UNSWORTH blew the struggle for Premier League safety wide open with a 16-run victory at home to relegation rivals Bury on Saturday.

Pro and captain Chris Williams had a telling impact on the result with both bat and ball, top scoring with 76 in Unsworth's total of 194-5 then taking 3-44 as Bury ran out of wickets as they attempted to chase down their total.

The result was in the balance after Bury moved to 102-2 inside 17 overs before Steven McGuinness (3-34) removed danger man Mohammed Jamal for 31 and Williams turned the game on its head a few overs later, claiming the wicket of the big-hitting Cosmond Walters for 72.

Bury continued to move within range of their target, but Williams, McGuinness and Ian Hall (3-37) chipped away at their wickets.

And Alex Breckin was left stranded at the crease on 19 not out with more than eight overs remaining after Hall claimed the final two victims in the space of three deliveries.

As Bury dropped to 11th place in the table, Unsworth's third win from their last four games lifted them up to ninth, and while they remain in the fourth and final relegation place, Williams' men are now just three points from safety after fifth-bottom Greenmount lost by 77 runs at Denton West.

The Brandlesholme Road outfit gave themselves a cushion over the drop zone with a win against Glossop the previous weekend, but they were always chasing the game on Saturday after Denton West's opening pair put on 88 for the first wicket.

John Barnett eventually went for 50 while Andrew Rushton was stumped by stand-in wicketkeeper Jonathan Sammut for 50.

Denton West went on to make 246-9, with Phil Heaton claiming 4-63 and Mark Stewart 3-63.

Greenmount captain Andy Kerr gave his side a solid platform with 63 from 102 deliveries, but his departure, shortly after Phil Heaton went for 20, heralded a familiar collapse, with the last five wickets falling for just 20 runs.

Division One leaders Walshaw fell to only their fourth league defeat of the season, losing by four wickets at home to relegation-threatened Whalley Range.

After making the final of the GMCL's First XI Cup and claiming some important wins against their title rivals recently, they finally showed a chink in their armour after being restricted to 164-8 from their 50 overs.

Opener Saif Bhojani ground out 45 from 102 deliveries but some tight bowling from Waqas Malik, who had seven maidens in his figures of 2-21 from 15 overs ensured Walshaw were unable to pile on the runs.

Whalley Range found it just as difficult to get the ball away before Waqas (46 not out) joined Ali Jhangoo (58no) at the crease with the score on 83-6 and they guided the visitors past their target with five overs to spare.

Promotion chasers Woodbank also endured a frustrating day, dropping to fifth in the table after losing by 13 runs at home to third-placed Roe Green.

Nick Kennedy (4-37) and Ryan Barker (3-19) looked to have set Anthony Harris's men on course for victory after helping Woodbank bowl out the visitors for 159.

But after stand-in captain Steve Dearden took their reply on to 81-1, his dismissal for 48 triggered a collapse, as Woodbank lost their final nine wickets for 65 runs.

Elsewhere in the division, Elton continued their slide down the table with a six-wicket defeat at Winton that left them in the relegation places, third from the bottom.