Bradford underdogs Jer Lane stay top as title picture shifts

Methley beat Jer Lane by 53 runs while champions Woodlands overcame New Farnley by six wickets with 22 balls to spare.

It means there are now just 20 points between table-toppers Jer Lane and fourth place Methley, while at the other end of the table, Cleckheaton climbed out of the bottom two with a nerve-shredding three-run win over Pudsey Congs.

That means Priestley Cup holder Bradford & Bingley have taken their place after their slump continued with a 67-run defeat at Ossett.

Skipper Jared Warner led the way as Methley halted Jer Lane’s winning streak and underlined their growing challenge in the title race.

He made important runs and followed up with a decisive spell of 4-42 as Jer Lane’s top order crumbled in being reduced to 21-5 and later 99-8, with only Sam Johnson (43) making an impression.

Only a ninth wicket stand of 79 between Cosmond Walters (44) and Amir Hussain (37) spared their side from a bigger defeat as they were dismissed for 179.

Opener Alex Cree (49), Warner (47) and Jake Smart (36) made sure that Methley capitalised on batting first as they made 232.

Off spinner Hussain (3-54) and Hassan Mughal (3-32) were the best of the Jer Lane bowlers.

Even a century from opener Aidan Langley could not spare New Farnley from defeat at the hands of their old foes Woodlands.

Brad Schmulian (93) and Tim Jackson (72) shared a second wicket stand of 161 as New Farnley’s total of 240-6 was overhauled with some ease.

Brad Schmulian (above) and Tim Jackson broke the back of what looked a difficult chase for Woodlands against New Farnley. (Image: Ray Spencer.)

Defeat was hard on Langley, who batted throughout his side’s innings for his 116 not out, but Woodlands skipper Schmulian claimed 3-66 on a great day for him and his team.

Overseas player Yousaf Baber was again the hero for Cleckheaton in their nail-biting win at Moorend.

He made 151, his third century of the season, and was well supported by opener Waleed Akhtar (42) as Cleckheaton posted a total of 274-8 despite the efforts of spinner Ryan Heptinstall (4-35).

Congs, seeking their first league win, were given a good start by opener Callum Oliver (79), but it was Sri Lankan Yohan Mendis who top scored. He made 80 before becoming the third victim of Bradley Sylvester (3-56) in the penultimate over.

That left Congs needing 12 from the final six balls, but they could only manage eight.

In-form Chris Holliday and Dushan Vimukthi are proving to be a formidable pair of signing for Townville.

Sri Lankan Vimukthi made a sparkling 151 and took 4-55 with his left arm spin while Holliday blasted 102 as they powered their side to an 87-run win over Pudsey St Lawrence.

Townville’s total of 330-7 represented the third time they have topped 300 this season. Josh Priestley (3-73) was the most successful bowler as St Lawrence took a battering.

Newly appointed skipper Mark Robertshaw responded with exactly 100 for St Lawrence and he was joined in a sixth wicket stand of 112 by Priestley, who made 64, but they never got close to that mammoth Townville total.

The division’s best bowling performance came from former Pakistan opening bowler Junaid Khan.

He took 6-57 as Ossett dismissed Bradford & Bingley for 193 to complete a 67-run win, despite the best efforts of visiting skipper Ed Brown (81).

Earlier, Bradford & Bingley’s young bowlers found the going tough at Ossett as Mattie Race (60) and Callum Geldart (56) steered their side to a score of 260-8.

Jack Luxton picked up three wickets for the Wagon Laners, but they cost him an expensive 70 runs.

Undercliffe climbed above Pudsey St Lawrence into sixth place with a 138-run win over Farsley.

Sharoon Siraj (62) and Danish Hussain (55) enabled Undercliffe to make 248-9 before they dismissed their opponents for 110 thanks to Siraj (4-24) and Callum Fletcher (3-37).

For once Farsley’s top order, bolstered by the inclusion of Yorkshire’s Harry Duke crumbled. Stanley Brown top scored with 41 not out.

Carlton and Baildon remain level on points at the top of Division One after both recorded comfortable victories.

The former overcame Birstall by five wickets and head the table by virtue of a superior net run rate than the latter, who defeated Hartshead Moor by eight wickets.

The power of Carlton’s batting came to the fore again as they chased down Birstall’s total of 253-9 with 23 balls to spare.

Hartshead Moor, who started the day in third place, were bowled out for 123 at Jenny Lane as Baildon’s spinners Seif Hussain (3-10) and Cameron Sharp (3-37) backed up the efforts of Raman Athwal (3-35).

