Posted July 1, 2006

 

Champions Woodlands lead the SDS Bradford League Division One championship race by six points at the halfway stage of the season.

They kept their hold on top spot by defeating Saltaire by six wickets to record their 10th win in 13 games.

Once again their bowlers came up trumps. Left arm spinner Chris Brice (4-28) and paceman Safraz Ahmed (3-35) ensured that Saltaire could only muster 161 after batting first at Albert Terrace.

Opener Gharib Razak top scored with 44 and looked in top form before he was run out backing up at the bowler's end. Gulsheraz Ahmed (34) was the only other batsman to make an impact.

Woodlands reached their victory target for the loss of four wickets., Skipper Tim Orrell, a former Saltaire player, hit a six and nine fours while making an unbeaten 51 off 38 balls, while Yorkshire all-rounder Richard Pyrah made 41.

Second-placed Pudsey Congs actually reduced Woodlands' lead by a point to six after they collected 17 from a thrilling last-over success over Hanging Heaton.

Scott Cunningham hit a sparkling 87 and skipper Matthew Doidge a robust 73 as they chased 265 to win with five balls to spare.

Hanging Heaton, who had defeated Congs' neighbours St Lawrence last month, made 264 for four batting first with opener Zac Morris hitting an impressive 108 - his first Bradford League century.

Former Woodlands batsman Nick Whitehill (64) and Chris Schofield (46) also took advantage of another splendid batting strip at the Britannia Ground.

Third-placed Pudsey St Lawrence also had to chase a big score to win. Gary Fellows produced another outstanding innings -this time making 90 - as his side overhauled an Idle score of 249 for six.

Iain Priestley (42no), Chris Marsden (41) and James Smith (32) gave good support as St lawrence recovered from losing their first three wickets for just 39 to Idle's Sri Lankan paceman Dinusha Fernando.

Idle had built their total around the contributions of opener Paul Cummins (55), Sujith Janaka (46) and Harvey Anderson (39).

Farsley eased their relegation fears with a thrilling one-wicket win over Bradford & Bingley and their heroes were their last-wicket pair Chris Henry and Jan Gadzina.

They came together with their side on 133 for nine in reply to Bradford & Bingley's 176 and won the match with an unbroken stand of 49.

Henry hit three sixes and five fours in an invaluable 60 not out, while Gadzina supported him with nine not out.

A Farsley win seemed a distant prospect for even their most ardent supporters when they plunged to 36 for six with Richard McCarthy taking four for 32 and Ethi Mbhalati (3-20). James Petty (34) and Callum Braddock (24) started the recovery which Henry and Gadzina completed so dramatically.

Henry and Gadzina had fine all round matches. Henry took three for 29 and Gadzina (3-48) as Bradford & Bingley were dismissed for 176 - a total which owed much to an impressive 86 from Mark Beckett which contained two sixes and eight fours.

A determined innings of 51 not out by Kez Ahmed spared East Bierley's blushes against bottom-of-the-table Morley. Ahmed hit a six and 11 fours as he rescued his side from 43 for four and guided them to 137 for eight. Richard Winn was the pick of an accurate Morley attack with three for 31.

East Bierley's score appeared modest but it proved to be a match-winner. Morley were dismissed for 110 as Jaffer Nazir took four for 42 and Paul Hutchinson (3-26)

Baildon's batsmen are bang in form. They past 300 for the second successive match and then declared two overs early to give themselves more time to bowl out Brighouse and collect a 20 point maximum.

Baildon, who seem to have slipped quietly into fifth place, made 301 for seven with left-handed opener Simon Davies making an unbeaten 117. Davies hit four sixes and 11 fours and he was well supported by skipper Ian Philliskirk (56) and Matthew Duce (64) as the runs flowed.

Overseas Rizwan Ahmed took five for 70, but his colleagues all suffered heavy punishment.

Brighouse were dismissed for 201 in reply with spinners Mushtaq Ahmed (5-56) and David Clow (3-48) doing the damage. Zube Raje (40no) and Gary Wainwright (39) were the top scorers for Brighouse.

Keighley have a lot of work to do in the second half of the season if they are to avoid a quick return to Division Two. They suffered a 14-run defeat against Cleckheaton despite another fine innings of 60 from Australian Rob Bartlett.

Opener Adam Patel had dominated the Cleckheaton innings with a sparkling 87 in their total of 191 for eight. Patel punctuated his innings with a six and ten fours.

Manningham Mills won the top of the table clash in Division Two with a thrilling one-wicket win over Esholt - the second time they have beaten their promotion rivals by that margin this season.

Overseas batsman Afsar Nawaz produced the decisive innings for Mills. He stroked a six and nine fours in his 80, but almost handed victory to Esholt when he holed out on the long on boundary.

It left the last wicket pair of Santos Shitole and skipper Mahboob Hussain to gather the final eight runs that were needed for victory.

Mills had looked to be cruising home when they reached 181 for five, but their former player Nadeem Hanif sparked a dramatic change of fortunes with three wickets in an over. Hanif finished with figures of six for 61 and certainly caused his old side plenty of problems.

Esholt would have been disappointed to be bowled out for 197 after opting to bat first. Too many batsmen got out when they looked to be set. James Soulsby (45) and Basil King (32) battled hard but were dismissed when their side needed them to go on to make more sizeable scores.

Skipper Mahboob Hussain (4-24) and opening bowler Nasser Jamal (3-49) were the best Mills bowlers.

Bowling Old Lane are now second after beating Spen Victoria by 75 runs. Old Lane looked in trouble at 14 for three, but Wajid Hussain (99no) and Amjid Khan (90no) revived their side as they added 154 in an unbroken sixth wicket partnership.

Spen lost two quick wickets when they replied, but Danny Lloyd (40) and skipper Matt Taylor (46) gave them hope before a dramatic collapse saw them plunge to 158 all out.

Malik Aftab was the main destroyer with five for 48 while Mohmmed Hanif took four for 41.

Undercliffe climbed into third place after defeating Gomersal by five wickets. James Holdsworth (48), David Taylor (40) and James Clarke (40) guided Undercliffe past Gomersal's total of 209 all out.

Alan Sumner (47) top scored for Gomersal as Arun Lal (4-40), David Taylor (3-47) and Andy Wilsdon (3-18) impressed for Undercliffe.

Great Horton continue to falter. They suffered their fourth successive defeat after being dismissed by Hartshead Moor for 151 despite the efforts of Ziafat Ashraf (51) and Talesh Butt (33). Skipper Matthew Evans took four for 27 for Hartshead Moor. who were guided to their victory target for the loss of three wickets by their overseas batsman Shoaib Khan (78no).

Amer Sajjad (3-47) and Saif Malik (3-33) helped Yeadon bowl out Lightcliffe for 199 as they eased to a four-wicket win. James Horne (38) and Jacob Travis (36) top scored for Lightcliffe. John Henry top scored with 49 as Yeadon secured their win.

The ten-men of Windhill were bowled out for just 79 as they suffered a nine-wicket defeat against Bankfoot. Opener Michael Nicholson made an unbeaten 54 off 32 balls with three sixes and eight fours against his old club.