Saturday, August 14

Full scorecards League Tables  Second team review 

Division One

Richard McCarthy became the 16th bowler to take 1,000 Bradford League wickets on a dramatic day.

He took the four wickets he needed to reach the landmark in a spell of 4-22 as Bradford & Bingley stepped up their title challenge with a 145-run win at Saltaire.

Thanks to McCarthy, Bradford & Bingley skittled Saltaire for 88 in reply to their score of 244-5. Sri Lankan Naweed Ghany produced another impressive innings. He made 86, and innings laced with three sixes and 11 fours, while Matthew Duce (37) also weighed in with a valuable contribution.

McCarthy's achievement was the individual highlight of an afternoon which included a 48-run defeat for leaders Pudsey St Lawrence against arch rivals Pudsey Congs, a thrilling one-run win for East Bierley at Cleckheaton and a comfortable 71-run win for Woodlands over Farsley.

It means that just 23 point cover the top five but St Lawrence's lead has been cut to single point over Woodlands, with Bradford & Bingley a further 14 points back, but they have a game in hand. So too do fifth place Pudsey Congs who showed their title credentials in their victory at Tofts Road.

Pudsey Congs recovered from 13-2 to post a total of 223-7 - which proved too many for St Lawrence.

Opener Mark Gill started the recovery with 34, but the significant contributions came from Babar Butt (55no) and Adam Patel (45).

Butt hit four sixes and a four as he made his runs from 56 balls and his innings took the initiative away from St Lawrence despite the efforts of. Gareth Clough (3-60).

St Lawrence's batsmen were unable to impose themselves on the Congs seam attack of Alex Hewitt (4-23) and Eugene Burzler (4-57) as they were dismissed for 175. Opener Mark Robertshaw (43) and Steve Watts (39) were the only batsmen to make an impression.

Cleckheaton and East Bierley served up a real thriller at Moorend, with the visitors snatching victory by one run thanks to two wickets in successive balls in the final over from overseas paceman Muhammad Azharullah (4-61)

Cleckheaton must still be wondering how they came to lose the game. They had their rivals in deep trouble at 75-6 after impressive opening bursts from John Wood (4-46) and Ian Wardlaw (3-64), but East Bierley recovered to make 229-9.

That man Azharullah led the revival with an aggressive 61 off 52 balls which contained three sixes and eight fours. His good work was followed up by Skipper Paul Hutchison (38) and Luke Jarvis (33no) who shared an ninth wicket stand of 75.

Cleckheaton again looked to be in the driving seat when skipper John Wood dominated an opening stand of 135 with Mark Cummins. The former Durham and Lancashire player struck four sixes and 13 fours, but once he departed Azharullah and Luke Jarvis(4-60) turned the game around.

Cleckheaton needed just two to win from ten balls with three wickets in hand, when disaster struck. Mally Nicholson was run out for 36 and then came Azharullah's double strike from the first two balls of the last over to dismiss Jamie Robinson and Ian Wardlaw and give East Bierley a remarkable win.

Safraz Ahmed (4-23 and Chris Brice (3-29) secured another valuable win for Woodlands. They combined forces as Farsley were bowled out for 138 in reply to their total of 209-7.

Opener Sam Frankland continued his rich vein of form with a fine innings of 85 which included four sixes and 11 fours. Frankland's runs helped Woodlands to stave off the threat of Farsley skipper Chris Henry (4-36).

Baildon and Undercliffe both ended their disappointing runs with much-needed wins.

Baildon skipper Ian Philliskirk (50) and Simon Webb (42) shared a third-wicket stand of 100 which helped their side recover from a slow start to make 197-8. Shahzaib Khan (4-49) and Ben Platt (3-50) were Gomersal's best bowlers,

Gomersal plunged to 72-6 in reply as left-arm opening bowler Andy Walker (4-56). Ben Platt hit a spirited 50 not out but left-arm spinner Mushtaq Ahmed (4-31) ensured that Baildon didn't let their opponents off the hook. Gomersal were dismissed for 145 to give Baildon a 52-run win.

Undercliffe made light work of defeating bottom-team Bankfoot by seven wickets- a result that confirms their relegation back to Division two after just one season.

Bankfoot were soon in trouble against Undercliffe's new-ball bowlers Kurtis Whippey (4-38) and Nawaz Sardar (3-25 as they dismissed for 105 in a match which started an hour late because of rain,

Undercliffe's experienced duo of Mark Gilliver (47) and Ashley Metcalfe (30no) eased their side to their victory target,

Division Two

Hanging Heaton clinched promotion with a 44-run win over Keighley which gained them maximum points.

Two more points at Morley next Saturday will clinch the championship as well for John Carruthers' men.

Haroon Rashid (80) and Imran Dawood (57) powered them to a total of 245 all out despite the efforts of Max Davidson (4-60). Keighley made a spirited reply but were bowled out for 201 with one ball to go

Matthew Bottomley and Paul Wilkinson (40) were Keighley's top scorers while Nick Summerscales (4-29) and Mark Lawson (3-60) were the best of the Hanging Heaton.

Hanging Heaton are 59 points clear at the top with three games to go after both their nearest challengers - Lightcliffe and Bowling Old Lane got an attack of the jitters.

Lightcliffe failed to pick up a single point as they were dismissed for just 94 as they suffered a ten-wicket defeat at Hartshead Moor. Simon North (3-41) and Danny Squire (3-11) were the key bowlers as only opener Josh Wheatley (57) made an impression. Wheatley battled away fro 129 balls and hit a six and four fours but didn't get the support he deserved from his colleagues.

Hartshead Moor eased to their victory target without losing a wicket. Openers Craig Field (50no) and Graham Hilton (31no) showing the necessary application to cope with the conditions.

Mohammad Altaf struck a magnificent 113 as Manningham Mills defeated Bowling Old Lane by 108 runs. He hit two sixes and 14 fours as he dominated the Mills total of 228-9.

Old Lane were never in the hunt as they were dismissed for 120 with Tauseef Arshad taking 5-31 and Zeeshan Qasim (3-17).

The win sees Mills move into third place. They have the same points as Old Lane but have won one game more.

Spen Victoria continued their good run with a 111-run win at Morley. Half-centuries by Tosh Baker (51) and Matthew West (50) helped them to make 178-9. Nathan Bromby took three wickets in four balls as he finished with 5-52 for Morley.

The home side were dismissed for just 66 as Robert Warriner (4-14) and Will Smith (3-6) posed problems.

An unbeaten 73 from Ahsan Butt enabled Windhill to secure a four-wicket win over Great Horton Ayyaz Akram (33) was the other main contributor as Windhill overhauled a great horton score of 162-9. Talish Butt (561) was the cornerstone of the Great Horton innings.

Idle recorded only their second win of the season as they defeated Brighouse by five-wickets. Openers Simon Curry (63no) and skipper Graham Dobson (59) steered them to victory in the face of a good spell of bowling from Kamran Khan (4-43).

Brighouse's innings of 175-4 was dominated by their skipper - former Idle player - Paul Cummins. He grafted throughout the 50 overs to make an unbeaten 113 which included a six and 13 fours.