Woodlands Cricket Club continued their dominant run in the Bradford Cricket League, securing their sixth consecutive victory in the Premier Division. The weekend matches saw New Farnley and Townville also triumph, showcasing some scintillating cricket under the sunny conditions.
Aidan Langley, the young opener for New Farnley, stole the spotlight by scoring his maiden century in the top-flight, leading his team to a 44-run victory over Jer Lane at Park Avenue. Meanwhile, the experienced campaigner Mark Robertshaw played a crucial role for Pudsey St Lawrence, remaining unbeaten as he guided his team to a five-wicket win against Farsley with a remarkable century.
Methley’s Eitan Litvin displayed exceptional batting skills, remaining unbeaten on 99, to help his team secure a five-wicket victory over Bankfoot. The weekend also witnessed impressive bowling performances, as both Alex Lilley from New Farnley and Sam Wisniewski from Pudsey Congs claimed six wickets each, leading their teams to victories over Hanging Heaton.
Although Woodlands faced a tough challenge from Bradford & Bingley, the league leaders managed to clinch another victory after a shaky start. Chasing the home side’s total of 221-9, Woodlands found themselves struggling at 178-7. However, Kez Ahmed and Jack Bleazard held their nerve and delivered an unbeaten partnership of 44 runs to secure a remarkable win.
Bradford & Bingley’s Corey Miller (51), Ed Brown (47), and Jacob Slator (37) contributed significantly to their team’s total, while left-arm spinner Chris Brice showcased his best form of the season, claiming five wickets for 70 runs.
With this win, Woodlands further solidified their position at the top of the Premier Division, accumulating 112 points. New Farnley, despite being penalised for a slow over rate, managed to secure 20 points and remain the closest challengers to Woodlands. New Farnley’s victory was built on the foundation of Aidan Langley’s exceptional innings of 115, which included 16 fours. Langley partnered with Steve Bullen (79) in a second-wicket stand of 186, before Cam Fletcher’s powerful knock of 63 not out concluded their innings at 301-5.
Jer Lane fought valiantly with notable contributions from Israr Ullah (66), Sam Johnson (57), and Cosmond Walters (50), but ultimately fell short, getting dismissed for 257. Alex Lilley impressed with his bowling, taking 6-40.
Townville extended their winning streak with a comfortable six-wicket victory over Ossett. The home side struggled with their batting, managing only 102 runs. Spinners Harry Clewett (3-8) and Jack Hughes (3-16) wreaked havoc, causing the last six wickets to fall for just 15 runs. Harry Warwick (33) led Townville’s successful chase.
In the mid-table clash at Red Lane, both Pudsey sides secured victories, setting the stage for an exciting derby match at Tofts Road on Monday. Pudsey St Lawrence’s opener Mark Robertshaw once again demonstrated his importance to the team, scoring an unbeaten 123 runs and leading his side to victory. He received valuable support from former Farsley captain Barrie Frankland (48 not out), with whom he shared an unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership of 105 runs. Chris Beech (63), Ryan Cooper (40), and Jonathan Read (34 not out) were the main contributors to the home side’s total of 229-8.
Pudsey Congs’ left-arm spinner Sam Wisniewski played a crucial role in his team’s seven-wicket win over Hanging Heaton, claiming six wickets for 64 runs. Callum Geldart, the captain and former Congs player for Hanging Heaton, fought gallantly, scoring 83 runs, but his team could only manage a total of 167. Congs comfortably chased down the target with 11 overs to spare, thanks to a patient knock of 72 not out by young opener Sabir Mahmood and valuable runs from Yohan Mendis (58).
Methley bounced back with a solid chase against Bankfoot, successfully reaching the target of 255-8 with five wickets in hand. Eitan Litvin was the standout performer, falling just one run short of a century, scoring a brilliant 99 runs. Jake Smart provided crucial support, remaining unbeaten with 50 runs, as the duo shared an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 87 runs. Bankfoot’s James Lee top-scored with 77 runs, while Mohammed Abbas (52 not out), Hamzah Iqbal (35), and Usman Fareed (33) contributed to their team’s total. Ben Waite was the pick of Methley’s bowlers, finishing with figures of 3-58.
Woodlands Cricket Club currently leads the Premier Division with an impressive 112 points, establishing themselves as the team to beat. The competition remains fierce, with New Farnley trailing behind by 22 points, despite their penalty for a slow over rate in the previous match. Fans eagerly await the upcoming matches as the battle for supremacy in the Bradford Cricket League continues.
