STATISTICALLY Gargrave might have to win three of their last four matches to be certain of winning Division One of the Timothy Taylor’s Craven League.

However, that would mean second-placed Haworth Road Meths, who are now 32 points behind, winning all of their matches with a maximum haul and Gargrave not picking up any losing bonus points, which is highly unlikely, so two wins would probably do.

Victory number 10 in 14 league matches for Gargrave was emphatic as they dismissed fourth-placed visitors Cowling for just 51, only Danish Hameed making double figures as Joe Wood took 6-37 and Ben Howlett, returning to form, 4-13.

Gargrave then took only 12.1 overs to knock off the runs for the loss of one wicket, with opener Lee Barrett finishing on 21 not out.

That defeat dropped Cowling two places to sixth, and they are now just eight points ahead of seventh-placed Glusburn, who were the latest victims of Meths.

Hosts Glusburn made a horrendous start, being 5-3 and 52-5 before a partnership of 73 for the sixth wicket between Irfan Khaliq (18) and Tamoor Munir, who made 84 off 45 balls, including six fours and eight sixes.

However, from 184-7 their last three wickets only added one run, and Meths won by four wickets after 38 of their allotted 45 overs.

Bradley remain eighth after featuring in the first tie of the season in the top flight.

They won the toss at Hepworth & Idle and batted, with Jim Tate grafting through their innings of 145 for 64 not out, three other players getting into the teens.

The Westfield Laners had four players in double figures but also ended on 145, despite Akeel Rashid taking 4-26.

In Division Two, Silsden lost their third league game of the season but are still in second place, a healthy 45 points ahead of Sutton.

Silsden were the latest victims of Ben Burkill-inspired hosts Denholme, who made 211-8 after being sent in, Dom Mortimer taking 3-44.

In the Cobbydalers’ reply, the first three made double figures, but only Mohsan Gulbhar (37) contributed much after that as they were dismissed for 138, losing three wickets with the score on 62.

Sutton climbed from fourth after winning a thriller by two runs at Ingrow.

The visitors chose to have first knock and were given a fine start by openers Dave Snowden (48) and Sam Solley (35), who put on 59, Snowden then adding 50 for the second wicket with Ali Hussain (20).

But from that high-water mark of 109-1, they collapsed to 133-7 before being revived by a partnership of 63 by Sachin Abraham (35) and Caleb Gledhill (27no), only for the last three wickets to add just one run.

Ingrow were looking good at 72-1 and 192-6 but lost their last four wickets for three runs to lose by two runs with one ball left, Abraham taking 3-54 and Snowden 2-31.

Thornton-in-Craven are up to fifth after a short day’s work at home to Skipton CI, who were skittled for 55 in 17 overs after winning the toss and dropped from fifth to seventh.

Only Qamar Zulfiqar (15no) and Tanveer Hussain (12) troubled the scorers to any degree as Ian Holden (5-26) and Jack Laycock (5-25) tore into the batting.

David Holt (24no) and Jonny Martin (25no) then put on 51 unbroken as the hosts won by eight wickets in just 11.3 overs.

Cononley, who are eighth, needed a win to keep their noses in front of the demotion places, and got it at home to third-placed Airedale, who made 138 after being sent in, with the ninth pair adding 43.

The wickets were shared between Harry Parker (3-36), Herbie Starkey (3-29) and Ikram Daulatzai (2-25).

Cononley were 35-3 before partnerships of 36 and 37 put them in good shape, only for three wickets to fall at 108.

However, Daulatzai (17no) and Ihsanullah Daulatzia (13no) then added 31 unbroken to see Cononley home in the 34th over, and they are now 16 points ahead of second-from-bottom Ingrow.

The Division Three title now looks like a three-horse race between Long Lee (194 points), Silsden II (185) and Cowling II (184) after Silsden trounced visitors Long Lee.

Silsden’s decision to field was vindicated when they had Long Lee back in the pavilion for 54 inside 25 overs, collapsing from 38-2 to Alex Nelson (5-22), Tom Snowden (3-1) and Keenan Wozny (2-28).

Wozny then finished on 28 not out as the home side won by eight wickets in the 15th over.

Cowling II made light of a potentially testing encounter at home to fourth-placed Menston IV, who made 147 after winning the toss, which was a big improvement on 46-5.

The wickets were shared between Ubaid Rauf (3-33), Haseeb Majid (26), Awais Riaz (2-29) and Sajid Shafait (2-52).

Both Cowling’s openers then made ducks but Majid (22) and Shafait (37no) then showed their all-round qualities alongside Reyan Hassan Ali (65no, including 11 fours) as they recovered from 35-4 with an unbroken stand of 113 to win by six wickets in the 44th over.

Dom Kay (5-13) and Ben Wood (3-30) put Bingley Congs III on the back foot at Sandy Lane, dismissing them for 73 in the 28th over.

Wood then scored 37 not out as the sixth-placed visitors won by eight wickets inside 14 overs.

Sutton II are one place further back after a 47-run victory at cellar dwellers Wilsden II.

Plenty of Sutton players got starts, including 16-year-old opener Jack Middleton, 20-year-old Charlie Whitaker, Justin Holdsworth (28), Dylan Hanson (27) and Ben Middleton (23), who is 18 this month.

Hanson and Jack Middleton put on 55 for the third wicket, Whitaker and Ben Middleton 40 for the sixth and Holdsworth and Ben Middleton 44 for the seventh.

Wilsden made a fine start and were 68-1, but that became 69-4 before a partnership of 52, only for them to nosedive from 121-4 as Ben Middleton took 3-32, Holdsworth 4-26 and veteran Bryan Hollis 2-16.

In Division Four, Bradley II and Skipton CI II are favourites for promotion, although Bowling Baptists II, who won by four wickets at Bradley, are coming up on the rails.

Bradley made 164-7 after winning the toss, with important contributions from Luke Watson (45), Tom Long (27), No 9 Jack Andrews (25no) and No 8 Hamza Ayub (17).

Baptists’ card was solid after tea, with six batters playing themselves in, and they won a fine contest by four wickets with an over to spare.

CI are now only 13 points adrift of Bradley after a convincing victory at home to Airedale II.

The hosts wondered whether winning the toss was such a good idea when they were 30-4, but Mozzam Khan then put on 48 with Jibin Jacob (28) and 84 with Steve Davidson (45no).

Khan finished with 62 off 67 deliveries, including eight fours and a six, but Airedale’s pain was not over as captain Matt Ryder (29) then added 43 for the ninth wicket with Davidson and they totalled 216.

One Airedale batter then scored 56, another 21 and they had two others in the teens, but it was not enough and they were back in the pavilion for 126 as Ryder took 4-30, Khan 2-23 and Danyal Iqbal 2-35.

Glusburn II, who are fourth, also had a solid victory - by 100 runs at Menston V.

The visitors were 19-4 but were revived via partnerships of 56 between skipper Mark Pickles (25) and Alan Coney (39) and 51 between Amir Javed (58no off 38 balls, including seven fours and two sixes) and keeper Tom Simpson (18).

Menston lost a shutter of wickets to fall from 45-2 to 50-8 and were dismissed for 73 by Tahir Mehmood (4-8), Umar Dar (3-34) and Steve Poole (2-11).