Defending champions Girlington suffered a poor start to the new Bradford Mutual Sunday School League season as they lost by eight wickets to Heaton.

Girlington made just 53 in the Group A clash against Ansar Mahmood (5-10) and Kashif Ashraf (4-17) and could not make amends with the ball.

Salem, the 2012 runners-up, also lost but only by 15 runs in a high-scoring match.

Bradford Gymkhana posted 256 led by Babar Butt (83) and Umar Farooq (71), before Salem were all out for 241 (M Sairaj 60).

Bradford Moor YCA (the new name for BPR) made a flying start with a six-wicket win over Hallfield, who made only 49.

Shahid Farooq took 4-14 for Moor, who had trouble against Nazim Hussain (4-14) but otherwise completed a routine victory.

Omars were narrow one-run winners over promoted Interlink after just managing to defend a modest 117 total, while Great Horton Church defeated Cambing by 27 runs as Imran Khan took 4-22.

In Group B, Salem Athletic brushed aside promoted Cross Roads & Daisy Hill Meths by 106 runs. Salem were all out for just 144 but a 4-10 return by Shahid Uqbal then saw Daisy rushed out for 38.

New club Apperley Bridge began with a big win over relegated Allerton. Zahid Ullah Jaan (66) and Mohammed Junaid (60 retired hurt) shared a 119 partnership for the second wicket as Apperley Bridge racked up 203-5, with Allerton 99 all out in reply.

Another team to win by a single run was Bradford Gymkhana B in a low-scoring match against Mayfield. Gymkhana made 52 as Faizi Khan grabbed a hat-trick in his 5-10 return, with Mayfield then all out for 51 (Arshad Mahmood 5-16, Mohammed Faisal 5-23).

Sarthak Joshi claimed 4-25 as Girlington were dismissed for 84 by Yorkshire LPS, who passed that score with three wickets down.

Promoted Bowling Baptists defeated Greenfield (formally BPR B) by three wickets. Waqas Khan (5-22) was key as Greenfield were all out for 116 and Kasam Malik’s 55 not out guided Baptist home as they lost seven wickets.

Both promoted sides in Group C lost, with Cambing missing out by nine runs against Great Horton Church. This was despite Shamraz Khan (5-30) and Suheeb Afzal (4-28) as Church were all out for only 90.

Hallfield lost by 97 runs to Mandhata, who made 161-9 (Karan Dorkha 87no, Moazzam Choudhary 5-32). Hallfield were all out for 64 (Haroon Rashid 41no, Dipen Patel 6-20).

West Bowling edged out Bradford Indians by three runs, Anjum Munir taking 4-25 as Indians were all out for 90 in reply to West Bowling’s 123-4.

VVS Laxman gained a two-wicket win over Great Horton Meths, dismissing them for 79 before Viney Chauhan (40) led the reply.

There were defeats for both Muff Field sides in Group D, with the A team dismissed for 48 by Buttershaw St Paul’s as they won by four wickets.

The B team went down by two wickets to Yorkshire LPS, for whom Hitesh Patel made 60 in their 130-8 total.

Steve Toothill scored 60 as Central YMCA made 140-7 against Mayfield, who held out for a draw at 118-6.