On a glorious day the pride of the Craven & District Cricket League travelled to Low Moor Holy Trinity's ground to tackle the might of the Bradford Central Cricket League -- and produced a thrilling game.

The result was in doubt right to the last three balls of the match

Craven's skipper, Duncan Bullough (Embsay) won the toss and elected to bat and his openers didn't let him down. Keith Woodhead (Cowling) and Kevin Pollard (Thornton) put on 47 before the latter was caught for 28. Bullough then added 81 before he too was caught, for 27. Woodhead departed for 64 on the same score and two runs later Simon Bailey (Embsay) was run out.

Nick Williamson (Skipton CI) was joined by Chris Brooker-Carey (Foulridge) and they formed an excellent partnership with the latter trying to give the strike to Williamson who thumped the ball to all parts of the ground. The score had reached 183 when Williamson was bowled for 45 which included three sixes and two fours.

Martyn Dalby chipped in with six before Richard Craddock joined Brooker-Carey and the pair added 30 for the seventh wicket where the innings closed, on 225-7. The Foulridge man was run out off the last ball for 26 and extras added a further 22. The most successful bowler was Gary Kingett who took 3-30 off his eight overs.

The Bradford Central openers also got off to a good start putting on 54 before Evans was bowled by Williamson for 18. Dalby took the next two wickets to fall as 30 more runs were added - the first to a super running catch by Stephen Speak (Embsay). S Priestley joined J Illingworth and took the game by the scruff of the neck.

They added 92 in 14 overs before the former went for 58 run out, going for a quick single, by a direct throw by Woodhead. As so often happens Illingworth joined his partner back in the hut four runs later having made a splendid 87 which two sixes and eight fours.

Craven snatched the initiative back with two more wickets to leave them slight favourites with the total on 190-7 at the end of the 35th over. No 9 batsman P Yeadon swung the pendulum back yet again to Bradford Central as he and D McDermott took the score to 213-7 with 12 balls to go.

Dalby was entrusted with the penultimate over and his first ball vanished for six and Craven hearts sank only to rise next ball as McDermott, going for glory, holed out at long-on, a superb catch by Simon Hagerty (Glusburn).

Two singles later Yeadon, also going for glory holed out to long off where the 'bucket hands' of Nick Williamson took the catch.

Six balls to go, five runs required and the last pair at the wicket. Richard Craddock is the man to bowl. A single, a dot ball and a single. No 11 D Matthews couldn't resist the fourth ball which he pulled to deep square leg only to see Williamson waiting yet again to take the catch and victory was Craven's by just two runs.

Dalby finished with 4-47 off his eight overs and Craddock 3-49 off 7.4. Speak bowled well in the context of the game conceding only 25 runs in his spell.

Behind the stumps Karl Tattam (Thornton) kept well and took 2 catches.

The object of the game was to raise money for Manorlands Hospice at Oxenhope. With the collection for the three half centuries added to the pot just over £200 was raised