Rain hit Aire-Wharfe Cricket League matches with no play in Skipton's home game against Beckwithshaw, the Guiseley versus Steeton and Illingworth versus Silsden matches restricted to 20 overs a side - Silsden going top of Division B with an excellent nine-wicket victory - and Addingham's away game against Collingham seeing play stopped.

It has been 21 years since Silsden were last top of Division B and they achieved it in impeccable style on Saturday.

Illingworth batted first and were kept to a reasonable score of 98-3 with some outstanding fielding from the Cobbydalers, especially 14-year-old debutant Chris Meehan.

Andy Pullen and John K Roberts never really let the batsmen relax with some well thought out bowling in difficult run-up conditions.

The home side's first wicket fell on 15, the second on 84 and the third on 85, S Smith hitting 36 and A Ledger 34. Pullen finished with 3-47 off 10 overs, no maidens, and the other figures were Roberts 9-0-40-0 and Adrian Emmott 1-0-6-0.

When Silsden batted Andy Knowles produced a match-winning performance, taking the Illingworth attack to the cleaners, smashing four sixes and a four in an unbeaten 67 off 47 balls, with Bruce Walker supporting well and carrying his bat for an unbeaten 29 off 39 balls.

The only Silsden wicket to fall was lost on six as they totalled 102-1, and the Illingworth bowling figures were R Dixon 3-1-17-1, S Holmes 3-0-32-0, S Smith 2-0-11-0, D Lawton 6-1-23-0, Ledger 2-0-11-0 and D Brooksby 0.1-0-6-0.

This Saturday Silsden travel to Ilkley for what should be their hardest test of the season.

Illingworth: A Ledger c Sugden b Pullen 34; S Holmes b Pullen 9; S Smith b Pullen 36; C Fellows not out 3; D Brooksby not out 9; extras 7; total (for 3) 98.

Silsden: A Waggett b Dixon 2; B Walker not out 29; A Knowles not out 67; extras 4; total (for 1) 102.

Steeton lost by five wickets to Guiseley with nine deliveries left. Andy Smith hit 34 and Gary Boulton 30 for the South Craveners, who scored 113-7, with A Paley taking 3-41 for Guiseley, who won with 115-5, P Pickles scoring 46 and N Topham 41.

The Steeton bowling figures were Boulton 3-0-10-2, Phil Barrett 3.3-0-16-2, David Short 4-0-16-1, Chris Taylor 3-0-17-0, Matthew Pinniger 3-0-29-0 and Neil Spragg 2-0-20-0. The Guiseley figures were Paley 5-0-41-3, M Knowles 5-1-21-2, M Brown 6-0-27-0 and M Ross 4-0-21-0.

Steeton: M Pinniger c Thompson b Knowles 6; R Wynn c M Ross b Knowles 1; N Spragg run out 1; M Hedges c M Ross b Paley 28; G Boulton run out 30; A Smith st Thompson b Paley 34; P Barrett b Paley 7; C Taylor not out 1; extras 5; total (for 7) 113.

Guiseley: M Ross c Spragg b Short 3; N Topham c Pinniger b Barrett 41; P Pickles c Taylor b Barrett 46; S Thompson c Robinson b Boulton 5; D Brady lbw Boulton 5; S Ross not out 0; I Wolfenden not out 4; extras 11; total (for 5) 115.

In a 22-over a side match which ended in a point each draw Addingham totalled 125-9, Darrell Robinson scoring 45 and Duncan Ward 38, and L Elkes took 5-40 for Collingham, who had reached 100-3 off 17 overs when play finished, T Kilby hitting 38 and J Woodward 36.

The Addingham bowling figures were Simon Farrand 8-0-36-2, Richard Simpson 2-0-17-1, Craig Turner 4-0-34-0 and Darren Jayes 3-1-8-0, and the Collingham bowling figures were Elkes 11-1-40-5, M Illingworth 7-0-42-2 and T Kilby 4-0-38-1.

Addingham: A Murray c Marshall b Elkes 4; D Robinson c Bore b Elkes 45; R Simpson b Illingworth 5; K Wilkinson b Illingworth 7; S May c Illingworth b Kilby 14; D Ward run out 38; S Farrand b Elkes 0; C Turner c Woodward b Elkes 4; D Jayes lbw Elkes 0; D Houlston not out 0; N Freeman not out 2; extras 6; total (for 9)125.

Collingham: T Kilby not out 38; J Woodward c Houlston b Simpson 36; M Woodward c May b Farrand 12; L Elkes c Jayes b Farrand 5; M Cooke not out 2; extras 7; total (for 3) 100.

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