Woodlands showed their champion qualities as they overcame arch-rivals New Farnley to open an 18-point lead at the top of the Premier Division.
Put in to bat on a pitch which gave assistance to the bowlers throughout, they battled their way to a total of 162 thanks largely to a tenacious innings of 50 from opener Sam Frankland.
Sam Frankland hits a boundary during his innings of 50 Picture: Ray Spencer
Off spinner Harry Killoran impressed with 4-46 for New Farnley Picture: Ray Spencer
The value of his runs was shown as Woodlands subsided from 91-2 when Frankland departed to 105-5 and ultimately 162 all out as all the New Farnley bowlers adapted well to the conditions. New off spinner Harry Killoran (4-46) and fellow slow bowler Adam Ahmed (3-28) returned the best figures.
Just how important Frankland’s runs were was shown as seamer Tom Clee (4-24) took the first four wickets and skipper Brad Schmulian two in two balls as New Farnley plunged to 53-6.
Ahmed refused to give up the fight but ran out of partners as he finished unbeaten on 51 in a total of 142. Muhammad Bilal (3-38) and Schmulian (3-34) ensured that Woodlands won at the Barry Jackson ground for the third successive year
Adam Ahmed's unbeaten 51 was in vain for New Farnley Picture: Ray Spencer.
New Farnley remain second and are two points ahead of Methley who also tasted defeat. They went down by 47 runs as Ossett registered their first win of the season to lift themselves off the bottom.
Pakistan fast bowler Junaid Khan proved to be their match winner. After hitting an unbeaten 33 at number 11 to boost Ossett’s score to 165, Khan claimed 3-31 as Methley were dismissed for 118. Khan was backed up by James Wade (3-33) as only Tom Chippendale (33) made an impression in the visitors’ innings. The best of the Methley bowlers on a day when they paid tribute to their late chairman John Stabler, was spinner Josh Sullivan (4-63).
Townville are now fourth after a comprehensive 178-run win at Farsley. Opener Jonny Booth led the way with 94 before Conor Harvey took centre stage with both bat and ball. After smashing six sixes in an unbeaten 66 to propel his side to 259-5, Harvey claimed 5-11 as Farsley were skittled out for 81.
Jer Lane registered their first win as they bowled out Hanging Heaton for 96 before romping to an eight-wicket success with Adal Islam making 46 not out at Park Avenue.
Leg spinner Jafar Ali Chohan took six wickets for Jer Lane Picture: Richard Kosmala
The architect of their win was leg spinner Jafar Ali Chohan with 6-21 while overseas player Ibrar Younis took 3-4 with his left arm spin.
Pudsey St Lawrence also registered a first victory as they defeated Bradford & Bingley by two wickets with a single off the last ball at Wagon Lane.
After leg spinner Archie Scott (4-44) had helped restrict the home side to 160-9, Yasir Abbas scoring 45, St Lawrence ran in to trouble after opener Mark Robertshaw (65) appeared to have given them a good start.
Spinner Bradley Reeve (3-36) and Abbas (3-37) bowled well but could not prevent their side from suffering a defeat which drops them to the bottom of the table as the only top flight team still to register a win.
There was also a close finish at Pudsey Congs where the home side suffered a two-run defeat at the hands of Bankfoot who were without their overseas player Farman Safi.
Skipper James Lee (55) made important runs for Bankfoot while a late flourish from Osama Ahmad (42) push their score up to 156 despite the efforts of spinner Sam Wisniewski (4-35). Congs lost wickets at regular intervals and finished agonisingly of 154-9. Leg spinner James Massheder claiming 4-50. Callum Oliver (30) was Congs’ top scorer.
Division One
There was a dramatic game at Carlton where the home side recovered from 58-8 to chase down a Cleckheaton score of 187 and win by one wicket.
The heroes of the hour were overseas player Sanu Ullah Khan (96) and Wasim Khaliq (33no) who shared a ninth wicket stand of 118. Khan stuck eight sixes and six fours as he marked his debut in style.
When Khan was dismissed with 12 still needed, Khaliq stayed calm and helped lift his side off the bottom of the table. For Cleckheaton this was their second successive defeat and drops them from first to third.
Defeat was hard on former Yorkshire and Scotland seamer Iain Wardlaw. After rescuing his side with the bat by hitting 64 not out as he added 89 for the last wicket with Andrew Deegan, Wardlaw took 4-29 with the ball. For Carlton, Khan (3-36) and Kieron Holliday (3-53) were the key bowlers.
East Bierley are the new leaders, but they were made to work hard for their three-wicket success against battling East Ardsley.
Opener James Van Der Merwe top scored with 83 as East Ardsley posted a score of 186 despite some good bowling from Umar Abbas (6-52).
Opener Dwayne Heke (57) and Tom Burton (33) led the East Bierley reply which faltered against the persistent Ashley Pearson (5-47) before an unbeaten 29 from overseas player Nisar Ahmad saw them home.
Morley are 11 points back in second place after an 81-run win at newly promoted Yeadon. Overseas player Ali Usman is proving to be a useful addition to the Scatcherd Lane side’s squad. He made 64 as Morley posted 193-8 before taking 6-28 as the home side were bowled out for 112. Skipper Matthew Dowse returned after illness with 3-23.
Usman and wicketkeeper Liam Thomas (46) shared a fifth wicket partnership of 110 which was key to their side’s success.
