Pudsey Congs are setting a scorching place at the top of the Bradford League First Division and must be strong favourites to retain their title.

They lead the table by seven points after winning all their four matches, and the way in which they took maximum points from the double weekend suggests it will need an exceptional side to wrest the crown from their grasp.

Congs beat last season's runners-up Bradford and Bingley by ten wickets at Wagon Lane on Saturday after bowling out the home side for 56, thanks to a superb display of pace bowling by left-armer Neil Gill (5-17) and new overseas player Naveed Rana-ul-Hassan (5-17).

They followed that by beating Under-cliffe at home by eight wickets. Hassan took four wickets and Gill three as Undercliffe made 199 for eight, Toby Drummond top-scoring on 73 not out.

Opener Andy Bethel then took his run tally to 333 in four league and cup matches in an eight-day spell by scoring 74, putting the result beyond doubt with a second-wicket stand of 111 with Barbar Butt (76 not out).

Baildon, joint second with East Bierley, also enjoyed a successful weekend with a ten-point haul. They beat Yeadon at home by eight wickets on Saturday before taking four points in an exciting draw at Spen Victoria.

Mushtaq Ahmed took five wickets and Mark Bray four as Baildon bowled out Yeadon for 144, Paul Spragg leading the victory march with an unbeaten 74 as he and Richard Robinson put on 91 in an unbroken third-wicket stand.

Wicketkeeper Matthew Duce was Baildon's top scorer with 65 as they totalled 191 at Spen, who made a brave effort to go for the runs before falling 23 short with their last pair at the wicket.

East Bierley, who had no match yesterday, are level on 17 points with Baildon after taking four points from a drawn game at Pudsey St Lawrence.

Skipper Dermot McGrath was Bierley's top-scorer with 71 in their 229 for four. Pudsey were in contention during a sixth-wicket stand of 72 between overseas player Tariq Aziz (53) and Yorkshire's Ian Fisher (46), but could not maintain momentum and finished with 177 for nine.

Farsley, who had taken only two points from their first three matches, took maximum points, beating Hanging Heaton by 62 runs and Gomersal by 52 runs.

Skipper Ashley Metcalfe was top-scorer with 117 not out at Hanging Heaton. He put on 157 for the fourth wicket with John Goldthorp (66) as Farsley totalled 236 for five before bowling out Hanging Heaton for 174. Opener Chris Taylor hitting 107 not out in the win over Gomersal.

Bingley recovered from their drubbing on Saturday by taking four points from a thrilling drawn game at Cleckheaton. Skipper Pat Fordham (62) and Craig Cockshott (71no) put on 135 for the fifth wicket to enable them to total 181 for five after Bingley had slumped to 46 for four.

Cleckheaton's victory bid was led by opener Mark Gill, but after he was stumped by Fordham for 98 with only 12 needed to win they fell two runs short.