Saturday, August 21

Full scorecards League Tables  Second team review 

Division One

Just 20 points separates the top five clubs as the most closely fought title race for many years shows no signs of revealing the identity of this year's champions.

Pudsey St Lawrence lead the table by 11 points after their comfortable six wicket win over relegated Bankfoot. But they have no game next week and could be overtaken by Bradford & Bingley, Woodlands, and East Bierley before they next play.

Bankfoot were no match for St Lawrence. They were dismissed for 112 in 39 overs - an innings that was dominated by former Tofts Road junior Andrew Duckworth. He battled hard for his 62. Alex Stead was the most successful bowler with 3-25.

Opener Mark Robertshaw (47) and skipper James Smith (30) helped St Lawrence to reach their target.

St Lawrence picked up 15 points for their win, but East Bierley (20), Bradford & Bingley (19), Pudsey Congs (18) all made up ground on the leaders on a day when they were all playing sides from the lower reaches of the league.

With Woodlands without a game, Bradford & Bingley seized their chance to climb above them into second place with a 91-run victory over Gomersal.

Bradford & Bingley made 284-4 - the division's highest score of the day - with opener Simon Davies batting throughout the innings for an unbeaten 88. Sri Lankan Naweed Ghany made a stylish 53 and skipper Phil Slater (36) before big-hitting Chris Thompson smashed 70 off 40 balls with five sizes and six fours.

Experienced opener Richard Gould made 82 as Gomersal were restricted to 193-9 in reply. Spinner Ghany (4-47) and David Clow (3-50) were the most successful bowlers.

East Bierley were without Division One's top scorer Gavin Hamilton for their match with relegation candidates Saltaire - but they still managed to pull off a comfortable 117-run win.

Once again overseas player Muhammad Azharullah had a big influence on the results. He made a timely 34 to back up the efforts of Andrew Rennison (68), Tom Owens (38) and Gharib Razak (31) as East Bierley made 261-8 despite the efforts of Nadeem Mahommed (4-69).

Azharullah took his season's tally of league wickets to 48 as he took 3-37 as Saltaire perished for 144. Wasim Munawar (76) and Farhan Khan (33) fought hard but lacked support as Azharullah and left-arm spinner Luke Jarvis (3-42) got to work.

Pudsey Congs maintained the pressure on the top four teams with a 19-run win over a Yeadon side who are looking increasingly likely to drop into Division Two.

Congs are now just 20 points behind table-topping St Lawrence, and although three of their last four games are away from home - at Farsley, Saltaire and Bankfoot - they are well capable of winning all of them and their outstanding home match against Baildon.

Having won five successive titles between 2000 and 2004, Congs have the know how and judging from their recent performances, the desire to win more silverware.

Eugene Burzler sealed their latest win by taking 5-53 as Yeadon, despite the fine efforts of Sri Lankan Tharanga De Silva (67), Andrew Robertson (45) and James Goldthorp (41), finished on 205-9 in reply to the Congs' score of 224-8. The left-handed duo of Andrew Bairstow (55) and Mark Gill (54) were their side's top scorers.

Cleckheaton's overseas player Ammar Mahmood impressed in their 28-run win over Baildon. Mahmood top scored with 79 in a Cleckheaton total of 213-5, and took 3-61 as Baildon were dismissed for 185.

Mahmood was well supported by opener Mark Cummins (63) in the Cleckheaton innings, while teenage off spinner Edward Walmsley (3-43) shared the bowling honours with him. Jonny Reynolds (49) and Shane Gadsdon (38) were the best of the Baildon batsmen.

Undercliffe picked up their second successive win as they defeated farsley by four-wickets in a low-scoring encounter at Intake Road.

Farsley were dismissed for just 84 as Nawaz Sardar collected 4-44, but Undercliffe had their own problems when batting and needed an unbeaten 31 from Richard Elphee to secure their victory.

Division Two

Hanging Heaton clinched the Division Two title with a crushing nine-wicket win over Hartshead Moor.

They needed only two points to be sure of becoming champions and gained them within the first hour as Hartshead Moor plunged to 33-4.

Nick Bresnan (4-33) got the championship-clinching wicket when he had Liam Evans caught at slip by Rod McHarlane.

Danny Squire (32) and Jamie Priestley (26no) offered some resistance, before Hartshead Moor were all out for 120.

Hanging Heaton cruised to their victory target. Openers Harvey Anderson (58no) and Rob McFarlane (46) shared a stand of 82 and Anderson finished the game in style by hitting spinner Tom Manvell for a straight six when the scores were level.

Lightcliffe remain favourites to join Hanging Heaton in the top flight next season. They recovered from last week's ten-wicket defeat at Hartshead Moor to defeat Keighley by nine wickets.

Sadaqat Zaman took 4-28 as Keighley - despite 75 from Imran Patel - were bowled out for 139. The league's leading runscorer, Chris Taylor, with an unbeaten 60 and Jonathan Wilson (39no) saw Lightcliffe safely to their target.

Manningham Mills are mounting a late challenge to gain promotion back to the top division at the first attempt. They underlined the strength of their challenge with a thumping 220 run win over Windhill.

Gulsheraz Ahmed struck three sixes and 16 fours in a splendid innings of 116 - the day's only century - and he was supported by Shehzad Aslam (83) as Mill's posted a daunting 304-4. Zeeshan Qasim weighed in with a rapid 50 and followed up by taking 3-40 as Windhill were bowled out for just 84.

The pick of the bowlers was the dependable Tauseef Arshad (4-10) while Iqbal Khan chipped in with (3-27). With two games to go, Mills are 13 points adrift of Lightcliffe.

Fourth-placed Bowling Old Lane are a point behind Mills and remain in the hunt for the second promotion place after a 101-run win over Great Horton.

Old Lane were in desperate trouble at 8-4, but recovered to make 201 thanks to Tahir Khan (91) and Mappa Bandarra (48). Raheel Ahmed (4-34) and Ijaz Ahmed (4-37) bowled well for Great Horton.

Sadly the Great Horton batting didn't match their bowling. They were dismissed for 100 with only Khalil Rehman (37) making any impression as Josh Jackson (4-3) and Khurrum Maqsood (3-45) got among the wickets.

Off spinner Will Smith picked up 5-24 as Spen Victoria continued their strong performance in the second half of the season going with a 58-run win at Idle.Fellow spinner Mahboob Hussain (3-33) helped dismiss Idle for 153 in reply to Spen's 211-7. Once again Tosh Baker top scored for Spen with 72.

Another spinner in the wickets was Morley skipper Dave Nebard. he took 4-35 as his side bowled out Brighouse for 132 to secure a 22-run win. James Russell (3-28) was the other key bowler in Morley's success.

Saj Ali (37) was top scorer for Brighouse as they replied to a Morley total of 154-9 which owed much to a determined 39 from Adam Larkin. Saj Ali, Greg Osbourne and Paul Cummins each picked up three wickets for Brighouse.