GARGRAVE had the Mewies Solicitors Craven League statisticians reaching for their record books at Wilsden on Saturday.

After winning the toss, Gargrave racked up 416-7, with both keeper James Freebury (170) and Matthew Simpson (149no) making ‘daddy’ hundreds in the Division One clash.

Freebury’s innings only lasted 104 balls, and included 24 fours and eight sixes, while Simpson was in for a mere 78 deliveries, hitting 10 fours and 13 sixes.

“Sam Mitchell (Wilsden skipper) and myself were joking before the toss that there was a lot of pressure on both of us to win it, and I would have been hung out to dry by my team-mates if I had lost it,” admitted Gargrave captain Will Smith.

However, he didn’t and, taking advantage of a short boundary square, his team amassed a total that was among the top-ten highest in the league’s history, but still someway short of Oakworth’s 456-6 against Jimmy Nelson’s in 2001.

“It was fantastic to watch,” admitted Smith. “The wicket was in good nick and the weather was brilliant.

“James played really nicely. He was not slogging, but just timed the ball through the covers.

“Matthew came in at 170-3, got himself in and we had to do plenty of ball-finding in the field next to the ground.”

Freebury put on 64 for the first wicket with Lee Barrett (15), 106 for the third with John Beckwith (38) and 122 for the fourth with Simpson, who then added 52 for the sixth with Joe Wood 97).

Wilsden were 6-4, with all four wickets falling to Ben Howlett (5-55), but they did reach 191, with Smith taking 3-27 in a 225-run victory which moved them up to sixth.

Cowling still lead the way, despite suffering their first defeat of the season to Riddlesden, who are just nine points behind with a game in hand.

Riddlesden won the toss at Keighley Road and made 179, despite Laiq Ur Rehman taking 5-35, Martyn Dalby 2-22 and Connor Brown 2-37.

Only keeper Rahman Ali (33) and Daud Khan (23) then troubled the scorers to any degree as the hosts were dismissed for 123.

Sutton have dropped to the bottom after losing by four wickets at Hepworth & Idle.

Sam Solley (46) and Jack Whitaker (36) scored the bulk of Sutton’s 135 after they won the toss, and Dave Snowden took 2-20 in the reply.

A key clash in Division Two was at Silsden, where Glusburn were the visitors.

The Cobbydalers won the toss but will have been disappointed to only score 163, with Jack Roberts (32), keeper Tom Greenwood (36) and Max Worsencroft (33) all being dismissed in the thirties.

Qasim Dar (2-22), Steve Brown (2-34), Brett Parkin (2-37) and the reliable Irfan Khaliq (4-57) claimed the wickets, and with Matt Lloyd (60no) anchoring the reply, Glusburn won by six wickets in the 32nd over.

Also contributing were Dipesh Mistry (48), Brown (20) and Khaliq (23no) as third-placed Glusburn moved within seven points of second-placed Silsden with a game in hand.

A similar margin of victory happened at Skipton CI, who scored 194-7 after winning the toss against Ingrow.

Darren Pighills (50no) and Muddassar Khan (20no) added some late runs after Tanveer Hussain (20), skipper Danny Smith 925) and Ian Henderson (29) had performed solidly higher up.

Connors Hall-Brown then took 3-42 but he was a minor irritant for the Keighley visitors, who won by five wickets in 34 overs.

Thornton-in-Craven’s batting has been performing fitfully over the past few weeks and they could not overhaul Airedale’s 189-7, losing by 10 runs.

Matt Bowker (3-46) did best with the ball in Airedale’s innings, but no-one topped 31 in the reply as Thornton were dismissed for 177, with Scott Howarth-Hynes (31), Mark Laycock (30no), Tom Cleaver (27), Ian Holden (26) and James Mellin (25) doing best.

Bradley defeated fellow strugglers Bradford & Bingley III by seven wickets at Matthew Lane, scoring an impressive 215-3 after winning the toss.

Juni Ashraf provided the impetus with 63 off 80 balls, including four fours and three sixes, but Iklaq Ahmed (49) and Matt Buckmaster (21) also weighed in before Bingley were dismissed for 167, Vince Grant taking 3-14 on a day when the wickets were shared.

Cononley continue to be the pacesetters in Division Three alongside newcomers Bowling Baptist.

Skipton CI II could not cope with Cononley’s four-pronged attack of Scott Brook (3-4), Harry Parker (3-12), Matthew Calvert (2-17) and Colin Stead (2-42) and were back in the pavilion for 95, despite Edwin Sebastian’s 29.

Keeper Nathan Parker then showed how to bat, scoring an unbeaten 52 as Cononley won by seven wickets in the 15th over.

Cowling II, who are fifth, won an unusually low-scoring match at Keighley III.

Batting first, the visitors could only score 109, with Haseeb Majid (22) and Sajid Shafait (27) being the only batters to top 20.

However, that proved more than enough as the home side were skittled for 59, with just one man in double figures, as Majid took 7-15.

Gargrave II had a fine victory at home to Menston Crompark, who made 171-9 after being sent in, with George Beckwith taking 3-37 and Kieren Ashley 3-30.

Tom Storr’s 82 was instrumental in the home side winning by six wickets in the 33rd over, with Richard Bell (24), keeper Dominic Ferneyhough (22) and Dom Kay (25no) also contributing.

Bell and Storr added 68 for the second wicket, and Kay and Storr 61 for the fourth.

Silsden II continue to lead the way in Division Four after a seven-wicket triumph at Menston Crompark II, who were restricted to 116-9 after winning the toss, with Archie Cox taking 4-24 and Alex Nelson 2-19.

Bilal Mahmood (38) and Hugh Sugden (15) then added 56 for the second wicket after tea, keeper James Nelson (30no) being there at the end, which came in the 29th over.

Sutton II are Silsden’s main challengers, lying 10 points behind in second after a nicely-timed five-wicket triumph at home to Airedale II.

Theo Reay (3-13), the sixth bowler used by Sutton, was their most successful in Airedale’s 178, which was passed in the 38th over after 59 from Jack Middleton, 43 by Ali Hussain, 24 from Stuart Tillotson and 21 by Greg Riddiough.

Tillotson and Jack Middleton put on 67 for Sutton’s first wicket, while Hussain helped Middleton put on 47 for the second.

Glusburn II had an even easier victory over visitors Long Lee II, winning by 100 runs after making 198-8.

Javed Akram (58) and Iain Beattie (22) figured in an opening stand of 57 for Glusburn, and skipper Mark Pickles put on 69 for the second wicket with Akram, Mohammed Imran (21no) weighing in down the order.

Pickles then completed a fine match by taking 5-20, with Umar Dar bagging 3-15 as Long Lee were castled for 98.

Bradley II were also in easy street, triumphing by six wickets at Ingrow after dismissing the hosts for 109, Matthew Speak taking 4-15, Abdul Rehman 2-27 and Charlie Andrews 2-33,

Rehman then scored an unbeaten 44 to see his side home, helped by 20 from Awais Aseem.