JCT 600 Bradford League First Teams review May 17, 2008

Bierley retain the leadership after a 20-point maximum

Posted: May 18, 2008

Esholt's Mark Cummins in action at East Bierley

Leaders East Bierley secured their fourth successive win when they beat Esholt by 77-runs to retain the leadership of the JCT 600 Bradford League Division One table on a day when rain caused disruption.

East Bierley collected a maximum 20 points which enabled them to increase their lead over champions Woodlands and Bradford & Bingley who have also won all their opening four fixtures.

East Bierley's success was achieved with a good all-round performance. After rain had shaved 26 over from the game, East Bierley powered to 225-5 in 37 overs with Andrew Rennison impressing with 62, while Gharib Razak (45), Toby Drummond (34no) and Gavin Hamilton (33) all took toll of the Esholt attack.

Esholt's reply was going along steadily until East Bierley's in-form left arm spinner Luke Jarvis joined the attack. He took five for 25 in ten overs as Esholt subsided from 78-2 to 148 all out. Kez Ahmed picked up three for 24 while Gulsheraz Ahmed (45) and Mark Cummins (31) were Esholt's main contributors.

Former Yorkshire seamer Pieter Swanepoel took seven for 50 as he bowled champions Woodlands to a 117-run win over Saltaire which earned them 19 points and enabled them to move above Bradford & Bingley into second place. The visitors were dismissed for just 88 with Mohammad Nayim top scoring with 33 not out. Woodlands had made 205-7 in 40 overs with Scott Richardson hitting 74 in an opening stand of 82 with Sam Frankland (39)

Bradford & Bingley extended their winning run with a five-wicket victory over Pudsey Congs who have now lost three of their four league games. Congs made 141-7 in a game reduced to 28 overs a side with opener Alexis Twigg making 40, but Bradford & Bingley eased home with 11 balls to spare after Mark Beckett made an unbeaten 59 in an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 72 with Chris Thompson (38no). The win earned Bingley 14 points.

Fourth-placed Baildon were also victorious. They bowled out Hanging Heaton for 115 in their 29 overs a side contest, with Ahsan Butt (3-9), Craig Hitchenor (3-30) and Andy Walker (3-30) ripping through the Hanging Heaton batting. Baildon eased home with eight balls to spare with Tabbi Bhatti making an unbeaten 60.

Pudsey St Lawrence finally secured their first victory of the season when they beat Cleckheaton by 65 runs in a 27 overs a side contest. St Lawrence piled up 200-9 with openers Mark Robertshaw (66) and Alex Stead (52) sharing a partnership of 116. Spinner Tom Pringle finished with five wickets but they cost him 61 runs off just eight overs.

Cleckheaton, who have now lost three successive matches, replied with 135-9. Ian Nicholson (58) was easily his side's top scorer as Stead claimed four for 45 and Nottinghamshire's Gareth Clough (3-26).

Yeadon were also celebrating their first win. They defeated Bowling Old Lane by seven wickets in a match reduced to 28 overs each. Old Lane were restricted to 123-9 despite the efforts of Ayyas Akram (42no). Andrew Robertson (3-18) and Greg Lambert (3-29) were the pick of the bowlers.

Yeadon eased to their target with skipper David Leather (34no) and Grant Soames (32no) seeing their side safely home.

The match between Manningham Mills and Brighouse was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Gomersal maintained their position at the top of Division Two as they beat Spen Victoria by eight wickets. Once again their batsmen were to the fore in a match which produced two centuries.

Gomersal's overseas player Kashif Naveed was 100 not out as he and the prolific Richard Gould (94no) steered their side past a Spen score of 228-6 which was dominated by a sparkling 126 from overseas player Naeemuddin Qazi. Skipper Peter Jackson (40) also chipped in with valuable runs but Spen's total simply wasn't enough to trouble Gomersal's big guns.

Like Gomersal, second placed Idle have four wins out of four. They crushed bottom team Hartshead Moor by 144 runs. Opener Graham Dobson (71) and skipper Danny Shuffe (61) helped Idle to make 225-7, before Tahir Mahmood (4-29) helped dismiss the home side for just 81.

Their was a thrilling last-ball finish at Undercliffe where the home side scrambled a six-wicket win over Great Horton in a game reduced to 26 overs each. James Hawley (43no), Nawaz Sardar (42) and Ben Heritage (41) made sure that Undercliffe judged their pursuit of Great Horton's 152-5 to perfection.

Farsley skipper David Syers led from the front as his third-placed side defeated Lightcliffe with three balls to spare, Wicketkeeper Syers, who had earlier taken three stumpings and two catches, blasted two sixes and three fours in an unbeaten 59 which enabled Farsley to overcome a Lightcliffe total of 173-5. Jonathan Wilson (48) and Dom Finn (40) were the main contributors.

Opener Richard Robinson signaled his return to form with a superb 115 as Keighley secured an 84-run win over Bankfoot. Robinson hit seven sixes and 11 fours in a knock which helped his side to total 213-5. Skipper Steve Reape made 58.

Robinson crowned his afternoon's work by taking four for 33 as Bankfoot subsided from 79-1 to 129 all out. South African Gareth Van Hoesslin top scored with 42.

Skipper Matthew Taylor made an unbeaten 75 as Morley returned to winning ways with a nine-run success at Windhill. Taylor dominated Morley's score of 114-5 in a 25 overs a side contest. Overseas player Ammar Mahmood picked up three for 44 for Windhill. The home side looked to be in the hunt until the dismissal of opener Neil Johnson for 60. Off spinner Tom Smith took three for 44 as Windhill finished on 135-7