Babar Butt may be just on the wrong side of 40 and claim that his eyes are going' but he is still one of the best batsmen in the Bradford League.

Coming to the wicket at 38 for two, he guided Pudsey Congs to an eight-wicket victory at 2005 champions Woodlands, thus giving them revenge for their dramatic defeat at Albert Terrace nine months ago.

Congs' No 3 said: "I am still practising twice a week and last Thursday I had an hour-and-a-half net against Muhammad Azhar Ullah (Congs' new overseas player), Faisal Irfan (formerly of Cleckheaton and Pudsey St Lawrence) and Kashif Raza (formerly of East Bierley and Salts).

"It was good of them to bowl at me for so long but it is nothing different to what the rest of the boys are regularly doing.

"It is part of a set regime which has been going on for several years."

He added, laughing: "My eyes are going now but it is just nice to bat at No 3 my preferred position for a side like Congs.

"My hitting is just a natural thing and sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn't.

"Safraz Ahmed is a class bowl-er for Woodlands but he isn't quite as effective when you have a right-hand, left-hand partnership like myself and Andy Bairstow."

After Ullah had induced Russell Murray to chop a delivery into his stumps, Scott Richardson, via some strong drives, and Richard Pyrah saw off the Pakistani only to fall foul of Mark Bray and Neil Gill respectively.

While Gill was economy itself with his inswinging deliveries, Bray bagged his second six-wicket haul in as many league matches.

His six for 35, following a six for 20 against East Bierley, knocked the stuffing out of the Woodlands innings and they were dismissed for 99 in just 41 overs.

Andy Bethel and Bradley Parker fell relatively early but Congs were seen home by Butt (51 not out) and Bairstow (31 not out), who added 62 unbroken.

Butt said: "It is hard to come back when you have been bowled out for 99."

As for the season as a whole, now that Congs have won four out of four, he said: "We will just carry on trying to play good cricket and what happens will happen.

"But it is early days in the league and we'll see where we are by May 29 when we play Pudsey St Lawrence."

Former Yorkshire player Richardson said: "We made a decent start but we didn't really bat well.

"You have to graft on Wood-lands' wicket but we didn't leave ourselves with a half-decent target to bowl at.

"A couple of the lads weren't happy with their decisions, and maybe four of us weren't 100 per cent, but that is part and parcel of the game and next week maybe those kind of things will go for us.

"But to give them nine overs is unforgiveable. However, it is early days and we will learn from that."

Butt hit three sixes and seven fours and Bairstow a six and four fours, with only Ahmed able to contain the clean-hitting Congs duo.

Meanwhile, Pudsey St Law-rence skipper Andrew Doidge has denied that the new points system is favouring his side.

Saints have picked up 15 batting points from a maximum of 20 as they have climbed to the top of Division One.

But Doidge said: "Whatever points system there is it only helps you if you win matches, and we have made a decent start.

"If you have nine decent batters like we have then you are going to bat, but that is only any good if you are batting well.

"Also, we haven't had any injuries so far and we have a couple of young players in Mark Robertshaw and Chris Marsden who have produced good performances."

There is approval in general for the new points system with a realisation that it needs to be tweaked for next season primarily because a side that bowls opponents out cheaply in the first innings can only gain a maximum of 15 points. But Doidge issued a pertinent reminder: "There was criticism of the old system if you got 250 chasing 251 and only got a point."

St Lawrence made 230 for seven at home to East Bierley, Marsden top-scoring with 53 not out at No 6, but contributions also came from Alex Stead, Robertshaw, Iain Priest-ley and Doidge.

Bierley sent in Jaffer Nazir early at No 4 and while he and opener John Proud were there the danger cones were hoisted.

But Proud fell for 39 and Nazir's dismissal for 58 to make it 145 for eight spelt the end of Bierley's challenge.

Overseas bowler James Pear-son pegged the visitors back with four for 41 but Craig Johnson and Paul Hutchison survived the final overs.