Saturday, August 7

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Division One

Gomersal skipper Richard Whitehurst smashed the fastest fifty in Bradford League history off just 11 balls - but could not prevent Pudsey St Lawrence from returning to the top of Division One.

With his side heading for defeat, Whitehurst launched a blistering assault on St Lawrence spinners Steve Watts and Chris Marsden. He smashed five sixes and five fours and beat the previous league best of 50 made in 16 balls by Bankfoot's Richard Peel in 1997.

When he was finally out for 54, St Lawrence's bowlers were able to restore order and wrap up a 72-run win which earned them a maximum 20 points.

Gareth Clough (4-23), who dismissed Whitehurst with the aid of a Steve Thompson stumping, was the pick of the St Lawrence bowlers as Gomersal were bowled out for 170.

St Lawrence had earlier made 242-6 with Alex Stead (71), Mark Robertshaw (68) and Clough (55) all making half-centuries.

Just how valuable the win and the maximum 20 points was to St Lawrence became clear when the day's top match between Pudsey Congs and Woodlands was one of three to be affected by the rain.

Three overs were lost midway through the Woodlands innings and that was to prove crucial.

With Woodlands unable to receive the same number of overs as their opponents it meant either they had to overhaul the challenging total of 252-6 or Congs had to bowl them out to claim the 10 points for the win.

As it was Woodlands, despite one or two anxious moments, finished on 154-7 and it meant both sides picked up two points for an incomplete match plus the bonus points they earned. Congs finished with ten points to Woodlands six.

Before the intervention of the weather there had been some blistering batting from Pudsey Congs with Andrew Bairstow (83no), Babar Butt (59) and Andy Siddall (47) all launching into the Woodlands bowling.

Bairstow, who hit five sixes and seven fours, was particularly severe on left-arm spinner Chris Brice. Division One's leading wickettaker was left with the sorry figures of 15-3-105-2 as Bairstow and Butt put on 147 for the fifth wicket.

Woodlands were progressing well through Tim Orrell (52) and Sam Frankland (40) before the rain intervention, but once both had fallen victim to Yorkshire's Richard Pyrah (4-30), the momentum went from the innings and as wickets fell their priority then became one of depriving Congs victory, which they achieved.

Woodlands are now 14 points behind St Lawrence while Congs also dropped a place to fifth after East Bierley defeated Baildon four wickets to go two points ahead of them.

Overseas paceman Muhammad Azharullah set up the win by taking 6-63 as Baildon made 181 all out. Left-arm spinner Luke Jarvis (3-47) also posed problems with only Baildon skipper Ian Philliskirk (66) making a real impression for the struggling 2009 champions.

Andrew Rennison hit an unbeaten 60 and Gharib Razak made 35 as East Bierley eased to their victory target.

Yorkshire paceman James Lee took 5-28 as Farsley inflicted a four-wicket defeat on bottom team Bankfoot. Spinner Lorenzo Ingram (3-22) was also among the wickets as Bankfoot - despite 58 from Greg Fotheringham, were bowled out for 116.

Farsley had to survive a few anxious moments before reaching their target with Inghram finishing 31not out.

Undercliffe's hopes of a victory to break their dismal run of six straight defeats were washed out at Saltaire.

Another disappointing batting display saw them collapse from 89-1 to 123 all out. Only opener Mark Gilliver (39) made an impression.

Saltaire were wobbling at 77-7 when play was abandoned. They had struggled against the bowling of Chris Greenwood (4-11) and Nawaz Sardar (3-26).

Rain also prevented a definite outcome to the match between Cleckheaton and Yeadon. Thirteen overs were lost from the Yeadon innings as they attempted to overhaul a Cleckheaton total of 160-9.

Skipper Grant Soames (69) tried hard to force the pace, but Yeadon lost wickets in pursuit of quick runs as Ian Wood picked up 4-34. They finished on 137-9 - still 24 runs short of their target,

Young opener Marcus Walmsley (33) was the top scorer for Cleckheaton while veteran off spinner Damon Gormley was Yeadon's best bowler with 5-44.

Division Two

All-rounder Rob McFarlane produced a match-winning performance as leaders Hanging Heaton defeated Great Horton by eight wickets to extend their lead to 49 points.

McFarlane took 7-34 as Great Horton were dismissed for 176 and followed up by making 59 as his side cruised to their 15th win in 18 games. Raheel Ahmed was the best of the Great Horton batsmen with 67.

Harvey Anderson (59no) shared an opening stand of 95 with McFarlane while James Stansfield was unbeaten on 47 when victory was achieved.

The nine-men of Windhill were no match for second-placed Lightcliffe. They were bowled out for just 40 with Richard Tesseyman (3-1) and former Windhill bowler Sadaqat Zaman (3-9) doing the damage, Lightcliffe took just seven overs to secure a nine-wicket win.

Bowling Old Lane recaptured third place as they picked up seven points from an abandoned game at Morley. Old Lane made 200-6 in an innings reduced to 43 overs, and Morley were 54-3 after 20 overs when play was halted.

The match produced the day's only century with Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Mapa Bandara making 113 for Old Lane.

Manningham Mills proved too good for lowly Idle as they secured a 51-run win. Gulsheraz Ahmed made a fine 92 against one of his former clubs as Mills made 176 despite the determined efforts of Dave Pearce (4-43).

Idle struggled against the bowling of Zeeshan Qasim (6-47) as they were dismissed for 125. Luke Heinemann was their top scorer with 39.

The extra over Spen Victoria secured when dismissing Hartshead Moor for 166 in 49 overs proved decisive as they gained a three-wicket win.

Teenage batsman Sean Raven (52no) hit his second successive unbeaten half-century to steer his side home with four balls to spare. Will Smith (38) was the other main contributor.

Hartshead Moor's innings included a half-century for former Spen player Jonathan Gould (51) and 45 from Australian Tom Manvell. The rest of their batting faltered against the bowling of Adam Brown (4-19) and Mahboob Hussain (3-52).