Aire-Wharfe League: Time is running out for title-chasing Follifoot CC

The Pannal Road outfit have lost just twice in 2019 and have been challenging at the top of the table all season, yet find themselves 31 points behind leaders Otley with only three fixtures remaining.

The top-two are scheduled to play each other on the final weekend of the campaign, though the result of that game will count for nothing if the defending champions don’t drop points in at least one of their two upcoming fixtures.

If nothing else, Saturday’s 76-run victory over Rawdon at least keeps Follifoot’s hopes of catching Otley alive, but Matthew Williams’ men know that they have no margin for error.

Realistically, they need to win all three of their remaining matches to stand a chance of finishing top while hoping that their rivals start to stutter.

The pressure is on, but it didn’t show at Rawdon where Follifoot posted 241/7, Yasar Ali (92) narrowly missing out on a century.

Nick Robinson (79) also shone before Josh Cutts took over with the ball, bagging 4-42 to help get rid of the hosts on 165.

Bilton almost did their local rivals a huge favour when they entertained Otley, but were eventually edged out.

Skipper David Cummings top-scored with 35 in the home side’s 108 all out then Tuseif Arshad (4-36) and Mustahsan Ali Shah (3-24) helped reduce the title favourites to 77/7.

They did eventually scrape over the line, however, reaching 111/9 in the 31st over.

Having made such a positive start to life back in the first division, Collingham & Linton slipped into the relegation zone as a result of a third consecutive loss.

Toby Jacklin took a trio of scalps as Horsforth posted 225/6 but the hosts could only muster 59/9 in reply, leaving them second-from-bottom though just two points from safety.