Duce is Baildon ace in the pack

The reigning champions might still sit nine points clear at the top but in suffering their first defeat of the season they offered hope to the chasing pack.

As the season reaches its half-way mark, Baildon's enormously impressive victory may yet prove to be the turning point of the summer.

And it was all made possible as Matthew Duce produced a second wonderful 80-run innings in six days as the plucky visitors knocked up an impressive 219 for nine.

Naveed Rana-ul-Hassan took his usual complement of four wickets in an innings that saw Baildon stall early on at three for 15.

But in came youngster Adam Patel and Duce to put on 123 for the fourth wicket and set up the target.

But a five-wicket haul from Azhar Abbas and four from Carl Smith kept Congs at bay with the wickets tumbling quickly.

Powerful bowling from the reigning champions has restricted the amount of run-chasing required this year, and the rustiness in picking off the big totals showed as the home side were dismissed for 173 with Gary Brook out lbw with just one ball remaining.

Baildon picked up six points, propelling them to third, but more importantly Congs lost their way for the first time.

And neighbours St Lawrence did what was required of them, grabbing maximum points at Hanging Heaton.

The home side were dismissed for 164 a ball short of the 50 overs but the other Pudsey side didn't take too long to rack up the required total.

Tariq Aziz, the league's leading run-maker, added another 72 to his impressive total as 166 was reached with just five wickets down and only 29 overs gone.

But East Bierley couldn't make the most of the Congs defeat, losing out in a run-fest at Undercliffe's enormous Intake Road ground.

A slow 58 from Richard Gould and a quick 55 from Andy Bairstow gave the visitors 226 for seven.

But on a "track like a road", as described by Undercliffe's Guy Saxton, the total was never going to be high enough.

And East Bierley paid for their early-innings conservative batting as Chris Taylor's 65 and Martin Kellaway's unbeaten 51 took Undercliffe to victory with four wickets still in the tent.

At the other end of the table, Cleckheaton made an important step in their second-half-of-the-season survival programme.

Mark Whitehead's 60 helped Farsley to 185 with Chris Brice's six-wicket haul keeping the total within reach.

Richard Pyrah, who had already taken two wickets, then joined with Mark Gill for a 141 opening stand as the total was reached with six wickets in the bag.

The result was all the more important as Lightcliffe went down by 69 runs to Spen Victoria, with overseas star Rao Anjum bagging his second five-wicket haul in a row.

And Yeadon fell to the bottom of the pile as Woodlands managed a 62-run victory, with Safraz Ahmed taking another four wickets.

Half-way through the season, things may just have started to get interesting at both ends of the table. In Division Two, Bowling Old Lane go nine games without so much as a point and then come up with an astounding 211-run victory - and all thanks to the Khans.

Opener Tahir hit a superlative 116 before Wasim stepped up and made 100.

And with unlucky Esholt chasing 354, Wasim came in again to take six wickets, with Amjid taking three.

The home side managed just 143 despite Mark Gilliver's 90 as they fell to a humiliating defeat.

In a remarkable turnaround, the 'wooden spooners' rushed from nought to six points with their dramatic win and, although they remain bottom of the pile, this could be a watershed in their season.

A young Windhill side may now face the ignominy of re-election as they sit just three points above Old Lane after their seventh defeat of the summer - at the hands of Idle.

Ian Dewhurst took an incredible eight wickets in less than 15 overs as Windhill were reduced to just 105 in under 30 overs.

The visitors then proceeded to knock off the required runs for the loss of just two wickets in only 23 overs.

Idle forged a five-point lead at the top of the table after Gomersal managed just one point at home to Bradford and Bingley.

Carl Sharp's 86 - part of a second-wicket stand of 111 with skipper Pat Fordham - helped the visitors put up a healthy 259 for nine.

Gomersal had to settle for the draw, despite Steve Harrison's 64 as they managed 200 for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted overs.

Mirfield remain in the third promotion spot at the halfway stage in the season, despite a loss to fourth-placed Keighley.

Richard Robinson hit an unbeaten 61 on his return to the side, Joel Crouch making 56 as Keighley managed 188 for four.

But despite a Simon Horkin 54, Mirfield could only manage 178 in their overs, limping through for a losing draw with just one wicket remaining at stumps.

Fifth-placed Bankfoot remain in the promotion hunt after their victory over Hartshead Moor.

The visitors managed just 167 for eight thanks to five wickets from Andy Marshall.

Bankfoot soared to a five-wicket victory with a majestic unbeaten 105 from Saleem Mughal.

Half-centuries from Adam Smith and Tariq Haroon helped Saltaire to 218 for seven at home to Morley.

And Haroon played a vital role once more after tea as he took six wickets in Morley's demise for 183.

In other games, Kamran Hussain's four wickets and an unbeaten 64 helped Salts defeat Drighlington by seven wickets, while Naved's unbeaten 94 gave Great Horton a nine-wicket at Manningham Mills.