Opener Alex Morris hit a tremendous 141 not out as Hoylandswaine beat Sykes Cup holders Barkisland – but it still wasn’t enough to close the 13-point gap on leaders Scholes.
While Morris anchored the Haigh Lane side to victory at Woodfield, brothers Tom and Josh Brook shared seven wickets to give Scholes a 23-run win at Honley.
All this as none of the top-flight’s bottom four managed to win while Cawthorne took another step to promotion from the Jedi Sports Championship and can now be caught only by Armitage Bridge or Thongsbridge as fourth-placed Clayton West lost.
In the Cedar Court Conference, leaders Rastrick did not have a game but all their main challengers lost, leaving the Round Hill side 13 points clear.
At Barkisland, the home side totalled 242-8 against Swaine thanks to 70 from Kiwi Tim Seifert, 69 from Alex Scholefield and 50 from Seth Oddy, with Kesrick Williams returning four for 41.
Morris dominated the rely with his century, and Swaine got home by four wickets thanks to contrbutions down the order from Max Joice (29) and Ben Potter (32).
Scholes were indebted to knocks of 34 and 32 from Toby Booth and Joe Carter respectively in reaching 171-9 at Honley, who were then put under early pressure by the Brook brothers.
A stirring mid-order partnership by Danny Howard (39) and Sam Denton (34) looked like it might carry Honley to victory after Tom Brook had finished with four for 25 from his 15, but Josh Brook replaced him and claimed three for 30 as the home side were dismissed for 148.
At the bottom, Broad Oak, Golcar and Kirkburton all did their survival chances a power of good with wins, while Elland, Skelmanthorpe, Moorlands and Slaithwaite look like scrapping it out to avoid the drop.
Broad Oak scored a crucial win at Elland, who put up 173-7 thanks to 36 from Brad Birkhead and 35 from Robin Broom, while the Oak got home by five wickets after Dom Finn hit 39.
Steve Whitwam hit an excellent 117 for Golcar as they totalled 269-8 at Shelley, who were dismissed for 178 in reply as Will Hinchliffe took four for 41.
Kirkburton won by four wickets at home to bottom club Slaithwaite, skipper Andy Smith hitting 41 as they knocked off the visitors’ 161-9 for the loss of six.
Dan Hill hit 50 for Slaithwaite while Craig Fletcher picked up four for 45 for Burton.
Andy gleave hit 76 and Chris Laker 67 as Delph won by eight wickets at Moorlands, who had posted 177-7.
Skelmanthorpe, who are third bottom and seven points above the drop zone, were skittled for 62 in reply to Shepley’s 255-7, Nasir Jamal and Danny Glover taking five wickets apiece.
Ben Simpson hammered 129 as Cawthorne’s promoton bandwagon rolled on with a crushing win over Almondbury Wes.
The home side totalled 299 before Jake Rodgers got to work with the ball and claimed four for 21 as the West fell for 94.
Kirkheaton leapfrogged the Wes at the bottom with an excellent two-wicket win at Clayton West, Nathan Swift hitting 70 and Mohammed Nabeel 31 not out as they reached 212-8 in reply to 211 all out, Swift taking three for 40.
Qaiser Rashid hit a Conference century for Denby (113) , but they lost by 12 runs against Birkby Rose Hill, while Dale Swan took seven for 64 for Hall Bower but finished on the losing side at Cumberworth.