Jonny Reynolds was unbeaten on 51 in the reply as Baildon cruised to victory.

Batley returned to third in the table with a three-wicket win over Morley while at the other end of the table, Bowling Old Lane remain in the bottom two after an agonising one-run defeat against Bankfoot.

They went in to the last over needing seven runs to overhaul Bankfoot’s 199 and got five from the first four balls before losing their final wicket to the next delivery.

Opener Farhan Hussain, once again the mainstay of the Old Lane batting, finished on 88 not out as they were dismissed for 198, Quadratullah Azizi taking 3-56 and James Lee managing 3-60.

Bankfoot’s total featured a top score of 68 from Lee, while Old Lane’s most successful bowlers were Kamran Siddique (3-35) and Mohammed Nadim (3-37).

James Lee was outstanding with bat and ball as his Bankfoot side edged past Bowling Old Lane by the narrowest of margins in their Bradford derby. (Image: Richard Kosmala.)

East Bierley continued their climb up the table with an eight-wicket win over Sandal, who are now just four points above the relegation positions.

Sam Gatenby made 103 as Bierley eased past the Sandal score of 218. Gatenby, who hit 19 fours, was joined in an opening stand of 192 by Ben Heritage (68).

The victory was set up by leg spinner Jack Dyson who returned impressive figures of 6-36 in a Sandal innings that saw a top score of only 46.

Hanging Heaton remain rooted to the bottom after another batting failure led to them suffering a nine-wicket defeat against Yeadon.

They were bowled out for just 102, and Yeadon cruised to victory by chasing that paltry total down inside 30 overs.

Crossflatts maintained their hold on top spot in Division Two with a hard-earned two-wicket win away to promotion rivals Lightcliffe.

Half centuries from Jacob Stephens (55) and Azhar Mehmood (52) were key as they surpassed the home side’s score of 219-9 after being pushed all the way.

Muhammad Raza (3-59) and Sanjula Bandara (3-41) took the bowling honours for Crossflatts as they kept the Lightcliffe innings in checj.

Gomersal are just a point behind Crossflatts after they defeated East Ardsley by eight wickets.

Third placed Hunslet Nelson had to work hard for their four-wicket win over rock-bottom Heckmondwike & Carlinghow, surprisingly struggling in their reply having dismissed their opponents for only 83.

Keighley’s relegation fears mounted after their nine-wicket defeat at Scholes dropped them into the bottom two.

A dismal batting performance saw them bowled out for 66 and Scholes subsequently romped to a win which takes them to fourth in the table.

Northowram Fields lifted themselves out of the relegation places with an eight-wicket win over Hopton Mills.

Altofts chased down a Buttershaw St Paul’s total of 259-7, which saw Jonathan Burston make 84 not out, to secure an absorbing three-wicket triumph.

Muhammad Shahnawaz (3-53) and Amjid Hussain (3-39) fought hard for St Paul’s but their efforts could not stave off defeat.

Windhill & Daisy Hill inflicted a first defeat of the season on Great Preston as they continued their upward momentum with an 82-run triumph which lifted them into fourth place in Division Three.

Shahzad Iqbal held the key to his team’s success. After making 51 in a total of 215, he took 5-37 as Great Preston were bowled out for 133.

But this victory was not down to just one man, as wicketkeeper Ahsan Tanveer made top score of 66, while Shoaib Iqbal followed up his knock of 40 by taking 3-32.

Despite the defeat, Great Preston still have a 25-point lead over Wrenthorpe, who defeated Crossbank Methodists by 136 runs.

Wrenthorpe made a slightly disappointing 197 in their innings, but that proved more than enough as they skittled Crossbank for only 61.

Adwalton maintained their hold on third place with a four-wicket win over Brighouse.

Wasiq Ur Rehman (38) was the only Brighouse batter to settle as they were bowled out for 132 and despite Harpartap Singh taking 3-41 in the Adwalton reply, the high-flyers did enough to get over the line.

The Siddique brothers Adam (4-25) and Qasim (3-34) helped Liversedge bowl out Streethouse for 145 to set up a three-wicket triumph which lifts them off the foot of the table.

Graeme Winn (30) led the way for Liversedge in their reply as they nervily edged home.

Gildersome & Farnley Hill are now propping up the table instead after their 41-run defeat against Wakefield St Michael’s.

Finally, Spen Victoria’s slump continued as they went down to a 58-run defeat at East Leeds.