Jubilant Honley have grabbed a potential survival lifeline in the Drakes League Premiership.

While relegation rivals Elland, Shelley and Cawthorne all lost, Simon Kelly’s side scored a vital five-wicket victory in a low-scoring affair at Armitage Bridge.

It was enough to put them level with Cawthorne – who went down by one wicket in a last-ball thriller at home to Golcar – and clear for the first time this summer of the bottom two trapdoor spots.

While Delph & Dobcross took another step towards the Byrom Shield title, maintaining their nine-point lead over second-placed Hoylandswaine, Aussie Andrew Padbury was the hero for Honley down at the Bridge.

Leading club wicket-taker Padbury claimed five for 27 and, with Kelly chipping in with three for 10, Armitage Bridge were sent back for just 63.

Honley fell to 15-3 in reply and looked to be in trouble, but Kelly played a captain’s innings and batted through for 39 not out to steer his side to a very welcome six points from only a fourth win of the season.

Shelley are now adrift of both Cawthorne and Honley after falling well short at home to Kirkburton, who totalled 297 with a terrific 126 from Andy Smith. Shelley reached 202 in reply.

At Cawthorne, where they were chasing 216-7, Golcar got home off the last delivery with their last pair at the wicket in another entertaining clash, moving up nicely in the standings.

Chris Pearson, who works behind the bar at the Swallow Lane club, was the hero for Golcar with the winning runs.

At the top, Delph won by six wickets to maintain their unbeaten record on a testing strip at Scholes, where the home side were sent in and battled to 161-8 thanks to 30 not out from Jordan Greaves and 29 from Tom Brook.

Shakir Muhammad bowled tidily to pick up four for 47, but Scholes also bowled well in the early overs to prevent Delph getting off to a flier.

They dug in, however, and it was Shree Goswami with 41 and Graeme Simpson with 48 not out who carried them to victory.

Michael Cranmer scored a super 125 as Hoylandswaine piled up 390-5 at home to Skelmanthorpe.

Skipper Cranmer received tremendous back-up from Alex Morris with 61, Gharib Nawaz with 49, SP Singh with 44 and Ryan Robinson with 44 not out, while Shahzada Khan picked up three for 83.

Singh, with five for 34, and Murtaza Hussain, with four for 41, then spun Swaine to victory, sending back the visitors for 141.

Barkisland stayed fourth with a five-wicket win at Elland, who had skipper Robin Broom to thank for 83 not out in their 179-8 – Alex Scholefield picking up four for 28 in the Calderdale derby.

Alex Kaye with 68 and Jake Finch with 47 took Barkisland to victory at 180-5.

Third-placed Sykes Cup finalists Shepley went down by 50 runs at Broad Oak, where Harvey Booth’s 61 set up a 239-8 total.

Charlie Roebuck and Dom Finn were in the 40s, while Danny Glover and Tom Burkinshaw picked up three wickets apiece.

Aussie Daniel Anderson responded with 79 for Shepley, but Alex Slack and Kiwi Henry Cooper with three wickets each made sure the visitors fell short on 189.

In the Jedi Sports Championship, Mirfield side Moorlands strengthened their chances of promotion while top-table rivals Rastrick and Thongsbridge both lost.

Michael Rounding was in fine form with 109 not out as Moorlands put up 305-2 at Linthwaite.

Andrew Fortis hit 69 and Naveed Zamurad 70 as the visitors flourished at Manchester Road, with Jared Maxwell weighing in at the end on 43 not out.

If they thought it was going to be an easy win, however, Moorlands had other things c coming.

Sajid Bashir and Greg Alexander both hit 91 for the home side and Asif Hussain 56 as they fell just six runs short on 299-7, Jake Dubbeldam with three for 60.

In the Cedar Court Conference, Nazar Hussain took the remarkable figures of eight for three as Mirfield Parish Cavaliers won the derby against Mirfield CC, bowling them out for 22 in reply to 195-8 (Hussain 56).