Bradford Cricket League: Hanging Heaton, sitting at the bottom of the table, injected fresh vigour into their campaign to stave off relegation from the Premier Division. They secured only their third victory of the season by defeating Methley by a margin of 12 runs.
Muhammad Hafeez, claiming figures of 5-55, and Max Chappell, with a performance of 4-40, played instrumental roles in dismissing Methley for 173, as they defended their own total of 185. Yasir Ali, scoring an unbeaten 38, remained the top contributor for the losing side, who now find themselves a mere 25 points above the relegation spots.
Hanging Heaton’s top scorers were Bradley Wood (37) and Callum Geldart (30), while spinners Josh Sullivan (5-62) and Cameron Sharp (3-24) showcased their prowess by bowling out Methley. With this victory, Hanging Heaton’s tally reaches 143 points, placing them just six points behind Pudsey Congs and seven points adrift of Bankfoot in the struggle to escape relegation.
Bankfoot faced a daunting 93-run loss against Townville but managed to secure seven bonus points, allowing them to surpass Pudsey Congs, who could only garner three points in their 155-run defeat against New Farnley.
Townville managed to amass a total of 275-8, with Jonny Booth (79), Jack Hughes (51), Harry Warwick (45), and James Glynn (30) leading the charge. Bankfoot’s bowlers found it challenging to contain these batsmen, with Jamil Aslam returning the best figures of 4-54.
In response, Bankfoot’s top contributors were Nathan Storton (52), Danny Colehan (38), and James Lee (36). However, they were eventually dismissed for 182, as left-arm spinner Jack Hughes claimed impressive figures of 6-70.
Steve Bullen continued his remarkable performance against Pudsey Congs, notching a century for the second time this season. His unbeaten 105 in New Farnley’s total of 283-4 pushed his league run tally to 911. Bullen’s innings included two sixes and 11 fours, and he was well-supported by Harry Killoran (78) in a third-wicket partnership worth 117. Usman Arshad’s brisk 49 further added to the Congs bowlers’ challenges.
Pudsey Congs, in their reply, were dismissed for 128. Yohan Mendis (37) and Richard Jubb (36) were the main contributors. New Farnley’s bowlers Harry Killoran (3-32) and Adam Ahmed (3-16) stood out in the bowling department.
The league leaders, Woodlands, require just 15 points from their remaining three matches to secure their fourth consecutive league title. Brad Schmulian’s unbeaten century, comprising a six and 15 fours, guided Woodlands to a six-wicket victory over Jer Lane, avenging their sole league defeat of the season. Schmulian’s partnership of 103 with Tom Clee (39) played a pivotal role in overhauling Jer Lane’s score of 179.
Despite a challenging start that saw them lose their first four wickets for just three runs after choosing to bat first, Jer Lane managed to post 179. Cosmond Walters led the recovery with a score of 70, while Hishaam Khan contributed 41. Schmulian continued to excel, taking 4-58 with the ball.
In another match, Pudsey St Lawrence skipper Chris Marsden secured a hat-trick, yet his team fell short by 44 runs against Ossett. Ossett managed to put up a total of 190 in their innings, with notable performances from Mattie Race (60), William Wade (48 not out), and Mubtada Akhtar (45).
Facing the bowling prowess of Junaid Khan (5-48) and Mubtada Akhtar (3-24), Pudsey St Lawrence’s batting line-up crumbled and they were dismissed for 146. Barrie Frankland emerged as the top scorer with 34.
Farsley’s aspirations for a fourth-place finish received a boost as they secured a 27-run victory over Gordon Rigg Priestley Cup winners, Bradford & Bingley. Joe Pocklington played a pivotal role, top-scoring with 74 in Farsley’s total of 191, and then claiming impressive figures of 5-42 to help bowl out Bradford & Bingley for 164.
Among Bradford & Bingley’s performers, Bradley Reeve (4-50) and Jack Luxton (3-53) showcased their skills with the ball, while Matthew Duce (36) and Jack Luxton (32) made significant contributions with the bat.
