West Bowling will be playing in the Premier Division of the Pennine League next season after Richard Lumb’s hat-trick inspired a 28-4 home win over St Joseph’s which confirmed promotion to the top flight.

However, the league title remains up for grabs due to Keighley’s narrow 26-24 win over Bank Top Harriers which leaves them just two points behind leaders Bowling with a game in hand and a marginally better points difference.

West Bowling coach Leigh Beattie will not let the celebrations start just yet and will be doing his best to ensure his players close out the season with a final victory against third-bottom Ossett Trinity which could well see them crowned champions.

Bowling came out fired up against the visitors with a clear intent to put the Huddersfield outfit firmly in their place.

The opening ten minutes proved to be a stalemate as both sides wrestled for the upper hand.

But it was the hosts who seized the initiative when loose forward Lumb collected the ball to crash over and score.

Stand-off Liam Coe stepped up and duly added the extras to give Bowling a 6-0 lead and banish any lingering pre-match nerves.

Things remained equal until the 25-minute mark when scrum half Ben Heald cleverly intercepted a stray St Joseph’s pass to race 65 metres and touch down. Coe added the goal to extend the lead to 12-0.

With half-time fast approaching, Bowling took a firm grip of the game when Elliot Cousins, having left the bench, showed a try-scorer’s instinct to dive over, with Coe again adding the goal.

The game was all but over two minutes into the second half when Lumb helped himself to his second try of the afternoon, although the effort went unconverted.

Despite St Joseph’s getting themselves on the scoreboard on 68 minutes, they had no real answer to the home sides’s superior firepower and it was no surprise when, with five minutes remaining, Lumb crowned his man of the match performance with a hat-trick score.

Coe duly converted to round off the scoring and send Bowling into the top flight once more.