Woodlands, who were formed in 1894 and moved to their current ground at Albert Terrace in 1952, have come a long way since they were what cricket club secretary Brian Pearson calls "a village side".

Having won the Bradford Central League in 1936, 1938, 1945 and 1947 and the Waddilove Cup in 1944, 1946 and 1963, they moved into the modern era with league titles in 1980 and 1982 and cup successes in 1982, 1983 and 1985.

Having instituted ten-year plans, Woodlands realised it was time to move on and they joined the Central Yorkshire League.

However, having embraced semi-professionalism and, equally importantly, brought Tim Orrell from Saltaire as skipper, Woodlands always had an eye on a move back to the Bradford League, which they had previously joined in 1910 for a solitary season.

They rejoined that league in 2001. Indeed, Orrell was recruited when they were in the Central Yorkshire League on the promise that they would be in the Bradford League within five years.

Since then Woodlands, who applied to join the Bradford League in 1992 but were rejected as there were no vacancies, have become the premier club in what is arguably the strongest league in the country.

They won Division Two in that first season and finished eighth, seventh and fourth before finishing top of the pile in 2005 and 2006.

And having finished as runners-up in the Priestley Cup in three consecutive years up to 2005, they broke that duck as well last season.

Throw in the Heavy Woollen Cup victory of 2004 and you can see why Pearson laughed and said: "The only way for us now is down."

But even though they have already lost in the Heavy Woollen Cup and the Priestley Cup this season, they are still involved in the Black Sheep Yorkshire Champions' Trophy.

And, more importantly, they are 25 points ahead in Bradford League Division One as they bid to join Bradford (1927-9), Brighouse (1930-2), Windhill (1937-41), Baildon (1950-2), Idle (1965-7) and Pudsey Congs (2000-4) as the only clubs to have won the title in three or more successive seasons.

By the way, doesn't that say something about the competitive nature of the Bradford League that no club has ever won the title in three consecutive seasons more than once?

Of course, Woodlands are benefiting from having the foresight to build a sports hall but they are also reaping the rewards of having unpaid volunteers.

"Of course, we run it as a business and we do it as professionally as we can but we only pay one person off the field," explained Pearson.

Woodlands have been helped immensely in the modern era by such stalwarts as chairman David Wharf, president Gordon Rishman, treasurer Stuart Tordoff and vice-chairman Donald Worsnop, who also runs the junior section.

Orrell joined at the same time as three of his team-mates from Saltaire - Brent Shackleton, Nicky Rushworth and Richard Spittlehouse - but it was on the back of Orrell being captain that some other players were only too ready to move to the Oakenshaw club.

Opening bat Russell Murray, from Townville, is a good example and Pearson said that they did not only want signings to be decent cricketers but also decent people.

Murphy Walwyn arrived at Albert Terrace when he was still a potent weapon and in Safraz Ahmed they have had an overseas player who always gives 100 per cent - something that cannot always be said of some other professionals within the league.

Pearson said: "You need to get a balanced team and we have always tried to do that in terms of the batting order, the bowlers and fielding ability.

"It was gratifying to read that Pieter Swanepoel reckons that the team spirit here is better than anywhere else he has known - including Yorkshire."

But Woodlands is not just about the first team. In fact, the second team have won more trophies than the seniors.

It is also about the ladies' committee and the spectators, Pearson revealing: "The players give their caps to the supporters at the end of each season and they wear them the following season when they are watching."

Woodlands have definitely enhanced the Bradford League since they came back on board in 2001. Put simply, you have to take your hat off to them.