Bradford Cricket League Division One witnessed Cleckheaton, the current leaders, secure a crucial victory against the formidable Sandal team, despite the challenging weather conditions.
Once again, opener Waleed Akhtar showcased his skills with an impressive score of 56, leading Cleckheaton to reach their DLS-adjusted target of 103 with more than 20 overs remaining. Sandal’s spinner, Zaeem Zulfqar, tried his best and managed to take three wickets for 23 runs, but it wasn’t enough to halt Cleckheaton’s pursuit of victory.
Sandal struggled during their batting innings, with opener Ashley Mackereth being the lone standout performer, scoring 55 runs. However, he lacked support from the rest of the team as James Stansfield, continuing his impressive form, took four wickets for just 15 runs.
With this win, Cleckheaton extended their lead at the top of the league table to 34 points ahead of Undercliffe. Unfortunately, Undercliffe’s match against third-place Morley was abandoned without a single ball being bowled, adding frustration to the rain-affected fixtures.
The bad weather caused three other games to be completely washed out: East Ardsley v Batley, East Bierley v Carlton, and Gomersal v Baildon.
Similarly, the fixture between Birstall and Yeadon was also abandoned prematurely, with only ten balls being bowled in Birstall’s chase of Yeadon’s total of 188. Seth Pickering (40) and Muhammad Khan (36) emerged as the top scorers for Yeadon, while Daniel Marlow (3-33) and Waqas Khan (3-39) were the most successful bowlers for Birstall.
Despite the rain disruptions, Cleckheaton’s dominant performance served as a testament to their position at the top of the league and their determination to maintain their lead.
