AS ONE of the smallest grounds in the ENCO Halifax League, Triangle is one of the last places you would look to for a low score.
But that is what happened in the Premier Division at Grassy Bottom on Saturday as the home team were dismissed for just 15 in reply to Booth’s 157.
Amazingly, only two players scored runs and there were eight ducks (surely a league record?).
Booth, not surprisingly only used two bowlers, with Patrick Thomas (4-9) and Richard Laycock (6-6) cutting a swathe through Triangle’s innings in what was the lowest score in the league for many a year.
The result leaves Booth behind only leaders Thornton, while shellshocked Triangle dropped to fourth.
Thornton did not have it all their own way on Saturday and found scoring difficult at home to SBCI, losing their first four wickets for 54.
They continued to struggle, with only Ross Parr (34) topping 20 in a surprisingly flat performance as they were dismissed for 150, with Tom Wood taking 4-40.
However, that the was end of any hope of an SBCI win as only opener James Summerscales (48) made any sort of impression in their response of 84.
Harris Rowlett, with 103 not out, was the saviour of Oxenhope’s innings against visiting Illingworth St Mary's.
His runs came in a knock of 165 minutes as wickets fell around him, the home team frustrating St Mary’s by holding out for 168-8.
At 58-5, the visitors were in trouble but Luke Brooksby (73no) and Isaac Thompson (45) rescued the situation as St Mary’s won by four wickets.
Sowerby Bridge’s batting had a more solid look about it as they scored 228-8 at Shelf Northowram Hedge Top, with Sam Dimbleby (5-87) the pick of the attack.
Not to be outshone, in reply, opener Dan Cole was both the architect and foundation of the Hedge Top reply as he crafted 98 not out to lead his team to a winning 231-8.
In the First Division, Low Moor Holy Trinity had a fine but close win at Great Horton Park Chapel.
The hosts asked Trinity to bat and the visitors posted 186-9, with the top scorer being close-season signing Michael Hustler (53).
In reply, Horton fell four runs short as Stuart Fenton (4-30) and James Overend (4-51) had excellent returns, with only Fahaad Shabbir (46) and Zafar Anwar (36no) looking likely to thwart Trinity.
Clayton missed out on the chance to leapfrog Horton as they surprisingly lost by five runs at lowly Greetland, who in the process did themselves no harm in their battle to avoid the drop.
It was a low-scoring affair as, after opting to bat, Greetland could only make 102, with Will Garside (4-11) and Damien Walker (4-13) doing most of the damage.
Almost inexplicably, in Clayton’s reply, only Joseph Brown (55) reached double figures, his team-mates letting him down as they were rolled out for 97.
Upper Hopton visited Mytholmroyd and claimed an important three-wicket away win.
With their two main title challengers losing, Hopton now have a 17-point cushion at the top.
In the Second Division, Queensbury slumped to 66-8 at home to Stones, only for a recovery led by James Myers (27no) and Kirstin Smith (21) to take the score to 127.
Kirstin Smith led a mini Queensbury revival, but they were still comfortably beaten by Stones. (Image: UGC.)
But Stones still comfortably won in the 30th over with 128-6.
Cullingworth openers Michael Dennison (69) and Scott Pearson (45) set the foundation for their team’s 189 at Bridgeholme.
The home team never looked in the hunt in reply, however, and fell for 85 as Elliot Robinson took 4-35.
At Mount, visiting Oakworth raced to a maximum-points win in double-quick time.
The hosts opted to bat but it didn’t work out too well as they were dismissed for 99, with Bradley Powell taking 4-25.
Oakworth lost a couple of wickets replying, but opener Joel Gallagher (39no) ensured an early trip back to Keighley as they scored 101-2 in only 16 overs.
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