Gomersal are fourth after Ibrar Younis (5-12) and Daniel Syme (3-31) bowled out Batley for 80 to complete a 40-run win. Nasir Totakhil (5-19) had earlier impressed as Gomersal were all out for 120.
Fifth place Undercliffe were left kicking their heels after their game away to bottom team Sandal was abandoned due to a waterlogged outfield at Barnsley Road.
Australian Jamin Barron-Toop took 6-29 as Baildon bowled out Birstall for 152 to complete an 18-run win. Rishi Limbechaya (35), Noah Chapman (34) and Henry Pearson (33) all got going but could not go on to make a match-winning contribution.
Baildon’s total of 170 was dominated by the contributions of opener James Ford (60) and Jonny Reynolds (50). Pearson with 5-32 posed the main threat.
Division Two
Bowling Old Lane lead the way by one point from Hartshead Moor after both teams recorded their third wins of the season. Old Lane defeated Heckmondwike & Carlinghow by three wickets while their closest rivals overcame Buttershaw St Paul’s by 81 runs.
Muhammed Yasir (5-42) and Hisan Ahmed (3-18) helped Old Lane dismiss Heckmondwike & Carlinghow for 119 despite Ovais Hussain making 56. Opener Farhan Hussain batted patiently for an unbeaten 50 as Old Lane edged home despite the efforts of Surender Singh (3-16).
Mussawar Shah took 6-59 and hit 44 but could not spare Buttershaw St Paul’s from defeat at home to Hartshead Moor. The visitors ran up a total of 261 thanks to Chris Wynd (49), Josh Marsden (33) and Jack Baldwin (36). Off spinner Lewis Lomax took 5-35 as St Paul’s were all out for 180.
Overseas player Jabari Mills made an unbeaten 60 as he steered third place Hopton Mills to a seven-wicket win over Northowram Fields. Reheel Ahmed (42no) gave Mills good support as the Northowram Fields total of 127 proved insufficient.
Australian Harry Hauenstein (45) and Louis Cockburn (38) top scored for Northowram Fields who struggled against the bowling of Adam Siddique (4-21) and Touseef Haider (4-41).
There was a tie in the game between Wrenthorpe and Liversedge. Wrenthorpe’s Sultan Mehmood (29) was run out with the scores level as his side replied to their visitors’ score of 156.Parvaise Khan (4-41) and Adam Clarke (3-28) were the key Liversedge bowlers.
Wasim Nazir (53) top scored for Liversedge as Mehmood (3-39), and Ben Brown (3-23) posed the main threat.
Alex Stead hit an unbeaten 109 for Lightcliffe but could not prevent his side from suffering a 16-run defeat against Keighley. Despite Stead’s efforts, Lightcliffe finished on 180-8 in reply to their opponents’ total of 196, Ijaz Ahmed (3-20) was the best of the bowlers.
Skipper Simon Bailey (38) and Amjid Hussain (36) led the way in the Keighley innings as South African Isaac Dikgale returned figures of 4-35.
The day’s quickest winners were Crossflatts as they defeated Hunslet Nelson by seven wickets in a match where there was just 26 overs of play.
Nelson were sunk without trace as Azhar Mehmood (6-9) and Asif Yousaf (3-19) bowled them out for just 30. Despite losing three wickets, Crossflatts won with ease.
Division Three
Leaders Spen Victoria defeated East Leeds by 15 runs to record their fourth win which gives them a 14-point lead.
Paolo Girardi (67) and Ollie Davison (50) put on 118 for the sixth wicket as Spen made 228-8, a total that included 41 from opener Corey Roebuck. James Watling (4-43) and Wasim Malik (3-51) took the bowling honours.
Amraze Mehmood (66) and Kashif Rehman (32) battled hard as East Leeds replied with 213. Tom Atkinson picked up 3-57.
Adwalton are second after a 35-run victory over Windhill & Daisy Hill. Veteran Maz Bhatti (4-36) and Aarya Jadhav (3-52) restricted Adwalton to a score of 156 but it proved sufficient to secure a win as Windhill & Daisy Hill were dismissed for 121 despite 39 from Shoaib Iqbal. Australian Nathan Cant (4-35) and Tom Davidson (4-30) were the main wicket takers.
Brighouse finally opened their campaign but suffered a five-wicket defeat against third place Scholes. Only Ansar Mahmood (43) got going as Brighouse were bowled out for 114 with Hamza Khan taking 5-34. James Robson made 32 as Scholes sealed victory.
Altofts saw their promotion ambitions take another blow as they went down by two wickets to Wakefield St Michael’s. Nazakat Hussain took 3-47 as Altofts were dismissed for 122 and Paul Wookey claimed 3-37 as St Michael’s edged home.
Gildersome & Farnley Hill prevailed by 10 runs in a tight contest with Crossbank Methodists. Sayed Salman (5-33) and Mohammed Shah (4-39) made decisive contributions with the ball as Crossbank, despite 64 from opener Tyler Woodhouse, wee bowled out for 138.
Nasir Shah (40) top scored when Gildersome & Farnley Hill posted 148. The wickets were shared by Lewis Lockwood (4-13), Rumman Virk (3-49) and Shahzad Khalil (3-39)
Morley have taken over at the top of the Premier Division after defeating bottom team Bankfoot by...
It has been a doubly successful Bank Holiday for Woodlands, New Farnley Townville and Pudsey St...
It was a winning double in the Bank Holiday Monday sunshine as both our teams had convincing...
