THERE'S a smile back on the faces of Skipton Cricket Club supporters after their top of the table clash in Division C of the Airedale & Wharfedale League produced an emphatic win over Leeds side Colton, although the jubilation was curbed following a Waddilove Cup defeat at the hands of Tong Park in mid-week.

On Saturday, having set a challenging target of 231 for the loss of just five wickets, they then rampaged through the Colton line-up to dismiss them for 146 runs.

Colton dug in, trying to deny Skipton maximum points, but the last wicket fell off the penultimate ball.

Steve Carling and Zafir Iqbal were the chief architects of the win against the leaders.

Skipton got off to a dreadful start as Andrew Facey was caught off the second ball of the match, but up stepped Carling to continue his rich vein of form as he hit 91.

He missed out on a richly-deserved century when he was stumped going for a big hit.

That wicket went down at 168, but Robert Walker and Iqbal carried on the good work to remain unbeaten at the end on 31 and 29. There was a good knock too from Robert Dilger, who finished second highest run-getter with 35.

For Colton, opener Neil Thackray tied up one end and finished with on 42, but there was little other resistance as Iqbal finished with seven wickets for 44 runs.

Hopes must have been equally high when the batsmen again did well in a rain-hit game at Tong Park which finished on Tuesday.

Carling was again in good fettle, registering another half-century, while Robert Dilger hit a brisk 63 which included six sixes

With David Whiteley and Robert Walker both chipping in with 34 and Ian Bell 25, Skipton closed at 244-8, a tally which must have inspired hopes of progress.

Sadly, it was former player Steve Young (78) and Indian Chandar Shieker (126no) who had the last word when a second-wicket stand of 157 put the home side in the driving seat.

Skipton Seconds suffered a close defeat against Colton.

After losing Charlie Baxter and John Coates early on, Mohammad Saghir and Geoff Fryers put together a stand of 40, Saghir eventually falling for 25.

There was no great heroics from the tail and Skipton subsided to 131 all out.

Colton got off to an impressive start as Chalk and Precious scored 21 off the first three overs.

But Skipton began to make inroads and Dave Noland took two wickets in an over to put Skipton back in the match.

Gary Owens repeated the feat with a double-wicket maiden a little later to leave Colton requiring two runs to win with nine wickets down.

A boundary secured the slender win for the home side.

Upper Wharfedale did not get quite enough runs when they closed at 100 at Illingworth, a bold effort by the bowlers failing by only a couple of wickets.

Jason Agars was the most successful of the Wharfedale batsmen with 33, but despite an economical effort by Davie Daggett, who finished with 3-16 from 13 overs, the Halifax side crept home.

Elsewhere in the league, Steeton were beaten by Bilton and urgently need points to escape the relegation zone, while Silsden got the better of a draw with Knaresborough and collected four points.

Results in detail on Page 31.