The battle for the Gordon Rigg Bradford Premier League Premier Division title is looking increasingly like a two-horse race between Woodlands and New Farnley, after Jer Lane suffered a third successive defeat against relegation-threatened Farsley.
Reigning champions Woodlands, who defeated Townville by 34 runs, have 287 points and have an eight-point advantage over New Farnley, who eased to a seven-wicket win at Ossett.
Woodlands were made to fight hard for their victory after being reduced to 115-6, before a crucial stand of 79 between skipper Brad Schmulian (74) and Elliot Richardson (44) enabled them to post a competitive score of 206.
Richardson followed up his batting exploits with a fiery spell of bowling which saw him return figures of 4-81, while Schmulian claimed 3-37 as Townville were bowled out for 171.
Farsley produced the surprise of the day as they overcame Jer Lane by 35 runs at Red Lane after scoring 317-7 batting first.
Leg spinner Kyme Tahirkheli was the most successful Jer Lane bowler with 4-54, but his teammates struggled in the face of some ferocious batting from the hosts.
Opener Mosun Hussain again led the way for Jer Lane with a fine innings of 108, but it was not enough as the Bradford side were bowled out for 282.
Cleckheaton gave their survival hopes a big boost with a five-wicket win over Bradford & Bingley, who have dropped back into the bottom two.
Muhammad Akmal (98) and skipper James Stansfield (73 not out) shared a fifth wicket stand of 112, which enabled their side to chase down Bradford & Bingley’s score of 258.
The highlight of the Bradford & Bingley innings was a second wicket stand of 122 between Jacob Slator (79) and Callam Goldthorp (55).
But their colleagues failed to capitalise on their good work as Stansfield (3-54) and Bradley Sylvester (3-66) hit back.
With four games to go, there are just 10 points separating Cleckheaton in eighth place and second bottom Bradford & Bingley.
After waiting 17 games for their first win, bottom team Pudsey Congs have now registered two on the trot.
They beat Undercliffe by five wickets on Saturday, largely thanks to instigating a dreadful collapse from the Bradford side, who slipped from 57 without loss to 109-7.
Zeeshan Qasim’s unbeaten 72 boosted Undercliffe’s score to 190-8, but Congs were not going to be denied.
An unbeaten fifth wicket partnership of 65 saw them home, despite the best efforts of poor Qasim, who took 3-32.
Zeeshan Qasim had plenty to smile about regarding his own performance, but his Undercliffe team-mates let him down on Saturday. (Image: Ray Spencer.)
Mid-table Pudsey St Lawrence judged their run chase well as they recorded a three-wicket win at fourth-placed Methley, whose title hopes are now surely over.
Second-placed Baildon suffered their fourth successive defeat in Division One as their Bradford rivals Bowling Old Lane boosted their hopes of avoiding relegation with a nine-run win.
The promotion jitters certainly seem to be getting a firm grip on the Jenny Lane side but to date nobody has been able to capitalise on their slide.
They remain 11 points ahead of Bankfoot and 16 above Hartshead Moor, but they surely cannot afford further slip ups if they are to secure promotion to the top flight.
Abdullah Ijaz (5-40) enabled Old Lane to restrict Baildon to 206-9 as they defended a total of 215, which had featured key contributions from Imran Malik (54), Hazrat Abbas (42) and Ahsan Alishan (41).
Spinner Cameron Sharp (5-63) and Sam Kelly (3-55) led the Baildon bowling effort to ensure their batsman had a gettable target, but they fell just short despite the best efforts of Jonny Reynolds (70) and Australian Angus Webb (49).
Fellow promotion-chasers Bankfoot went down by 35 runs away to leaders Carlton, who need 36 points from their remaining five games to secure promotion to the Premier Division.
Carlton posted a score of 229-6 batting first, as Quadratullah Azizi (3-46) proved to be Bankfoot’s best bowler.
Bankfoot were bowled out for 194 in reply, Adam Wainwright (59), Bilal Hamid (43) and Danny Colehan (35) providing the bulk of their runs.
Hartshead Moor strengthened their promotion challenge with a four-wicket win at Batley, while Morley continued their climb away from the lower reaches of the league with a 10-run win at East Bierley.
The latter result was harsh on East Bierley’s Abdullah Khan, who took 3-51 and followed that up by scoring 53.
Morley posted an imposing total of 296-6, but their hosts came so close to chasing that down, opener Ben Heritage (69) and Khan almost dragging them over the line.
Yeadon earned a 21-run win over Birstall, while Sandal thumped bottom side Hanging Heaton by 117 runs.
Second Division leaders Crossflatts bowled out Heckmondwike & Carlinghow for 90 as they secured a 128-run win to boost their push for promotion.
Heckmondwike & Carlinghow were undone by the bowling of Sanjula Bandara (4-18) and Azhar Mehmood (4-32)
Crossflatts had earlier made 218, Sri Lankan Bandara (43) and Nathan Bradbury (40) scoring the bulk of their runs.
Second-placed Gomersal defeated second-bottom Keighley by 24 runs to boost their promotion challenge.
Gomersal made 238-9 against a bowling attack in which spinner Daanyaal Ahmed claimed 3-58.
Lucas Keslinke (62), Ijaz Ahmed (43) and Ryan Ridehalgh (41) battled away in the reply but despite their efforts, Keighley were dismissed for 214 and are looking in real danger of a second relegation in three years.
Hunslet Nelson followed up their Gordon Rigg Jack Hampshire Cup final win over Scholes by defeating them again, this time by four wickets.
A rapid knock of 50 from Zahir Abbas proved decisive as Buttershaw St Paul’s defeated East Ardsley by 25 runs.
The late flourish from Abbas took St Paul’s total to 261-9, but that did not look like it would be enough, only for Amjad Minhas (4-64) and Amjid Hussain (3-61) to doggedly stick to their task and bowl out East Ardsley for 236.
Lightcliffe defeated Northowram Fields by 54 runs, while rock-bottom Hopton Mills were thumped, losing to Altofts by nine wickets.
Division Three leaders Great Preston cruised to a 106-run win over Adwalton, while Spen Victoria’s victory was even more emphatic, as they obliterated Crossbank Methodists by 170 runs.
That was largely thanks to an explosive 196, the joint highest score in the Bradford Premier League this season, from Haseen Bashir.
Wrenthorpe dismissed Gildersome & Farnley Hill for 208, Muhammad Addas taking incredible figures of 9-69, before easing to a four-wicket win.
Graeme Winn made 108 but could not save bottom side Liversedge from a five-wicket defeat against Windhill & Daisy Hill.
Winn hit five sixes and 11 fours but lacked support as Shahzad Iqbal (3-40) and Shoaib Iqbal (3-70) bowled out Liversedge for 193.
Khalid Mehmood (68) and Shoaib Iqbal (51) ensured that Windhill & Daisy Hill secured the victory which returns them to third place.
Wakefield St Michael’s to bowl out Brighouse for 86 before easing to a seven-wicket win and finally, Streethouse romped to an emphatic 176-run win over East Leeds.
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