Blistering batting marked some outstanding Drakes League action as Delph & Dobcross took a significant step towards the Byron Shield.

There were nine centuries in first-team cricket – three of them in the top v second clash between Delph and Hoylandswaine at Huddersfield Road.

Greg Buckley and Arron Lilley fired tons as Delph put up 367-8, while Gharib Nawaz responded with 116 for Swaine as they reached 356-8 in a match which featured 723 runs.

The result means unbeaten Delph are now nine points clear at the top and well on the way to the Premiership title.

Lancashire's Arron Lilley hit a century and took five wickets for Delph

Delph were 92-3 before a sensatonal partnership of 207 between Buckley and Lilley in just 21 overs.

Lilley hit 122 off just 84 ball and his innings included four fours and 13 sixes.

By the time he was out, Delph were 299-4 with nine overs left and Buckley was next out, having hit 131 off 127 deliveries with 15 fours and three sixes.

Shakir Muhammad hit a quickfire unbeaten 37 at the end to take Delph up to that big total, Swaine skipper Michael Cranmer finishing with four for 64.

Swaine gof off to a cracking start, reaching 65 without loss in the first 10 overs.

Alex Morris then went for 23 but Nawaz and SP Singh took the visitors up to 132-1 in 21.

Singh went for 36 but Cranmer hit 70 and Ryan Robinson 50 after Nawaz had completed his 116, which included 11 fours and five sixes and came off 122 deliveries.

Muhammad, with three for 87 kept them just behind the rate, however, and Lilley completed an excellent all-round performance with five for 108 to ensure six points for the leaders.

At Kirkburton, Kiwi Tom MacRury hit a double hundred for Scholes, believed to be the first in the club’s history and the highest individual Drakes score this season.

The Northern Districts A batsman batted through for 226 not out as Scholes totalled 358-2, going to his ton in 115 deliveries and his 200 in 159.

All told, MacRury batted for two minutes short of three hours and faced 170 balls, hitting 30 fours and nine sixes.

He and Alex Clegg put on a massive opening stand, with Clegg hitting 11 fours and a six in his 85, which came off 106 balls.

Burton fell behind the rate despite 59 from Jack Hendy and 58 not out from Siraj Sajid, who hit five fours and a six. Hendy had six fours and four sixes in his 35-ball knock.

Burton closed on 230-9 with MacRury claiming three for 48 and Tom Chadwick three for 35.

Honley slipped back into the relegation placings with an eight-wicket defeat at home by Broad Oak, who bowled them out for 155 on a belting track at Far End Lane.

Sam Denton hit 41 and Tom Craddock 25 but John Keeling took three for 17 as the Oak kept control.

Kiwi Henry Cooper and Charlie Roebuck then did the damage for the visitors with 57 not out and 92 not out respectively.

Shelley, meanwhile, gave their survival chances a boost with a solid win over a depleted Golcar side.

Skipper Joe Sykes hit an unbeaten 68 to guide his men to 204-6 at Swallow Lane, Mo Bhoola getting 42, before Ben Cant and Jordan Geldart took four widkets apiece to send Golcar back for 127.

Aussie Daniel Anderson was another man into three figures as Shepley scored 261-8 at home to Elland.

Anderson hit 119 not out and Dan Wood 58, and Elland were never given a sniff despite 63 from Liam Fletcher and closed on 188-9.

Barkisland and Skelmanthorpe enjoyed crushing wins over Cawthorne and Armitage Bridge respectively, while in the Jedi Sports Championship, Andrew Fortis hit 109 not out to help Moorlands beat Kirkheaton and close the gap on leaders Rastrick to just one point.

That’s because Rastrick suffered a rare defeat, being bowled out for 132 at Lascelles Hall, Matt Simpson taking five for 10.

Aussie Mitchell McCoach was the best of the Rastrick batsmen with 58, but the Hall reached 133-3 with Simpson on 31 and Peter Bocock 61not out.