Phil Leng continues to relish the early-season wickets in the Aire-Wharfe League, adding 5-14 to his opening-day 9-23 as Harden thrashed North Leeds by 147 runs, making them one of only three clubs in Division Two with a 100 per cent record after two matches.
Richard Wear followed up last week’s 75 with a fine knock of 81 as Harden reached 215-9 before Leng got to work and, having skittled out Tong Park Esholt for 54, Harden knocked over North Leeds for 68.
Pool’s win at Upper Wharfedale also gave them two out of two, while Charlie Swallow and Robbie Oldham starred as Ben Rhydding continued their perfect start following promotion with a 63-run win over Knaresborough.
Swallow, last year’s top batsman in Division Three, hit 66 and Oldham 62 as the home side reached 216-9, and then handed over to Nick Smith (4-30) and Shaun Delaney (3-24), who made sure the visitors were always well short of their target.
Captain Ed Brown (4-37 and 69) led from the front as Olicanian passed Menston’s 178-9 with two wickets to spare, while a best-ever 4-37 by Steeton’s Ross Suri was the key as Bolton Villas were dismissed for 147. Andy Luxton took three wickets and then hit an unbeaten 55 in the visitors’ eight-wicket win.
Tong Park Esholt’s Nadeem Hanif (5-57) couldn’t stop Calverley setting a target of 222-7, in which Julian Thornhill hit a half-century.
Hanif then weighed in with 36 with the bat, with team-mate Danny Groom making 54 not out, but Gareth Lee’s 5-54 helped restrict the visitors to 188-7 to give Calverley four points.
Thackley made it two in a row in Division One but it was a close-run thing against promoted Bilton.
Thackley could only muster 126 runs but tight bowling from Mahir Ali (3-42) and Rishabh Jain (3-16) dismissed the visitors four runs short of victory.
Neil Britton (5-51) and Istokhar Hussain (3-53) thwarted Burley’s chase of Green Lane’s 199, allowing the home side to pick up four points, while Guiseley had to settle for two points when they fell well short of Beckwithshaw’s 214-5, despite a half-century from Dean Russ.
Otley could also only take two points at high-scoring Kirkstall. Despite the efforts of Andrew Rhodes (4-98 and 49), they were still 72 runs short of the home side’s 308-8 at the close.
Rawdon are the only top-flight side without a point after going down by seven wickets to Beckwithshaw.
Horsforth continued their perfect start in Division Three, beating promotion favourites Ilkley by 48 runs with Kris Lewis (51) and Andrew Robinson (73 and 6-57) the stars of the show. Jake Bezzant hit 74 of Ilkley’s 155.
Gary Owens (5-68) and Sam Baldwin (4-70) couldn’t prevent Silsden racing to 267, in which Lee Bilborough led the way with 67, with Chris Meehan (47) and Craig Thornton (45) also in form.
Owen (36) was top scorer in Skipton’s reply but the last pair had to hang on for three overs to secure a point at 183-9.
Ricky Palacio (48) helped Addingham just past the target to pick up two points at Bardsey but Hall Park were always second best against early pacesetters Colton.
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