Garry Wainwright would love to pip former club Woodlands for promotion to the Bradford League First Division.

However, the Bankfoot captain acknowledges it is going to be a difficult task even though Woodlands are only two points ahead at the top of the Bowes Section in the Second Division.

Wainwright, who joined Bankfoot from Windhill for the start of the season along with pace bowlers Nigel Hanson and Greg Colehan, said: "We talked about promotion within two years, but obviously we would love to do it this year.

"With the league as it is and only one club promoted from each section we think it will be difficult to go up.

"As the season progresses it looks as if it will be a two horse race between us and Woodlands with maybe Idle involved as well."

Just how little margin for error there is involved in the promotion race is shown by Bankfoot's record.

They have won ten of their 13 matches with their only defeat being against Idle and one of their one-point draws against Woodlands who crucially took four points from the game. That is why they hold their slender two-point lead. The crucial match will be on Saturday, August 4, when the sides meet at Woodlands.

Wainwright is full of praise for the club where he played as a junior. "They are a very experienced team with Murphy Walwyn while Tim Orrell is an experienced captain and Russell Murray a good opening batsman," he said.

"Their batting is better than ours, but we are a better bowling side with five bowlers - Hanson, Colehan, our overseas player Saleem Mughal, Andy Marshall and Andrew Stothart."

Tomorrow Bankfoot visit Bowling Old Lane while Woodlands play at Mirfield in one of the most important matches of the season.

Both clubs joined the Bradford League from Central Yorkshire at the start of the season and have made such an immediate impact that they are at the top of their respective sections.

However, Mirfield saw their ten-point lead cut to four points after they surprisingly lost at Saltaire while second placed Lightcliffe won at Drighlington.

With leaders Pudsey Congs having an open date, second placed Baildon will leapfrog into top spot in the First Division, if, as expected, they win at bottom club Brighouse.

Otherwise, attention centres on the fight to avoid relegation. Brighouse's position looks desperate, but only eight points separate the five teams immediately above them and the match between fourth from the bottom Yeadon and Bradford & Bingley, two points behind them, is of crucial importance to both clubs.

Bingley skipper Pat Fordham said: "It is going to be a real dogfight between the five clubs above Brighouse, ourselves, Gomersal, Yeadon, Cleckheaton and Undercliffe."