JCT 600 Bradford League First Teams review June 16, 2007

Posted: June 17, 2007

Woodlands stretched their lead at the top of the JCT 600 Bradford League Division One to 13 points as they defeated their closest challengers East Bierley by 24 runs.

Once again it was Woodlands' bowling which sealed their win. Richard Spittlehouse (3-31) and spinner Chris Brice (2-42) ensured that East Bierley were unable to overhaul their score of 156 for nine in a match reduced to 41 overs a side. East Bierley finished on 132-8 and apart from Toby Drummond (42) and Lee Goddard (28) they never looked like getting to grips with the asking rate.

The Woodlands innings looked to be going smoothly when Nicky Rushworth (40) and skipper Tim orrell (29) were together, but once they were both dismissed by Kez Ahmed (2-50), left arm spinner Luke Jarvis applied the brake to the scoring rate with a fine spell of two for 25 from 14 overs.

Woodlands have now won nine of their opening ten games and they face a tough test today when they visit Manningham Mills who secured a stunning103-run win over third-placed Pudsey Congs in a 30 overs contest.

Mills plundered 189-4 with their overseas star Asif Hussain hitting nine sixes and three fours in a blistering innings of 98 not out. Ahsan Butt chipped in with 39 and followed up by taking five for 16 as Congs were dismissed for 86. In-form Gamaal Hussain took four for 23.

Congs will be hoping to return to winning ways today when they entertain Bowling old Lane who slipped into the bottom two when they lost to Baildon by three wickets. Once again it was the batting that let Old Lane down. Teenager Fahid Rehman (42) and Naheem Ashraf (36) fought hard but a total of 134 was never going to be enough. Spinners Mushtaq Ahmed (5-37) and Jeremy Batty (3-41) were the chief destroyers.

Old Lane's bowlers tried their hardest to make a game of it. Baildon were reduced to 65 -7 as Zubair Najeeb (3-33) and Bilal Ejaz (3-61) posed problems before skipper Ian Philliskirk blasted an unbeaten 49 to steer the Jenny Laners to victory.

Baildon have moved back into fourth place because Pudsey St Lawrence's match at Hanging Heaton was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Baildon will be hoping to continue their upward momentum when they visit Idle.

Farsley lifted themselves off the bottom of the table as they defeated Bradford & Bingley by 68 runs. It was their second successive victory and has enabled them to climb up to 11th place ahead of today's game at hanging heaton who are now propping up the table.

Farsley made an awful start and were one for three before overseas Kallum Fernando (60), Skipper Ashley Metcalfe (49) and Barry Frankland (50no) carried them to a final total of 199-9. Inconsistent Bradford & Bingley were dismissed for 131 in reply as Metcalfe followed up his batting performance by taking three for 44 with his off spin.

Brighouse continue to be sucked into the relegation battle. They lost a tense encounter to Cleckheaton by one wicket - their eighth defeat in ten matches. Left arm paceman Craig Wiseman took five for 36 and Ian Wood (3-27) as Brighouse were bowled out for 130 despite 38 from Haroon Rashid.

Cleckheaton also struggled for runs against the bowling of Rizwan Ahmed (3-38) and Tim Linley (3-43). At 58-5 they looked in real danger of losing but skipper John Wood (27) revived his side before young Tom Pringle kept his nerve to steer them home with an unbeaten 17.

Cleckheaton are currently sixth in the table and face a testing fixture at Robert Park where Saltaire's game against Idle was abandoned after just 4.1 overs. Brighouse need to halt their run of losses at home to Pudsey St Lawrence.

It's all change at the top of Division Two again. Esholt are the new leaders after their crushing nine-wicket win over Spen Victoria and they will be hoping the curse that seems to have affected the leaders this season doesn't strike them.

Morley won their first six games, but after going 21 points clear have now lost their last four games to drop to fifth, while Yeadon lost to Windhill and Keighley after reaching the summit and are now down to third.

Overseas Shahzaid Khan took four for 19 as Spen were dismissed for a miserable 99 and then hit an unbeaten 38 as his side cruised home. Skipper Richard Whitehurst returned to form with a knock of 57. Spen have slumped to the bottom as a result of their defeat.

The 15 points Esholt gained have taken them six clear of Yeadon who suffered a five-wicket loss to Keighley. Opener Richard Robinson continued his good form by hitting an unbeaten 110 with seven sixes and eight fours as Keighley cruised past Yeadon's score of 163-9. Grant Soames (42) was the mainstay of the Yeadon batting while Steve Reape was Keighley's top bowler.

The best finish of the day was at Undercliffe where the home side suffered an agonising three-run defeat against Gomersal who have sneaked into second place. Gomersal made 125-5 in their 28 overs after the game started late while the ground dried out from the week's heavy rain. Wicketkeeper Matt Garside top scored with 33 while Simon Kellett (3-22) was the best of the Undercliffe bowlers.

Undercliffe looked favourites to win when Andrew Duckworth (33) and Darren Blenkiron (24) were at the wicket, but a collapse against the bowling of Garrick Sutherland (3-28) and Adam Greenwood (3-20) saw Undercliffe dismissed for 122. Morley's miserable run continued at Bankfoot where they lost by two wickets. At 107-1, Morley looked to be set for a good score but they collapsed to the spin of Bankfoot skipper Rob Ellis (4-42) and were dismissed for 144.

Bankfoot's eased home by two wickets thanks to the efforts of opener Danny Lloyd who made 75 not out. Off spinner Tom Smith (3-32) was the pick of the Morley bowlers.

Lightcliffe are off the bottom. They defeated Hartshead Moor by seven wickets to move up to tenth place.

Jonathan Wilson (81no), James Horne (45no) and Richard Nichols (36) provided the impetus for Lightcliffe to overhaul a Hartshead Moor score of 210-7 which was built around a magnificent innings of 130 from their overseas player Adnan Raees. Six sixes and 11 fours flowed from his bat but he still finished on the losing side.

Windhill are another side who have suddenly discovered a winning habit. They defeated Sovereign Health Care Priestley Cup giant-killers Great Horton by two wickets. Overseas player Aftab Khan again played a decisive role taking three for 33 as Great Horton were dismissed for 127 and making 35 as his side secured another victory.