Skipton proved a thorn in the side of Aire-Wharfe League Division Three promotion contenders Ilkley last Saturday.

Ilkley’s lead at the top was reduced when they only managed to take four points off their opponents, despite some top-notch batting by Alex Bailey (90), Andrew Wheeler (60no) and Rory Kroon (49).

The trio helped them to 259-6 – a total Skipton didn’t look like matching – but a half-century by Rob Walker helped them to finish on 208-7 and pick up two points.

Neil Spragg hit a century as Steeton notched a season’s best 286-7 that left Calverley struggling and they were dismissed for 199 in Division Two.

Steeton put together a number of excellent scores and partnerships, starting with a 45-run opening stand between Chris Luxton (23) and skipper Jon Best (34).

Luxton hit a six three fours in his 32-ball knock, and Best scored his runs from 71 deliveries with five boundaries.

He went on to share an excellent second-wicket partnership of 72 runs with Spragg, whose 101 came from just 122 deliveries and included two sixes and 12 fours.

As he amassed his century, he shared a 68-run third-wicket stand with John Akrigg (34), followed by 64-run fourth-wicket partnership with Andrew Luxton (36).

Akrigg was only in for 33 deliveriesm hitting a six and four fours, and Andrew Luxton smacked two sixes and three in his 28-ball knock.

Australian Grant McDonald smashed a rapid 13 and Gary Boulton crashed 16 not out, in-cluding a six, which means Boulton now equals Andrew Smith’s record of 190 sixes in first-XI cricket at Steeton.

At the tea interval, Steeton were well satisfied, and things became even better afterwards when Calverley had lost both openers with the score on 20 – one to the bowling of Ross Suri (1-24) and the other to McDonald, who was the pick of the bowlers as he finished with 3-61 from 12 overs.

The leg-spin of Andrew Luxton (1-28) and the swing of Boulton (1-35) bagged a wicket apiece.

Following his heroics with the bat, Spragg bowled three overs and claimed two wickets for seven runs, and the final two wickets fell to Best (2-26).

Calverley were all out in 43.5 overs, and Steeton’s fielding was good, with catches for Chris Luxton, Oliver Gledhill, Matthew Thomas and McDonald, and two for keeper Neil Wilson.

McDonald and Best were awarded fielding points as Steeton won comfortably by 87 runs to collect six valuable points.

Upper Wharfedale were also in the runs at home to Knaresborough, rattling up 286, with Adam Yates scoring 73 and Dave Eggleton 51.

Yates and Chris Baines (44) put on 69 for the first wicket, Yates and Cam Taylor (29) adding 75 for the second, and Andrew Foulds and Eggleton figuring in a fourth-wicket partnership of 51.

The visitors replied with 187-8, despite Elias Karageorgiou carrying his bat for 105. Stephen Pearson took 5-49 for the Dalesmen and Tom Baines 2-16.

Silsden could only manage a one-point draw against Bilton.

In a third-team derby, visitors Upper Wharfedale defeated Skipton by 51 runs.