THE race for promotion in Division B of the Airedale and Wharfedale League is starting to hot up with Hall Park and Kirkstall Educational battling it out at the top each with 41 points.

Just seven points separate the first six teams while the bottom two Ilkley and Illingworth gained victories over title challengers Calverley and Knaresborough respectively.

This puts Skipton deeper in the mire as they lost at home to Tong Park for whom Nick Murden top scored with an unbeaten 40.

Hall Park have had the bowling of Robert Hodson to thank for much of their success and he took five for 57 as Silsden were restricted to 126 for eight in reply to Park's 159 for seven.

Of this Park total Peter Weedon made 30 and Jamie Simpson 38 not out.

Kirkstall Educational had an overwhelming nine wickets win over Bardsey after the home side had been put out for 115 with S Nesbitt taking three for 18 and G Gibson three for 16.

Dave Wonfor continued his good form with an unbeaten 41 and S Bashir made 52.

Ilkley had an excellent morale boosting win over Calverley with young Australian Simon McPhee leading the way with a fine knock of 105.

He had good support from Rhodri Jones with 66 and Harvey Watson contributed 31 as Ilkley finished on 255 for six.

McPhee and Jones shared a second wicket stand of 140.

Calverley were then dismissed for 151 despite Nigel Topham making 41. Young Anthony Giles took for for 54 and David Jayes three for 18.

Knaresborough were restricted to 185 as Illingworth's A Ledger took four for 70 and J Taylor for for 36. The bottom side then produced an excellent batting display to forge their first win of the season with Sam Lavery making 85 and James Doherty (47).

Otley were happy to notch a win over their local rivals Pool restricting them to 165-9 with spinners Andrew Mitchell (3-40) and Robert Atkinson (3-50) doing the damage.

Opener G Squires battled to keep the Pool innings alive with a knock of 32 and then young Richard Henry played his part with 22. Skipper David Murphy provided a rearguard action at number nine with an unbeaten 21. Otley then knocked off the runs for the loss of five wickets with David Brady making 41 and Australian Joshua Rudolph (33 not out).

POOL Mills First XI visited Upper Wharfedale needing to take something from the game in order to stay in touch with the other teams at the foot of the table.

Winning the toss Mills asked the home side to take first knock on a green pitch which looked as if it would help the bowlers. This was the case as the Mills' attack of Richard Wilkinson and David Wilkinson kept a stranglehold on the Wharfedale batsmen. They found themselves 56 for four at the drinks interval.

At this point M Harrison came to the wicket and decided attack was the best means of defence and from the word go took the Mills' attack apart. He was finally caught on the boundary edge for a quickfire 87. With the help of C Bean (36no) he took the home score to 224 for eight. D Humphreys did his part with 29.

For Mills Richard Wilkinson once again did an admirable job, taking one for 42 from 21 overs. Mills reply started well enough with Keith Wilkinson and Bernard Thornton putting on 40 before the latter was out. But the very accurate bowling of D Dagget caused the batsmen all sorts of trouble and wickets started to fall as Mills tried to accelerate the chase. Keith Wilkinson tried admirably to take his side to victory with a top score of 88 but they were left fighting for a two point losing draw with young Patrick Parker hitting an unbeaten 20 to secure it.

For the home side Dagget had figures of five for 74 from 25 overs as Mills finished on 169 for six.

Thackley lead Division C by five points from Harden the teams having swopped their first and second positions after clashing on Saturday.

Thackley set a target of 179 thanks to Chris Luxton's 59 and then Harden fell for 116 as P Emmerson took seven for 49.

Addingham went down to Wood-house by one wicket despite the bowling efforts of Chris Campbell (4-17) and Ben Clarke (3-54).

Ben Rhydding batted well to make 219 with Tony Todd hitting 141 to hold the innings together.

Alwoodley replied with 181-8 to draw despite Joe McTigue's fine bowling performance in which he claimed four for 17.

Olicanians' match against Bolton Villas was hit by rain and abandoned. Bolton Villas made a score of 194 for four and Olicanians were 156 for seven with M Missett making 45 and G Phillips an unbeaten 50.

IN the Second Teams Division A North Leeds opener S Hussain hit the highest score of 95 against Green Lane. His side set a massive target of 296 for four with Brian Stevens hitting an unbeaten 66 off 25 balls with six sixes and five fours. Lane replied with 191 all out as T Hudson took four for 49. Opener Stephen Parkinson made a fine 60 for Lane.

Bilton gained a five wickets win over Hall Park who had made 154 for six with 59 from opener D Wilson.

Otley gained an eight wickets win over Follifoot after dismissing them for 130 with M Daly taking six for 59. Matt O'Grady top scored with 43 not out as Otley went on to win.

Guiseley took all six points against Adel making 186 and then dismissing their opponents for 76 with Adrian Threapleton on good form with four for 27, Steve Dickinson taking two for and Ian Colquhoun two for two.

Rawdon were another side to grab all six points. They dismissed Beckwithshaw for 164 and then knocked off the runs for the loss of four wickets with Chris Boden making an unbeaten 60.

Ilkley took just one point from a drawn game with Calverley but 13 year-old Alex Bailey gave them heart with an unbeaten 30 and Steve Rhodes made an unbeaten 51 as they shared a seventh wicket partnership of 84.

In Division B Knaresborough's M Revill made a superb 143 as his side totalled 237 for seven. Illingworth replied with 175 for seven to draw.

Another century maker was Silsden opener S Tillotson with 111 in the defeat by Collingham.

In Division C Olicanians lost by nine wickets to Bolton Villas after being dismissed for 95.

Horsforth hung on to take two points from a drawn game at Colton where the home side made 159 for eight.

Pool Mills defeated Upper Wharfedale by eight wickets thanks to an excellent 80 from Nick Kane, a half-century from Jeff Bielby and 22 from Richard Smith. The latter's father Ray took five for 61 off 25 overs.