Baildon skipper Ian Philliskirk with the Division One championship

Division One

Baildon ended their 57-year wait to clinch the league title when they were crowned as champions at Jenny Lane today.

Even a 57-run defeat in their final home match against third-placed East Bierley could spoil their day.

They knew from very early in the afternoon that the crown was theirs. They went into the match 15 points clear of Bradford & Bingley and once news filtered through that Bradford & Bingley were skittling out Gomersal cheaply it was clear that Baildon would need just one point as their rivals could only get 15 points at best.

That point was delivered as early as the fifth over when the dependable Andy Walker dismissed Kez Ahmed to reduce East Bierley to 19-2.

Although Baildon went on to reduce their visitors to 71-5, they saw the initiative taken away from them as Greg Wood launched a blistering counter attack.

Wood raced to his 50 off 32 balls and went on to complete his 100 off 80 deliveries as he tore into the bowling.

He struck three sixes and 14 fours before he was stumped by Simon Webb in young off spinner Harry Smallwood's first over.

Once Wood departed Luke Jarvis took centre stage. He enjoyed his promotion from number 11 to number eight with an unbeaten 47 as East Bierley reached 241-8.

Walker was the pick of the Baildon bowlers with three for 60, while Craig Hitchenor took two for 28.

When Baildon batted they seemed in party mood. Jonny Reynolds (43) and Ian Philliskirk (39) were their main scorers as they were dismissed for 185. Off spinner Kez Ahmed took five for 81 as East Bierley ended their season with a 20-point maximum.

Baildon gained seven points from the game - the margin they finished ahead of Bradford & Bingley who hammered Gomersal by ten wickets.

Gomersal, who chose to bat first, were destroyed by Yorkshire and England seamer Matthew Hoggard who took seven for 25. Gomersal were shot out for 70 and Bradford & Bingley knocked off the runs without losing a wicket. Simon Davies finished 35 not out.

At the other end of the table the two relegation places were settled. Hanging Heaton and Manningham Mills drop into Division Two.

Both suffered final day defeats, Hanging Heaton lost by 58 runs at Pudsey Congs while Manningham Mills lost a nail-biting game with Woodlands by two wickets.

Hanging Heaton faced an uphill task from the moment Congs piled up 248-6 batting first. Andy Siddall (67), skipper Matthew Doidge (65no) and Andrew Bairstow (40) were in good form. Doidge made his runs from just 27 balls.

Hanging Heaton were given a good start by opener Qasim Sheikh (49) but were bowled out for 190 as Mohammad Naveed took four for 63 and Mark Bray (3-36) to clinch a maximum 20 points and fourth place for Congs.

An unbeaten century from opener Sam Frankland scuppered Manningham Mills' hopes of a third successive victory. He hit a six and 17 fours as reached 107 not out as Woodlands edged past Manningham Mills' total of 183 all out. Zeeshan Qasim (4-62) bowled well for Mills.

Khurran Maqsood followed up his half-century against Baildon by making 50 for Mills. Nasir Jamal (35) was their other main contributor in the face of good bowling from Safraz Ahmed (5-26) and Richard Spittlehouse (4-54). The win saw Woodlands finish in sixth place.

Saltaire erased their last lingering fears of relegation with a six-wicket win at Yeadon. Yassir Abbas took six for ten as they dismissed Yeadon for just 43. Saltaire lost four early wickets but kept their nerve to win and retain their Division One status.

Another bowler in match-winning form was Cleckheaton's Ian Wood. He took seven for 48 as he and Ian Wardlaw (3-28) bowled out Farsley for 146 to seal a 39-run success. Earlier his brother John - the Cleckheaton captain - struck a rapid 71 which helped them to make 185-9.