Bradford League: Australian all-rounder Anthony Blackwell led his new club Farsley to victory on a rain-ruined first day of the season.

Blackwell, from Melbourne, scored an unbeaten 52 as Farsley beat local rivals Pudsey St Lawrence by four wickets at Tofts Road.

They were the only side to win in the First Division, but defending champions Bradford and Bingley came close to victory against Yorkshire Bank in a 30-overs-a-side match at Wagon Lane, where the visitors hung on for a draw.

In a match reduced to 35 overs because of rain, Pudsey, under new captain Ashley Metcalfe, made 137 for eight after being in trouble at 56 for five. Their recovery was led by middle- order batsmen Ian Priestley (39) and Cameron Bailey (32).

Farsley also lost early wickets, but Blackwell held firm, receiving good support from Farsley's new skipper John Goldthorp, and they won with 3.1 overs to spare.

Bingley's new boy Richard Wilkinson, from the Yorkshire Academy, was soon in form, scoring 50 as he shared a second- wicket stand of 77 with Martin South (67) as Bingley reached 162 for three.

Bank slumped to 27 for six in reply as they struggled to cope with Bingley's pace attack, but held out for a point at 53 for eight. Bingley's David Pennett took four wickets and skipper Richard McCarthy and Peter Graham two each.

The other three First Division matches where play was possible ended in one-point draws after interruptions for rain, and no play was possible in the Bankfoot v Hanging Heaton and Cleckheaton v Pudsey Congs matches.

But the weather did not stop two opening batsman - Anthony McGrath and Mark Gilliver - getting quickly into their stride with centuries.

Yorkshire's McGrath hit four sixes and eight fours in his unbeaten 120 out of East Bierley's 196 for six at home to newly-promoted Brighouse. His efforts were in vain, however, because the match was abandoned through rain after Brighouse had made 15 for none in reply.

The other outstanding performance in this match came from Brighouse captain David Jay, who took five for 47 against his old club.

Gilliver, who has recently returned from a successful Australian summer, also dominated the Undercliffe innings at home to Spen Victoria.

He hit nine sixes and seven fours in his 115 as Undercliffe reached 184 for six in their 35 overs. Spen lost 20 minutes of their innings to rain and settled for a draw at 86 for one.

David Paynter (60) was top-scorer as Windhill made 183 for eight at home to Baildon. The visitors were 121 for seven when bad light intervened.

There was play in only one Second Division match. Idle beat Salts by nine wickets after bowling them out for 124, but the result did not count because fewer than three matches had started. Iain Dewhurst took six for 42 and Craig Hunt scored an unbeaten 60 for Idle.

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