BINGLEY'S Lesley Watson donned Saltaire colours as guest second claimer to take the Striders into second place in Sunday's PECO LEAGUE cross-country.

Lesley finished 25th of the 216 ladies in 38min 8sec. Jen Willingham was two places and a minute behind, with Steph Wilson 50 yards back in 29th. Laura Marchant finished 32nd and Tracy Foy was the final Saltaire counter in 48th.

Reena Mistry was again Eccleshill's leading lady (56th, 42min 57sec) as they finished right behind Ilkley, for whom Jane McCarthy was sixth (35:18) after winning the first race a fortnight ago.

The five-miler around the parklands of Nostell Priory was won by a guest, Becky Plenty from Highgate Harriers in London, in 32min 6sec.

She had a two-minute gap over Lisa Mawer (Wetherby). Pudsey & Bramley's Rachel Pilling (eighth) and Claire Green (15th) were both in the leading group.

Lydia Farley, from Bradford-Airedale, was outsprinted in the next group of seven but still managed 20th place.

The men's race was also won by a guest, Frank Beresford (Otley), in 28min 41sec. Joe Baxter (Pudsey & Bramley) was 100 yards behind Beresford but clear of the chasing group of Mark Smith (Rothwell), Jack Wood (Ilkley) and Will Kerr (Saltaire).

Saltaire were the fourth men's team on the day, with Valley victorious again. They retain second spot, ahead of Hyde Park, Rothwell and St Theresa's, who are tied in third.

The previous Sunday a typically muddy, woody five-miler opened the WEST YORKSHIRE WINTER LEAGUE season.

The five-race season parallels the Peco League. The traditionally strong outfits from Stainland and Pudsey Pacers lead the standings.

Julian Hood (fourth male) led Skipton AC into third team slot, a huge improvement on their bottom place two seasons ago.

Michael Keedy guested for Skipton in 15th, while Mel Ives and Jayne Butterworth were 14th and 15th among their female scorers.

Queensbury, in only their third year in the league, were fourth, just ahead of Baildon.

Chris Williams was sixth in a race won by a Stainland trio headed by Ben Mounsey. Meanwhile, Jo Horan and Anna Smith were 12th and 16th female finishers.