by COWLING II have secured promotion as runners-up to Timothy Taylor’s Craven League Third Division.
Their rise came from nowhere as they finished ninth, seventh and eighth in the last three seasons.
However, victory over relegated Bingley Congs III secured them a place in the Second Division.
Cowling was indebted to Haseeb Majid and Majid Iqbal, both with bat and ball, at Sandy Lane.
They were the only two players to score double figures – Majid making 19 and Iqbal 23 – in Cowling’s 71, then Majid took 3-15 and Iqbal 2-0 as the Cong were dismissed for 35 in 16 overs, Ubaid Rauf (5-14) taking the other wickets.
Cowling’s victory dashed the hopes of Silsden II, who lost by 66 points to seventh-placed Sutton II anyway.
Sent out, Sutton made 196, which was largely down to Tommy Miller who hit 74 from 48 balls, including five fours and four sixes.
Laurence Powell (43 off 44 deliveries) helped him add 93 for the fifth wicket after Jack Middleton (21) put on 40 for the second with captain Craig Thornton (25), Tom Snowden (5-49) playing a key role in the collapse of 180-4.
Hugh Sugden made a defiant 44 opening the batting for the Cobbydalers but only two others reached double figures as they were dismissed for 128, having been 85-3, Charlie Whitaker taking 3-26.
Fifth-placed Gargrave II was no match for Menston IV at Keighley Road, who overtook Bradford & Bingley III and Gargrave to climb into fourth.
Menston made 189-8 after winning the toss, with Dom Kay pocketing 4-44, but Gargrave was then chased for just 75, with Billy Davis (18) the best of four players to reach double figures.
The runners-up had a better day on Sunday, beating relegated Keighley III by 143 points to reclaim fourth place.
Gargrave’s first XI, with the Division One title in the bag, lost only their third game of the campaign – by 55 points at Glusburn, who climbed one place to fifth as a result.
The hosts won the toss and Dipesh Mistry (60) and Simon Frost (33) scored 82 for the second wicket in their 219-9.
Abrar Sarwar (39) then added 47 for the seventh over with Umar Farooq (13) before Irfan Khaliq (24 not out) and Mark Johnston (11 not out) twisted the knife with an unbroken last-wicket stand of 35.
Dieter Kayley (4-45) and Will Smith (3-58) managed to get among the wickets but only Smith really featured with the bat after tea, scoring 69 as Gargrave was dismissed for 164.
It was, however, a big improvement on 50-6 as the wickets were shared between Khaliq (3-21), Sarwar (2-19), Danny Ridehalgh (2-33) and Farooq (2-28).
Mid-table Cowling were the last team to be beaten by second-placed Riddlesden, the visitors making 181 after winning the toss, with Junaid Gulnawaz (4-39) and Laiq Ur Rehman (3-29) taking the wickets.
Cowling led at 135-6 after Martyn Dalby (42) made 61 for the fourth wicket with Danish Hameed (19), but they lost their last four wickets for just six runs.
Martyn Dalby’s fellow batsmen failed to support him in Cowling’s defeat to Riddlesden. (Image: Bob Smith.)
Bradley is not entirely safe after giving hosts Haworth only their second win of the season.
Zain Naeem and Zafar Iqbal each took three wickets in Haworth’s 243-9 but had contrasting figures, with Naeem taking 3-15 from eight overs and Iqbal 3-53 from just 4.4 overs.
The visitors had just four players in double figures in their 84-all reply, led by Jim Tate (23), but they need just four points at Haworth Road Meths on Saturday to stay top.
The battle for the Division Two championship will continue until the final Saturday, with Bowling Baptists, who are 15 points clear, at home to Denholme, while second-placed Silsden will be away to Skipton CI, who are one of four teams who could go down alongside Hepworth & Idle II.
Silsden did all they could to defeat Sutton by 92 runs, making an impressive 269-8 after winning the toss, with opener Sam Barraclough setting the pace with 83 from 101 balls, including 14 fours and a six.
He was helped by Cameron Knowles, whose 57 runs came in 38 deliveries and included nine fours and a six.
Sachin Abraham was Sutton’s top bowler with 4-29, and they made a good start after tea, with captain Dave Snowden (21) and Sam Solley (34) adding 51.
Ollie Gledhill (40) then weighed in, as did Abraham with 21, but Dom Mortimer (3-40) and Mohsan Gulbhar (4-45) helped dismiss Sutton for 177.
Thornton-in-Craven, the least likely of the quartet to go down as they need just seven points at home to Cononley, lost by nine runs to Airedale, who made 217-8 after electing to bat, Rob Cockell taking 3-42.
Opener Scott Howarth-Hynes, who scored 61 off 65 balls, hitting four fours, put the visitors back in the picture with a 71-run partnership for the third wicket with David Holt (38), while Chris Bowker (42) also got runs but they ran out of overs as they were at 208-7.
Cononley faced leaders Bowling Baptists at the Sports Ground, the visitors having a score of 211-5.
The home team were then dismissed for 146, with the main contribution coming from Ihsanullah Daulatzia (33).
Skipton CI pulled themselves out of a relegation place by collecting a much-needed maximum points win at Hepworth & Idle II, declaring even at 240-6 after 36 overs.
Sam Smith (56), Muhammad Sabeel (57) and captain Danny Smith (44no) all made valuable contributions to the total.
The hosts were 83-3 but a series of wickets to Azhar Iqbal (3-23) and Tariq Ghani (4-36) meant they lost their last seven games by 30 runs.
Bradley II did little to defeat visitors Haworth II in Division Four.
The leaders crushed them for just 27 in 16.4 overs, with opener Stephen Bell scoring 21 of them, with eight of his team-mates registering ducks.
Charlie Andrews was the main beneficiary with remarkable figures of 7-9 from his 8.4 overs.
Bradley has gone on to make it 10 runs unbeaten in just six overs but still needs 14 runs to be sure of the championship at Long Lee II on Saturday.
With Bowling Baptists II having completed their programme, Skipton CI II can overtake them for second place by gaining a minimum of six points at Haworth II.
CI made 142 after winning the toss at home to Long Lee II, with Jibin Jacob starring with 52 and adding 51 as they recovered from 27-4 down.
Long Lee was favourite at 125-6 but lost his last four wickets for 11 runs to leave the CI winners by six runs as Iqbal took 3-20 and Jacob claimed 3-27.
Glusburn II, best of the rest in a comfortable fourth place, were another team to declare – this time at 218-5 after 31 overs at Hepworth & Idle III, with Rafaqat Hussain (59) and Umar Dar (49) putting on 99 for the second wicket.
Tahir Mehmood accelerated the innings to a declaration with 55 not out from 28 deliveries, including eight fours and two sixes.
Hepworth and Idle were at 61-5 after 19 overs when bad light stopped play, Dar having taken 4-15 in eight overs.
