Skipton staved off relegation for the time being with their best batting display of the season in the Aire-Wharfe Cricket League, recording a winning draw at home to Horsforth, who are now relegated from Division A.

Above Horsforth are Calverley on 35 points, Skipton on 36 and Steeton on 38.

Star of the Skipton innings of 270-2 was captain Mark Whitaker, who carried his bat for a magnificent 118 not out.

After Skipton had lost the toss Whitaker and Steve Young set about the rather ineffective Horsforth bowling and put on 166 for the first wicket before Young was caught after hitting an effervescent 88.

Then Colin Nuthall and in particular Sean Atkinson, 39 not out, ably backed up Whitaker in setting Horsforth an impregnable total, the second Skipton wicket falling on 199.

Figures for the Horsforth bowlers, who bowled no maidens, were G Procter 11-0-53-1, G Williams 13-0-70-1, N Allitt 17-0-81-0, A Royston 5-0-32-0 and T Linley 4-0-21-0.

Horsforth seemed fired up from the hammering they had just endured and set about the Skipton bowlers with a vengeance.

Craig Chaplin smashed 23 runs and his opening partner Steve Riley bettered that by scything 35 runs as they put on 51 for the first wicket off 12 overs. But Young brought some sense back to the proceedings with figures of 2-22 off 10 overs, five maidens.

And he and Mick Scott, who had 3-69 off 19 overs, five maidens, and Gareth Lee, 13-4-35-0, made sure that Skipton earned five valuable points. Andy Roberts had 6-0-41-0.

Horsforth totalled 168-6 with Neil Allitt hitting 52. Their second wicket fell on 60, the third on 74, the fourth and fifth on 111 and the sixth on 153.

Skipton: S Young c Allitt b Williams 88; M Whitaker not out 118; C Nuthall c Allitt b Procter 12; S Atkinson not out 39; extras 13; total (for 2) 270.

Horsforth: C Chaplin b Young 23; S Riley b Scott 35; G Williams c Hughes b Young 7; S Collings lbw Scott 19; N Allitt c Roberts b Lee 52; P Merchant b Scott 0; P Smith not out 23; G Procter not out 6; extras 3; total (for 6) 168.

Steeton lost by 39 runs away to Rawdon after having them in trouble at 90-5, but the now joint leaders went on to total 162, R Atkinson scoring 56 and Chris Taylor taking 8-57 for the visitors.

The South Craveners were all out for 123, Andy Smith scoring 46 and M Hings taking 4-28 for the home side.

Silsden, needing a win to stay second in Division B, won by nine runs away to Tong Park, scoring 179-8 while the home side were all out for 170, John K Roberts taking 7-54 for the winners.

After a shaky start on a very temperamental pitch Andy Knowles and Hugh Sugden grafted Silsden's score to over 100 after it had at one time been 37-3, Knowles running himself out on 40 and Sugden getting 21.

Then great batting from Mark Akrigg, Andy Pullen and especially Andy Waggett, 27 not out off 26 balls, in the later part of the innings gave the South Craveners a moderate total.

Their first wicket fell on 20, the second on 32, the third on 37, the fourth on 66 and the fifth on 108.

The sixth went down on 121, the seventh on 140 and the eighth on 160.

For Tong Park C Shepherd took 5-102 off 25 overs, two maidens, and the other figures were C Burke 10-0-41-1 and R Regent 15-5-29-0.

Silsden did well when the Tong Park innings started, having them at 27-3.

But the home side then took the game to the visitors with three good partnerships until Roberts struck with his second spell to end with his seven wickets off 20.5 overs, six maidens - getting the last Tong Park wicket - and a one-handed run-out and Pullen took the other two wickets for 49 off 15 overs, two maidens.

For Tong Park Regent got 48 and S Miller 40. Their first wicket fell on four, the second on 19, the third on 27 and the fourth and fifth on 97. The sixth went down on 140, the seventh on 151, the eighth on 161 and the ninth on 166.

The other Silsden bowling figures were Mark Akrigg 4-0-24-0 and Adrian Emmott 8-2-27-0.

Silsden: D Jackson c Miller b Shepherd 19; D Bainbridge c Miller b Shephard 7; T Sugden lbw Shepherd 2; J Akrigg c Groome b Shepherd 15; A Knowles run out 40; H Sugden c Taylor b C Burke 21; A Pullen c Miller b Shepherd 20; A Waggett not out 27; M Akrigg run out 11; A Emmott not out 4; extras 13; total (for 8) 179.

Tong Park: J Law b Roberts 0; S Burgess c H Sugden b Roberts 9; R Regent lbw Roberts 48; D Groome b Roberts 6; S Miller b Roberts 40; C Shepherd c J Akrigg b Roberts 0; J Robertshaw b Roberts 39; G Ellis c Waggett b Pullen 2; P Taylor c H Sugden b Pullen 5; L Burke run out 0; C Burke not out 0; extras 21; total 170.

Addingham lost by four wickets away to Burley, scoring 161-6 and the home side winning with 164-6.

For Addingham Steve May hit 96 and Chris Campbell took 3-54 and for the winners D Hurd scored 57 and took 3-56 and I Normington hit 40.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.