Aire-Wharfe League: In-form Follifoot hot on the heels of pacesetters, Otley

James Davies jumps for joy after taking the wicket of Toby Jacklin LBW for 0. He took the first three Collingham & Linton wickets in a 141-run win for league leaders Otley. PIC: Steve Riding

Ilkley began the weekend in second but the Middleton Avenue side fell well short chasing Follifoot’s target of 178 all out after the visitors recovered from being 40-4.

Yasar Ali (53) and Alex Fox (54) put the Follifoot innings back on track despite Dave Pennett taking 3-18 and Ilkley were then skittled for just 105 as Istikhar Hussain (4-23) and Alex Fox (3-35) caused the main problems.

Collingham & Linton's Charlie Swallow, who scored 34, hits a boundary at Otley. PIC: Steve Riding

Pennett tried in vain to salvage the situation with a late knock of 36 but the damage was done with Ilkley now third and 10 points adrift of Follifoot.

Otley are 16 points clear in pole position following Saturday’s 114-run blitzing of sixth-placed visitors Collingham & Linton.

The middle order transformed Otley’s fortunes with David Hester making 50 and Nathan Goldthorp 75 as the defending champions set a target of 254-9 despite the efforts of Toby Jacklin (4-79) and Charlie Swallow (3-60).

Swallow then led the way with the bat for Collingham with a contribution of 34 but the visitors were knocked down well short of their target at 140 all out as Stephen Brown took 4-41 with James Davies also returning 3-24. Horsforth sit fourth and six points behind third-placed Ilkley after scraping a one-run win at second-bottom Rawdon.

Sam Atkinson, of Collingham & Linton, attempts a sweep shot on the way to 23. PIC: Steve Riding

Chathura Kaluthanthri excelled for Horsforth in remaining unbeaten on 86 as his side set a target of 224-6 led by support from James Brennan (39), Bailey Worcester (34) and skipper and opener Ben Heritage (33).

But Rawdon then came agonisingly close to overhauling with captain opener Andrew Duckworth (33) and George Myers (38) putting on 84 for the first wicket. Richard Potter later added another 35 but the hosts fell one run short at 223-9.

Rawdon sit four points behind Burley-in-Wharfedale who failed to back up the previous weekend’s Waddilove Cup win against Otley as they slumped to an eight-wicket loss at home to Bilton.

The batting that skipper Jason Wright has bemoaned again cost Burley dear as last year’s runners-up were bowled out for just 104 with Awais Ejaz taking 5-48. Bilton then eased to 107-2 after Ben Roughedge (31) and Cameron Martin (45) shared an opening stand of 75.

Adel remain bottom and 12 points behind Rawdon following a two-wicket reverse at home to seventh-placed Pool.

Only Dasun Opanayaka (58) and Mark Dixon (22) made double figures as Adel were sent back to the hut at 118 all out with David Amos (4-30) and Josh Henry (3-41) getting to work.

Adel’s Gavin Thorpe hit back by taking 5-41 but Pool then eventually passed the winning post at 124-7 with opener Cameron Duncan leading the way with 29 before being dismissed by Thorpe.

Fourth-bottom North Leeds suffered a six-wicket loss at Addingham after being bowled out for 116 as Ricky Palacio (3-31) and Ted Haggas (3-16) took the main wickets.

Addingham then raced to victory at 117-4 as Palacio (46no) and Haggas (53no) shared an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 84.