Pumped-up Morley kept their promotion hopes alive by toppling leaders Esholt in a heated Bradford League Division Two encounter at Scatchard Lane.

The hosts looked as if they were heading for their fifth straight defeat after the visitors had reached 33 for none chasing only 121 for nine.

But then skipper Paul Kinder - who was celebrating his 36th birthday - bowled his counterpart Richard Whitehurst out for 29 and went on to take six for 29 as Esholt crumbled to 89 all out.

The match threatened to boil over when batsman Nadeem Hanif squared up to Morley wicket-keeper Michael Cooper and it needed Whitehurst and Basil King to come on to the pitch to calm things down.

It was not the only controversial incident of the day, which also saw Morley batsman Richard Winn involved in a disputed caught-and-bowled decision which was given not out.

Esholt had reached 74 for six by drinks when soon afterwards Hanif was hit by a throw from Sam Medley in going for a run that sparked the confrontation.

Kinder said: "Coops is an aggressive cricketer and a fiery character. He is the heart of our team. He didn't say anything directly to the batsman. It was just because of the pressure and both apologised to each other.

"It was a top-of-the-league sort of clash and these things can get blown out of proportion. Perhaps things crossed the line at times. We played hard but we only played like the other team. They weren't shy in the first half."

Kinder added: "We really needed that win. If we'd have lost we would have been demoralised. It closes it up in the table and it's now anybody's out of the top five."

The departure of leading wicket-taker Steve Lane has put a strain on Morley's bowling resources but the wet and slow wicket was an ideal track for Kinder's medium pacers.

He bowled straight through his 15-over allocation. as did left-arm seamer James Russell, who took an economical two for 28 before young spinner Tom Smith came on to take two wickets.

That included the key scalp of big-hitting Hanif, who holed out to a good catch from Andy Hayward in the deep.

Whitehurst was left to rue his side's Jekyll and Hyde nature and admitted: "We are either excellent or rubbish.

"You know what you are going to get with Morley - they are a close unit who fight for each other. We were pretty much out-fought and out-battled.

"We did the right things with the ball and then didn't show any bottle with the bat."

"This has happened to us on a couple of occasions when we've been chasing low scores. We did exactly the same thing against Keighley and I'd like to think it's not complacency."

A major talking point of the first innings was the non-dismissal of Winn for a caught and bowled appeal off the bowling of Ben Platt. Esholt were convinced the player was out but Winn claimed he was not sure if the ball had carried and - most importantly - neither was either umpire.

He was also dropped by keeper Aidey Taylor and bowled off a no-ball and went on to be second top-scorer with 23.

Whitehurst said: "That cost us 15 or 20 runs but I don't want to make a big thing of it. If you can't knock off 121 you can't complain."

Morley's innings also included the rare dismissal of being out obstructing the field when Hayward stuck out a leg to stop a throw from fielder Javid Bashir.