In Division One of the Bradford Cricket League, Cleckheaton’s in-form batsmen, Waleed Akhtar and Yousaf Baber, combined for an unbroken second-wicket partnership of 190, leading their team to a commanding 109-run victory over Yeadon.
Akhtar displayed his skill with an unbeaten 141, comprising of five sixes and 16 fours, while Baber contributed 89 not out. This strong performance from Cleckheaton resulted in a total score of 266-1 in 32 overs.
Both Akhtar and Baber are now on the verge of reaching 1,000 runs for the season. Akhtar holds the position of the league’s leading run-scorer with 956 runs, closely followed by Baber with 933 runs.
Yeadon struggled to respond, managing only 156-5 in their allotted 32 overs. Muhammad Khan’s unbeaten 53 and Pasindu Thirimadura’s 40 were the highest scores for their team.
In another match, second-placed Undercliffe handed East Ardsley a resounding defeat by 150 runs. Undercliffe’s Danish Hussain (61), Ben Morley (56), and Kyle Welsh (52 not out) powered their team to a total of 229-7.
East Ardsley’s batting faltered, and they were bowled out for a mere 87 runs. Suraj Singh’s unbeaten 42 was the only noteworthy contribution, as Abdullah Khan (4-30) and Jude Roberts (3-13) led the bowling attack.
In a significant feat, overseas player Ali Usman claimed 7-32 for Morley, securing their victory by two wickets over Birstall. Ali Usman became the first bowler this season to take 50 wickets.
Despite opener Eric Austin’s 37, Birstall struggled against Usman’s spell, leading to a disappointing total of 167. Morley’s chase was challenging, with Joe Finnigan (36) and Gordon Thomson (32) leading the way to a narrow victory, supported by Waqas Khan’s 3-40.
Baildon boosted their chances of avoiding relegation by defeating East Bierley with a 110-run margin. Raman Athwal’s 4-23 and Hamin Barron-Toop’s (3-41) bowling efforts led to East Bierley being dismissed for 131.
Baildon’s triumph was built on a solid batting performance. Skipper Kevin McDermott’s 90 and James Ford’s 51 formed an opening partnership of 101, followed by Jonny Reynolds’ unbeaten 49, resulting in a total of 233-2.
A thrilling finish occurred at Sandal, where the home team suffered a one-run defeat against Gomersal. Despite Kasun Madushanka’s 46 and Matthew Westwood’s 40, Sandal’s attempt to chase a DLS target of 114 fell short as Ibrar Younis claimed 6-37.
Gomersal’s total of 117 was primarily driven by Fergus McKenna’s 60 runs. However, they struggled against the bowling attack of Madushanka (4-38), Zaeem Zulfqar (3-18), and Michael Carroll (3-54).
Overseas player Sanaullah Khan’s impressive performance, taking 6-36, led Carlton to bowl out Batley for 107. Due to rain, Carlton set a revised target of 101. They faced challenges but managed a two-wicket victory, with Nasir Jamal (3-33) and Tariq Hussain (3-34) causing difficulties for the batting side.
