Nigel Horsfall and skipper Robert Cockroft came up trumps for Booth in a thrilling Foster’s Halifax League top section contest last Saturday.
Hosts Warley looked favourites when the visitors suffered a middle-order collapse after Jon Midgley (95) and Rob Laycock (54) had put them in a strong position in pursuit of the home side’s 237 for eight.
The ninth wicket pair needed to score more than 70 and quickly. They did that with Horsfall unbeaten on 41and Cockroft on 28.
“We needed around 57 off the last five and got them with an over to spare,” said vice-captain Richard Laycock.
Booth took nine points but lost second place to Calder Valley rivals Mytholmroyd, who collected 12 at home to Sowerby Bridge.
‘Royd gave a solid batting display, headed by Chris Overend (46) to amass 277.
Tim Helliwell made 85 at the top of the visitiors’ order but he became one of four victims for spinner Adie Gawthrope and Zeb Mahmood bagged five wickets as Bridge were dismissed for 185.
‘Royd host Booth on the last day of the season, Saturday, September 13, and the runners-up spot could be the prize for the winners with clear leaders Jer Lane showing no signs of faltering.
Richard Laycock said “We’re trying to finish as high as possible but it looks as though second could be the best we can hope for.”
Luddenden Foot won again in their effort to beat the drop in the middle section, getting the better of visitors Oxenhope by three wickets.
The latest in 17-year-old Isaac Baldwin’s string of good scores was 73. Joel Cleary (64) helped add 120 as Oxenhope’s 239 for nine was topped.
The departure of Cleary and Ollie Hemingway (35) in successive deliveries set up a tight finish but George Ashton (25 no) and skipper Gareth Swain (23 no) took 10 off the first two balls of the last over to finish it.
Division Two title favourites Bridgeholme sped to a 10-wicket win over Denholme Clough and second-placed Cullingworth lost again.
Mohammed Jamil (56) and Adil Hanif (36) were the only visiting batsmen to offer resistance as Clough made 121, Bobby Fielden (69 no) and James Hudson (47 no) knocking off the runs in 17 overs.
James Yates’s 88 and Sajid Mahmood’s five for 39 were to no avail for bottom side Old Town, who made 207 for nine in response to Shelf’s 240 for nine.
Booth have a home friendly against Wyncote Ramblers on Bank Holiday Monday.
FOSTER’S HALIFAX LEAGUE
Premier Division: Booth v Copley (umpires A Rawnsley & K Campbell), Jer Lane v Blackley (S Pullen & B Sewell), Southowram v Bradshaw (M Rothwell & D Bates), Sowerby Bridge v Triangle (P Halstead & R Howarth), Sowerby v Mytholmroyd (T Laycock & S Daveney), Thornton v Warley (P Taylor & M Walker).
P W12 W4 T Dr Bo Pts
Jer Lane 18 9 4 0 4 25 157
Mytholmroyd 18 7 4 0 4 28 136
Booth 18 6 5 0 4 33 133
S.Bridge 18 5 2 0 4 37 113
Warley 18 5 3 0 4 32 112
Thornton 18 4 2 0 4 43 107
Southowram 18 3 4 0 4 46 106
Copley 18 2 3 0 4 51 95
Blackley 18 3 3 0 4 38 94
Triangle 18 1 4 0 4 44 80
Bradshaw 18 1 1 0 4 49 73
Sowerby SP 18 1 1 0 4 37 61
Division One: Outlane v Low Moor (E Sykes & M Summerscales), Oxenhope v Northowram (L Smith & G Cowgill), Queensbury v Luddenden Foot (R Huck & G Griffiths), SBCI v Clayton (J Senior & A Bottomley).
Division Two: Cullingworth v Bridgeholme (A Ford & R Taylor), Denholme Clough v Stones (E Owens & P Butterfield) Old Crossleyans v Shelf (R Wilkinson & S Booth), Old Town v Wibsey Park (A Mitchell & D Redhead).
Premier seconds: Blackley v SBCI (M Orchard), Clayton v Sowerby Bridge (K Hartley), Copley v Jer Lane (D Hudson), Northowram v Booth (P Mallinson), Triangle v Thornton (P Gatehouse), Warley v Sowerby (A Welch).
Division One seconds: Low Moor v Old Crossleyans (Jack Wilson), Mytholmroyd v Southowram (R Wade), Stones v Outlane (J Doherty), Wibsey Park v Oxenhope (B Tennyson).
Division Two seconds: Bradshaw v Cullingworth (I Revill), Bridgeholme v Greetland (A Rushworth), Luddenden Foot v Denholme Clough A Hussain Shelf v Old Town John Wilson.
CENTRAL LANCASHIRE LEAGUE
P OW LW D T L LP Pts
Norden 21 13 3 3 0 2 2 85
Walsden 21 8 5 4 0 4 3 71
Littleborough 21 6 4 4 0 7 2 56
Heywood 21 5 3 4 0 9 4 49
Clifton 21 5 2 5 0 9 3 46
Royton 21 5 0 6 0 10 3 40
Rochdale 21 4 0 5 0 12 7 37
Werneth 21 1 2 5 0 13 3 26
P W T L NR Bt Bwl Pts
Lowerhouse 21 18 0 3 0 3 33 216
Ramsbottom 21 17 0 3 1 3 28 204
Enfield 21 14 0 6 1 13 28 184
Haslingden* 21 12 0 8 1 10 35 167
Accrington 21 13 0 8 0 11 18 159
Church 21 13 0 7 1 2 23 158
Rawtenstall 21 10 0 11 0 13 21 134
Nelson 21 10 0 11 0 11 21 132
Todmorden 21 9 0 9 3 10 14 123
East Lancs 21 8 0 12 1 2 17 102
Burnley 21 7 0 12 2 3 22 101
Rishton 21 4 0 17 0 12 13 65
Colne* 21 3 0 17 1 6 23 61
Bacup 21 3 0 17 1 5 10 48
* 1pt deducted
Teams - Walsden (home to Rochdale): J Rawlinson, N Barker, M Dawson, J Hooson, Josh Gale, Joe Gale, S Barker, R Sladdin, D Brown, R Pathan , U Karunaratne. Sunday (Werneth away): J Shackleton replaces M Dawson.
Walsden II (away to Rochdale): S Hanson, P Marrow, J Lord, D Bailey, C Hanson, K Halstead, C Dewhirst, D Howley, M Halstead, Joe Hanson, Jack Hanson. Sunday (Werneth at home): A Butcher and T Illingworth replace K Halstead and M Halstead. Monday (Norden away in Burton Cup final): M Halstead replaces Jack Hanson from Sunday’s team (Jack becomes 12th man).