Bradford Premier League drama sees Bradford & Bingley lose

The New Zealander struck an unbeaten 115 from 114 balls as he enabled New Farnley to overhaul Bradford & Bingley’s total of 244.

Fletcher’s innings contained four sixes and 11 fours and enabled his side to bag a maximum 20 points with eight balls to spare.

Opener Usman Arshad (31) was the next highest scorer as New Farnley were made to fight all the way by the Gordon Rigg Priestley Cup holders.

Spinner Bradley Reeve (3-43) threatened to turn the game his side’s way before Fletcher cut loose.

Defeat was particularly tough on Bradford & Bingley’s South African batter Louren Steenkamp.

For the second successive game he made exactly 100 and has been on the losing side both times.

His century came up off just 67 balls and was filled with quality shots.

He struck four sixes, plus 11 fours and shared in a second wicket stand of 119 with opener Jacob Slator, who made a patient 64.

Steenkamp’s dismissal immediately after reaching three figures sparked a costly collapse which saw the last six wickets fall for just 22. 

Spinner Ryan McKendry was the main beneficiary with 5-25 while Arshad finished with 4-46.

New Farnley are now just two points behind leaders Woodlands, who were made to fight hard for their 16-run win at Methley.

Their match winner was off spinner Kez Ahmed with 5-42 as the champions managed to defend what for them was a modest score of 161-9.

Methley were in the hunt for victory while their skipper Jared Warner was at the wicket but when he departed for 50 at 134-8, Woodlands moved in for the kill and bowled out their hosts for 145.

Batting first, Woodlands were made to fight for runs with Kieran Collins (39) top scoring.

Young seamer Finlay Rooke impressed with 3-20 from his 15 overs, while Taylor Cornall picked up 3-49.

Jer Lane and Townville remain third and fourth respectively after both had comfortable wins.

The former defeated bottom side Pudsey Congs by six wickets at Park Avenue while Townville overcame Ossett by seven wickets.

Opener Mosun Hussain made it four fifties in four knocks as he scored 58 for Jer Lane. Adal Islam (46no) gave good support as the disappointing Congs total of 140 was overhauled.

Only wicketkeeper Josh Bennett (41) made an impression with the bat for Congs as Cosmond Walters (4-36) and Amir Hussain (4-48) took the bowling honours.

Spinner Dushan Vimukthi is proving to be a shrewd signing for Townville. The Sri Lankan took 5-31 as he and Jack Hughes (3-48) helped bowl out Ossett for 139. Callum Geldart (41) and Rohan Mehmi (34) were the top scorers.

Dushan Vimukthi ripped the heart out of Ossett's batting as Townville eased to victory on Saturday. (Image: Ray Spencer.)

Townville were then sped towards victory by a second wicket partnership of 103 between Chris Holliday (56) and Jonny Booth (44no).

Australian Campbell Kellaway hit his maiden century for Pudsey St Lawrence and took 3-38 as they defeated neighbours Farsley by 81 runs.

Kellaway showed his class by striking six sixes and 12 fours in an innings of 122. Harry Cullingford (53) and Charlie Best (42) helped their side post a total of 269-7. Joe Pocklington (3-70) was the most successful Farley bowler.

Skipper Ben Wright (56) and Yorkshire wicketkeeper Harry Duke (46) led the way in the Farsley innings but lacked support as Archie Scott (4-47) and Kellaway got to work and dismissed them for 188.

Baildon displaced Carlton at the top of the table in Division One after beating them by 53 runs at Town Street to record their fourth straight win.

Skipper Kevin McDermott (89) and Australian Angus Webb (50) provided the foundations for the victory and were supported by Will Kelly (34) in a total of 213-4.

Despite the efforts of Farukh Alam (53) and skipper James Glynn (43), Carlton were bowled out for 160 with spinner Seif Hussain taking 3-22.

The result means Baildon now have 73 points and are 10 ahead of Carlton with Batley now third, a further 10 points back, after their 33-run win over Bowling Old Lane.

Hisan Ahmad led the way for Batley with an unbeaten 99 and was joined in an unbroken second wicket alliance of 163 by overseas player Saurabh Deshmukh (61no).

With Arbaab Hussain making 53, Batley secured maximum batting points with a score of 245-2.

Imran Malik (46) and Farhan Hussain (41) battled hard for Old Lane, but their side were bowled out for 212 with Mohammad Choudhry taking 4-22.

An unbeaten 46 from Josh Marsden enabled Hartshead Moor to pull off a two-wicket win over fourth-place Morley.

He enabled his side to build on the work of opener Craig Field (37) and chase down Morley’s 180-9 despite the threat from Sri Lankan Asel Sigera (5-27).

Gordon Thomson (52) and Sigera (37) were the main contributors for Morley as James Rogers (3-25) and Moin Hussain (3-39) returned tidy figures.

Hanging Heaton registered their first win as they defeated East Bierley by 31 runs.

Skipper Mustafa Rafique (4-50) and spinner Luke Patel (3-30) enabled their side to bowl out East Bierley for 168, former captain Adam Brown making 55.

Patel had earlier made an unbeaten 85 which enabled Hanging Heaton to post a score of 199-8 as spinner Danny Cross (3-55) proved to be the most successful bowler.

Skipper James Lee top scored with 56 and took 3-46 as Bankfoot overcame Yeadon by 52 runs at the White Swan ground.

