Lorenzo Ingram played another superb innings to continue his extraordinary start to the Bradford League Division One season but ended up on the losing side thanks to a terrific run chase led by East Bierley’s Andrew Rennison.

Ingram’s innings of 151 not out, which featured five sixes and 22 fours, took his aggregate to 520. He has been dismissed only once and when he smashed 32 off the last over by Kez Ahmed, he appeared to have set up a likely victory for Farsley.

However, Bierley had a batting hero of their own in Rennison, who led them to a memorable four-wicket win with 102 not out from only 69 balls to enable them to pass Farsley’s total of 266-8.

Bierley skipper Lee Godd-ard said: “We were always confident because we know what strength we have in our batting.”

Goddard, who played his own part with an innings of 61, was determined his side would not be distracted by Ingram’s heroics.

“We had to concentrate on our target irrespective of what Lorenzo Ingram did individually,” he said. “We know that 266 on this ground is not a particularly big score.

“We were always there or thereabouts with our run rate, provided we had wickets in hand. We bat down to No 11 so we never thought we would be out of the game.

“It looked to be a tall order but we have confidence in our batting line-up and Andrew Rennison played a fantastic innings to see us home.”

Bierley made a bad start, losing Gavin Hamilton at six, but Gharib Razak (37) and Goddard put them on track with a second-wicket stand of 91.

However, the loss of Goddard and Thomas Owens in the space of three runs was a setback. When Ismail Dawood was out at 166 and Ahmed followed eight runs later with 92 still needed from 10.2 overs, the task looked beyond Bierley.

But Rennison and overseas player Muhammad Azhar-Ullah had other ideas and, with 50 still needed from the last five overs, the Bierley pair changed the game dramatically with an onslaught that left the home side needing only nine from the last two overs.

It was left to Rennison to finish the game in the grand manner, hitting the first ball of the final over from Andrew Duckworth for six to seal Bierley’s victory and bring up his own century.

Rennison, who hit seven sixes and eight fours, put on 97 with Azhar-Ullah (37) in an unbroken match-winning seventh-wicket stand.

Disappointed Farsley captain Ian Philliskirk said: “I thought we were in the box seat, especially when we got Ishy Dawood out. That looked to be the big wicket but they bat a long way down.

“It was disappointing. We were struggling a bit bowling-wise because Neil Laidlaw was bowling through injury but give credit where it is due. Andrew Rennison played a great innings.

“It is very difficult to defend any sort of total on a ground like this. Ours was a good score and but for a fantastic innings from Rennison we would have won.”

Philliskirk, who returned to Farsley from Baildon during the close season, was full of praise for Ingram.

“He has been outstanding this season,” he said. “It was very difficult early on against two of the quickest bowlers in the league, but he makes it look so easy. He is as good an overseas player as I have seen and it is great to have him in the team.”