JCT 600 Bradford League First teams review May 26, 2007

Posted: May 27, 2007

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Both JCT600 Bradford League Division One leaders East Bierley and Division Two pacemakers Morley made it six wins out of six.

East Bierley defeated Brighouse by 51 runs and now have a 15 point advantage over Woodlands who beat Cleckheaton by 77 runs while Morley beat Hartshead Moor by 64 runs to lead Division Two by 21 points.

Wicketkeeper Lee Goddard set Bierley on course for their latest success with a sparkling innings of 96 which contained two sixes and 11 fours.

Goddard shared an opening stand of 89 with Gharib Razak who hit 47. Jaffer Nazir (44) chipped in with quick runs late in the innings to swell the score to 283-8. Spinner Chris Greenwood was again the most successful Brighouse bowler with three for 59.

Brighouse made a bold attempt to keep up with the required scoring rate with in-form Haroon rashid making 90 from 97 balls with two sixes and nine fours. Mark Gill (48) and skipper Mark Gilliver (46) also weighed in with good contributions, but from 173 for two the innings subsided to 232 for eight as wickets were lost chasing quick runs. Left arm spinner Luke Jarvis profited with figures of four for 46.

East Bierley collected 19 points for their latest success and that was one more than Woodlands gained for their triumph over Cleckheaton.

Lee Goddard

The champions were made to struggle when they batted first. Openers Scott Richardson (38) and Sam Frankland (21) shared a stand of 58 before Cleckheaton's spinners Mohammad Zaman (4-52) and Tom Pringle (4-60) started to pose problems. Nicky Rushworth battled hard for 34 but the eventual total of 177 all out owed much to another valuable contribution from Chris Brice of 38.

Cleckheaton also found runscoring hard and only Ian Nicholson, with a defiant 54, and skipper John Wood 913) reached double figures as Safraz Ahmed (4-21) led the Woodlands victory push.

Third-place Pudsey St Lawrence piled up 311-2 as they defeated Farsley by 128 runs to send the home side to the bottom of the table. Opener Mark Robertshaw (139) and Australian Tom Stray (102not out), were severe on the punchless Farsley attack.

Robertshaw hit two sixes and 15 fours while the elegant Stray struck three sixes and nine fours in an unbeaten 102. The two batsmen shared a second wicket stand of 201 after Robertshaw and Alex Stead (50) had launched the innings with an opening stand of 109. The only two wickets to fall both went to run outs.

Farsley were dismissed for 183 with Gary Severn claiming the first five wickets at a personal cost of 40 runs. Opener Steve Simpson (44) and Shabbir Rashid (44not out) were the only batsmen to make their mark as St lawrence collected a 20 point maximum.

There was a thrilling finish at the Britannia Ground where Baildon picked Pudsey Congs by two wickets with a scampered single off the last ball to pass the Congs' total of 222-8. It was

Jonathan Reynolds

Baildon's fifth success in six games and was set up by another outstanding innings from teenage batsman Jonathan Reynolds. He made 74 and was well supported by his skipper Ian Philliskirk who gave the innings the necessary impetus with a forceful knock of 63 which included five sixes and three fours.

The Congs' innings was dominated by their overseas opener Afaq Raheen who made 88 and a late flurry from Glenn Roberts which earned him an unbeaten 52. New Indian fast bowler Suyash Burkal (3-78) and left arm spinner Mushtaq Ahmed (3-40) were Baildon's most successful bowlers.

Hanging Heaton clawed themselves off the bottom with a 20-point maximum against idle. Hanging Heaton triumphed by 60 runs and their success was due to a much-improved batting performance. Their score of 242 for eight was the perfect platform from which to launch a victory push. Skipper Alan Mynett (57), James Stansfield (56) and Sujith Vidanage (39) led the way. Greg Colehan (3-43) was easily Idle's most impressive bowler.

Idle. who are sliding dangerously towards the relegation zone, were bowled out for 182. Former Hanging heaton stalwart Javed Umarji made 39 and Michael Allen (30not out), but the batting crumbled in the face of good bowling from Chris Schofield (5-37).

Bowling Old Lane are also locked in the battle at the bottom after suffering a four-wicket reverse against Bradford & Bingley. Khalid Rehman, promoted from the second team to open the batting, made 54 for Old Lane, while Raqeeb Younis (36) and Shoaib Khan (30) helped take the score to 203 for seven. South African paceman Ethi Mbhalti took three for 65 for Bradford & Bingley.

Bradford & Bingley secure only their second win of the campaign with seven balls to spare. Phil Slater made 54 and Chris Thompson (37) as they eased home. Zaffer Iqbal; was the most successful Old Lane bowler with three for 58.

Saltaire had opening bowler Imran Arif to thank for their 86-run win over Manningham Mills. Arif, who has recently had a trial with County Champions Sussex, took five for 34 as Mills were bowled out for 142 in reply to a Saltaire total of 228 for eight which owed much to the good work of Wasim Munawar (51) and former Mills player Adil Islam (35) Overseas player Asif Hussain took four for 74 for Mills.

Spinners Steve Lane (4-47) and Tom Smith (3-48) bowled Morley to their sixth straight win. Their efforts enabled Morley to bowl out Hartshead Moor for 144 to seal a 64-triumph. Morley's score of 208-7 owed much to the efforts of opener Matthew Taylor who made 89.

Morley now have a 21-point lead over Yeadon who skittled Great Horton out for 88 on their way to an eight-wicket win and Esholt who defeated Lightcliffe by seven wickets.

Darren Drake (3-11), Saif Malik (3-13) and Tahir Mahmood (3-20) put the skids under Great Horton. The only batsman to threaten their dominance was Abid Alishan (36). Jon Henry was unbeaten on 29 when Yeadon eased home.

Bottom-team Lightcliffe were no match for promotion chasing Esholt. Lightcliffe were bowled out for just 83 as Ben Lister took four for 17. Esholt eased home with overseas batsman Shahzib Khan making an unbeaten 38.

There was last-ball drama at Gomersal where the home side's wicketkeeper Matt Garside hit the final ball of the match from Richard Weir for four to secure a six-wicket win. The triumph was the perfect tonic for the side after the midweek departure of Yorkshire leg spinner Mark lawson to Barnsley.

Richard Gould led the successful Gomersal run chase with an innings of 112 which was punctuated with three sixes and 13 fours. Amer Siddique (37) and Adam Greenwood (21not out) were the other main scorers.

Spen had made 222-8 with opener Matthew Speck making 97. He struck 17 fours before being trapped lbw by Garrick Sutherland (3-32) with his century in touching distance.

The highest individual score of the day in Division Two was made by Undercliffe's Darren Blenkiron. He made an unbeaten 134 as his side defeated Bankfoot by eight wickets. Blenkiron, who hit three sixes and 20 fours, shared an unbroken third-wicket stand of 145 with Andrew Duckworth (50 not out).

Defeat added to the anguish of Bankfoot opener Danny Lloyd who had the misfortune to be dismissed for 99. Along with Ashfad Khan (70) he provided the foundation for a total of 230 for six which Undercliffe overhauled with 4.5 overs to spare.

Robert Hopkinson continues to justify his promotion to Keighley's first team. He followed up his half-century at morley last week with a knock of 57 as his side defeated Windhill by six wickets. Hopkinson gave good support to Lee Gordon (58not out) as Keighley cruised past the Windhill score of 161 - a total which would have been far smaller had number eight Luke Holroyd not made a brisk unbeaten 70. Ross Towler was Keighley's best bowler with three for 36.