Veteran off-spinner Pete Sharpe was the hero for Birstall Village in their crucial top-of-the-table clash against Woodhouse Eaves.

Leaders Birstall took a giant step towards clinching the Premier Division crown with an 11-run win over their closest rivals.

And the match was decided by 61-year-old Sharpe taking the final three wickets in one over.

Birstall were put in to bat and were going well at 143-4 with Andy Lord hitting 41.

But they collapsed to 159 all out in 44 of their 45 allotted overs.

Woodhouse seamers Sam Skeet and Andy Stovell took 3-39 and 2-38 respectively and spinner Mike Newbold 2-25. The Birstall cause was not helped by two run-outs and skipper Dave Sharpe felt that they were about 15 runs short of the sort of total they needed.

That looked as though it might be the case when the home side reached 142-6 in their reply with Jack Field hitting 28.

But Julian Saye then had Mike Newbold caught for 25.

Stovell and Mark Byers added six more runs before Pete Sharpe's dramatic intervention.

With the first five deliveries of his seventh over, he had Byers caught, trapped Woodhouse skipper Paul Oliver lbw and bowled Angelo Kidd. The win allowed Birstall to open a 21-point gap at the top with two rounds of matches to go.

County Cup finalists Newbold Verdon still have an outside chance of the title.

They are 31 points adrift of Birstall after a four-wicket home win over Wigston.

The visitors won the toss and were bowled out for 132 in 42.2 overs.

They had looked set for a higher total when they were 120-4.

But seamer Paul Bateman (3-5) and off-spinner Ryan Bird (2-6) swept away the second half of the batting order. Mark Bird (3-31) and Luke Dyke (2-35) were the other successful Newbold bowlers.

The issue was in the balance with Newbold on 64-5, Jay White claiming 3-27 and Paul Newnham 2-38. But Bateman cracked an unbeaten 56 to steer Newbold to victory.

Tim Kirby had an outstanding match as Huncote beat Leicester Caribbeans by four wickets.

He took 5-43 in the Caribbeans innings of 193-7 with Remi Durrant hitting 65 for the visitors.

Kirby followed up with an unbeaten 120 to clinch Huncote's success.

Twycross wasted little time in beating Broughton Astley by nine wickets.

Neil Alexander took 4-16 and fellow seamer Jordan Lee 3-17 as the visitors were skittled for 69.

Andy Scott hit four scoring shots, all sixes, in the Twycross reply before skipper Ben Machin steered his side over the finishing line with an unbeaten 26.

Bharat Sports had an exciting nine-run win at Appleby Magna. Yatish Patel cracked 63 and Prasant Patel 53 in Bharat's 167-7.

Opening bowler Amit Patel then claimed four wickets as Appleby were bowled out for 158.

Burton-on-the-Wolds boosted their hopes of avoiding relegation with a two-wicket victory over Leuva Patidar.

Dansuk Dhiru's 41 led Leuva Patidar's 140 all out in 44 overs.

Satu Patel claimed 3-36 in the reply but Rob Dunn's 45 set Burton on the way.

Broughton Astley are tailed off at the bottom of the table but Burton are now only one point behind Leuva Patidar.