leonard chipped in with 53 not out.

Only Steven Priestley (40) got anywhere near those scores in the home team’s reply but the last three batters thwarted the visitors for seven overs to close on 132-9.

Cullingworth’s match at Bradley & Colnebridge and Mount’s home game against Stones were among those called off due to unfit grounds.