The race for the Division One title has been blasted wide open. Bradford & Bingley joined Pudsey Congs at the top with Baildon just two points adrift in third place after one of the most eventful Saturday's of the season.

Defending champions Hanging Heaton cannot be ruled out of the title picture either. They showed they are not going to give up their crown without a fight as they defeated Congs by seven runs to move just ten points behind the joint leaders in fourth place.

Bradford & Bingley, who defeated Windhill by 107 runs, and Baildon, who returned to winning ways with a five-wicket success at Yorkshire Bank, cashed in on Congs' slip up while Cleckheaton's thrilling one-wicket win over East Bierley means they too cannot be discounted.

They are 11 points behind the leaders but their final run in includes matches against Baildon, Hanging Heaton and Pudsey Congs which means they could have a big say in who wins Division One.

The result of the day was undoubtedly Hanging Heaton's victory. Despite being bowled out for 120 as Gareth Clough returned season's best figures of six for 39, they showed that they were suffering no ill effects from their Priestley Cup final defeat by East Bierley as they dismissed the league leaders for 113 with John Carruthers (6-52) and Steve Foster (4-35) in fine form.

On a day when the bowlers were on top the six wicket hauls of Clough and Carruthers were beaten by three pacemen, Bradford & Bingley's Richard McCarthy, East Bierley's Jaffer Nazir and Yeadon's Jon Roper all taking eight wickets.

McCarthy's burst of eight for 44 completely shattered relegation threatened Windhill who were dismissed for just 88 in reply to a Bradford & Bingley score of 195 for five which was built around fine contributions from opener Carl Sharp (91) and Richard Wilkinson (56no).

Yeadon's Roper had the distinction of producing the best bowling figures in Division One this season as he took eight for 34 as Drighlington were skittled out for 101. Ian Philiskirk (73no) then sped his side to a ten-wicket triumph.

Nazir, who had taken a hat-trick against Farsley last Saturday, took eight for 69 against Cleckheaton but ended up on the losing side.

East Bierley's overseas star always seems to produce something special against Cleckheaton. Last season he made his highest Bradford League score of 95 against them and recorded his previous best bowling figures of seven for 37 when the side's met earlier this summer.

This time his efforts to revive his side after they had been restricted to 140 for nine by the bowling of Andy Yates (4-44) and Paul Booth (4-55) weren't quite enough as an inspired last wicket partnership of 34 between Mark Gill (55no) and New Zealander Aaron Fuller (15no) saw Cleckheaton snatch victory after having been in all sorts of trouble at 80 for six and 108 for nine.

Another bowler to turn in a match-winning display was Farsley's South African Steve Ellis. He continued his fine recent form with a spell of six for 32 as his side defeated Brighouse by 51 runs to edge closer to Division One safety.

Farsley had earlier been boosted by a second wicket partnership of 138 between Chris Taylor (70) and Matt Whitehead (58) which provided the foundation for their score of 187 for six.

Baildon, whose challenge had been badly hit by a return of just one point from their previous three games, gained a much-needed victory over Yorkshire Bank with Richard Robinson hitting an unbeaten half-century to guide them past the home side's total of 134 for seven after they had made an uncertain start.