Quadratullah Azizi (42) and Amer Ayuub (31) gave support to Lee, as Bankfoot made 211-8 against a bowling attack led by Adeel Ashraf (3-42) and Istikhar Hassan (3-55).

Overseas player Saqlain Haider made 50 for Yeadon while opener Mali Bardouille-Lewis chipped in with 38 but they lacked support as their side tumbled to 159 all out, Australian Mitchell Jones took 3-23.

Oliver Kilburn (5-31) and Waqas Khan (3-54) helped Birstall to bowl out Sandal for 142 before edging to a three-wicket win.

Sohail Hussain (59no) battled hard, but Sandal’s score was insufficient to stave off defeat.

Veteran Eric Austin (35) led the way in the Birstall who secured victory despite the determined efforts of Zaeem Zulfqar (3-21) and Sohail Hussain (3-18).

It’s tight at the top of Division Two with just one point covering the top four clubs after Hunslet Nelson were beaten for the first time this season.

Nelson went down by three wickets against Gomersal and have been joined on 58 points by Lightcliffe who crept home by two wickets against Altofts.

Crossflatts, who had a nail-biting win by one wicket against Northowram Fields, have 57 points along with Gomersal.

Hunslet Nelson’s batting crumbled against the wily spin of Chris Rhodes (5-27) and Andrew Robertson (3-47) as they were dismissed for 135.

Opener Tyler Woodhouse (47) made the only score of note.

Skipper Richard Wear (35), Shabir Bashir (35) and Liam Fletcher (31) guided Gomersal to their victory target as spinner Sam Thewlis claimed 3-38.

Opener Niall Lockley’s innings of 65 was key as Lightcliffe scrambled past the Altofts total of 142.

Saif Tahir (4-44) was the pick of the Altofts bowlers while Drew Russell (4-38) took the honours for Lightcliffe. Opener Andrew Wood (55no) carried his bat through the Altofts innings.

Joe Greenwood hit an unbeaten 55 and shared in a crucial ninth wicket partnership of 60 with Kieren Temperell (21) as Crossflatts recovered from 106-8 to chase down the Northowram Fields score of 176-7 in which Ben Grech made 67.

Nadeem Safdar (3-37) and Dominic Bennett (3-53) were the chief wicket takers for Crossflatts.

East Ardsley overcame Hopton Mills by 73 runs as they celebrated their first win of the season.

Bowlers Richard Butcher (4-37) and Ashley Pearson (3-10) wrapped up victory by dismissing Mills for 136.

Suraj Singh (44) and Pearson (34no) led the way with the bat in East Ardsley’s 209-8, Usman Maqsood (3-34) and Syed Ali (3-73) posed the main threat.

Amjid Hussain (62) and South African Johandre Barnard (49no) enabled Keighley to chase down a Buttershaw St Paul’s total of 211-8 to record a six-wicket win.

Sadaqat Zaman (42no), Amjad Minhas (41no) and Mohammed Hanif (35) provided the bulk of the St Paul’s runs while spinner Daanyaal Ahmed (3-46) was Keighley’s best bowler.

It was a miserable afternoon for Heckmondwike and Carlinghow who went down to a six-wicket defeat against Scholes after they had been skittled out for 85.

Gary Keywood (3-34) bowled well while Hamza Khan managed an incredible triple-wicket maiden in his only over of the day.

Andrew Robinson hit the season’s highest individual score of 177 as Spen Victoria defeated Wrenthorpe by 129 runs in Division Three.

Robinson blasted 14 sixes and 13 fours as he showed no mercy for the Wrenthorpe attack.

Opener Corey Roebuck (85) shared in a fourth wicket stand of 248 with Robinson which enabled their side to post a daunting 362-6.

Wrenthorpe responded with a spirited 233 all out which saw them pick up maximum batting points.

Haseen Bashir suffered the misfortune of being dismissed on 99 while spinner Gareth Lee (5-48) led Spen’s victory push.

Leaders Great Preston recorded their fourth straight win after defeating Wakefield St Michael’s by four wicket in a low-scoring encounter.

James Conlon took 3-8 as St Michael’s, despite 31 from Australian Joshua Hotston, were bowled out for 109. 

Great Preston lost six wickets knocking off the runs with former St Michael’s player Shamsullah Dost top scoring with 29.

The day’s closest finish came at Russell Way where Gildersome & Farnley Hill defeated home side Brighouse by one run.

Sagar Sarwant produced the day’s best bowling figures of 7-35 as Brighouse dismissed the visitors for 96, Josh Sturgess making 33.

Gildersome & Farnley then hit back to bowl out the hosts for 95 with Sayed Salman claiming 4-18.

Streethouse suffered their second defeat after going down by 26 runs at Crossbank Methodists.

Hamza Sajid claimed 5-45 as the league newcomers were bowled out for 121 in reply to Crossbank’s 147.

Ayaz Ali (46) top scored for Crossbank as Ismail Patel and Australian Hamish McLaren both returned figures of 3-33.

Matthew Donohoe (64), James Lord (51) and Lewis Lockwood (38) led the way as Adwalton chased down a Liversedge score of 195 to record a six-wicket triumph.

Nathan Cant (6-52) shone with the ball for Adwalton while Khurram Maqsood (49) and Wajid Hussain (34) were Liversedge’s main contributors.

Zaib Ali took 5-18 as Windhill & Daisy Hill bowled out East Leeds for 101 to set up a six-wicket success. Adal Nazir made 39 for East Leeds.