Harber steers Thackley to perfect ten

11:58am Tuesday 26th August 2008

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Skipper Leon Harber made an unbeaten 80 to steer Thackley to within three points of promotion from Aire-Wharfe League Division Three as they completed a ten-wicket win over Addingham.

With Mark Hanson (4-13) and Bradley Goodaire (3-11) taking charge, Addingham struggled to 96 before Thackley reached their target in just 20 overs.

With unbeaten Illingworth clinching promotion against Woodhouse, Skipton’s faint hopes all but disappeared when they became Ben Rhydding’s fifth victim of the season.

Alex Miller (41) top-scored in Ben Rhydding’s 119, with Ajay Rajput picking up five for 38. Miller than produced a six for 35 spell of off-spin and, with Nick Smith (4-36) also on target, Skipton were dismissed for 75.

Rory Kroom’s second half-century of the season was the highlight of Ilkley’s two-wicket win at Hall Park for whom Nadeem Hanif took five wickets.

Second-placed Guiseley kept alive their Division One title hopes with a crushing defeat of Burley.

The highest scorer in Guiseley’s 130 total was extras with 40, 21 of which were no-balls. Nick Brook (3-38) and Jason Wright (4-25) were the main wicket takers. Burley’s batting only just surpassed their own fielding woes, bowled out for 43 with Marcus Brown taking three for seven in ten overs.

Kirkstall also won to stay three points ahead of Guiseley after they inflicted Green Lane’s first defeat since June 14 despite Istikhar Hussain taking six for 69.

Steve Duckworth (4-32) and Andrew Doidge (3-23) restricted Bilton to 114 for nine chasing 126 for eight to earn Rawdon four points.

An unbeaten half-century from Sam Smith saw Otley to a five-wicket win at Pool after James Davies (4-22) had helped bowl out the relegation-threatened home side for 108.

Knaresborough and Silsden are odds-on favourites to win promotion from Division Two after both picked up wins, while third-placed Steeton had to settle for just two points at Bardsey.

Aire-Wharfe stalwart Tim Sugden top-scored with 47 not out as Silsden were restricted to 182 for five by an Olicanian attack that saw Bernard Hughes pick up four wickets. But they were both eclipsed by Zeshan Qasim, whose five for 22 spell means he has now taken 29 wickets in the last five games at an average of 5.3.

Bardsey comfortably took four points off Steeton despite the efforts of Gary Boulton, who followed up a three-wicket spell with an unbeaten 73 as Steeton recovered from 75 for seven to 168 for seven but were still 33 runs short.

Harden took another step towards safety while pushing Tong Park deeper into trouble. Richard Wear (3-11) and Craig Wintersgill (4-11) bowled out Park for 85 to set up Harden’s seven-wicket win.

Shane Franklin (73) and Basil King (62) saw Calverley extend their unbeaten run to six matches with a five-point draw against Follifoot.