THERE was little doubt as to the match of the day in the Mewies Solicitors Craven League.

It was the visit of Silsden to Sutton in the Wynn Cup, which, as are all of the league’s cup competitions apart from the Manorlands Plate, is starting off as a mini league played over four Saturdays stretching from April to June.

Division Two Silsden, who just missed out on promotion last season, won the toss and put in top-flight Sutton, whose innings was dominated by Sam Solley, who continued where he left off last season.

The opener batted through their 40 overs to finish on 121, which contained 15 fours and two sixes.

Silsden started poorly, being 12-2, but were revived in the middle order by Ben Sugden (35), Johnny Atherton (24), keeper Tom Greenwood (34), Ahsan Rizwan (28) and Tom Bradley (18).

Sugden and Greenwood added 72 for the fourth wicket and No 11 Will Pullen scored 13 not out, but the Cobbydalers finished on 211-9, thereby losing by one run as 14-year-old Sam Stoneman took 4-62.

Division Three champions Thornton-in-Craven gave an early indication that they will be all right in the higher echelon with a 137-run win over visitors Glusburn in their Wynn Cup match.

No 7 Jack Laycock transformed Thornton’s innings, hitting 74 off a mere 39 balls, including nine fours and four sixes as they recovered from 98-6, Mark Pickles taking 3-23.

Glusburn then lost both openers for ducks and were dismissed for 77, which would have been much worse without the 46 by skipper Steve Brown, 42 of which came in boundaries.

Ian Holden (5-28), Joe Wolfe (2-8) and Mark Laycock (2-32) put the skids under the Park Field side.

In the other Wynn Cup group, both Bradley and Cowling were defeated in low-scoring encounters, the latter at Gargrave.

Bradley hosted newcomers Bowling Baptist, who made 131, despite 17-year-old Henry Meynell (4-13), Iklaq Ahmed (2-9) and Vince Grant (2-19).

However, the home side then only had four men in double figures, led by Juni Ashraf (25), as they were dismissed for 77, Omar Hayat taking 6-12, including a hat-trick.

Dave Harrop starred for Gargrave, top-scoring with 36 in their 125 and then taking 6-16 as Cowling were skittled for 84.

Dom Kay (24) helped Gargrave to 60-2 before Hamid Ullah (3-24) and Laiq Ur Rehman (5-40) got to work, but only Danish Hameed (18) and Ur Rehman (17) reached double figures after tea.

Skipton CI lost a close encounter at home to newcomers Menston Crompark, Sam Smith taking 4-20 and Tanveer Hussain 3-20 in the High Royds team’s 116.

Opener Ahsan Mahmood made 30 in reply and Hussain 26 but CI could only total 108 as the wickets were shared between Tom Holder (5-21) and Matt Poucher (5-19).

CI’s second XI were also facing newcomers, this time Bowling Baptist II at Scotchman Road in the John Clayton Cup, a new 40-over competition.

Irfan Badshah (4-16), Matt Ryder (3-8) and Muhammad Sabeel (2-18) bowled well to dismiss Baptist for 65 before Sabeel (20no) helped CI to a three-wicket victory.

Nine-man Glusburn II did not detain visitors Gargrave II for long, being dismissed for 41, with only Akram Javed (11) troubling the scorers to any degree as Dieter Kayley (3-16) and Ben Wood (2-12) held sway.

Gargrave lost only one wicket in reaching their target in 11.4 overs, with new boy Dominic Ferneyhough (26) leading the way.

More competitive was the clash between Menston Crompark II and Sutton II at High Royds.

Openers Stuart Tillotson (64) and Laurence Powell (24) put on 63 for Sutton’s first wicket on their way to 174-6, skipper Craig Thornton weighing in with an unbeaten 29.

Crompark, who had an opening stand of 50 and were 106-3, then collapsed for 137, with Babugi Mon Soman (4-20), Powell (2-12) and Dylan Hanson (2-6) giving Sutton the edge.

Finlay Nixon-Snowden (36) and keeper James Nelson (37) added 62 for the fourth wicket in Silsden II’s 160-7 after being sent in at home to Hepworth & Idle III, who were then dismissed for 126.

The combination of Mohsan Gulbar (3-14), Max Worsencroft (2-12 to back up his 28), Alex Nelson (2-22) and Bilal Mahmood (2-33) proved too much.

In the Cowling Cup, which is still a T20, home side Cowling II timed their run chase nicely against Wilsden II, who made 128-5, Ubayd Ali taking 3-18.

Avjeet Ghosh (21no) then saw Cowling II home by six wickets in the 18th over after some fireworks by Sajid Shafait (42).

Cononley were handed a walkover by Bradley II.