If the Heavy Woollen Cup semi-finals proved anything, it was that it's not easy running through a Bradford League First Division side.

Both matches followed a remarkably similar path before tea only to take markedly different turns afterwards.

Hosts Woodlands were 19 for five against joint Second Division leaders Brighouse before Adam Goldthorpe (81) and Murphy Walwyn (61) added 131 for the sixth wicket.

And Spen Victoria, at home to Central Yorkshire League champions Wrenthorpe in the other tie, were 42 for five before Tosh Baker (79no) and skipper Chris Elstub (65) mounted their rescue operation with a partnership of 165.

It was after the salads, sandwiches and cakes that the matches went in opposite directions.

Brighouse were bowled out for 50 in just 21.4 overs, while there was tension at Spen Lane for almost all of the Wrenthorpe innings before they succumbed for 170.

Woodlands' league representative Phil Godfrey said: "At 19 for five I never thought we were out of it because when you have Murphy Walwyn and Safraz Ahmed then you always have a chance of getting some runs, but Adam Goldthorpe, at 23, played the innings of his life."

Woodlands are already through to the Priestley Cup final against Pudsey Congs at the Britannia ground on Sunday, August 29, and now they can add the Heavy Woollen Cup decider against Spen Victoria at Liversedge on Sunday, August 1.

Imran Ali, James Stansfield, Adam Stott and Royston Light each bowled their ten-over allotment for Brighouse, but until Rob Holmes' bag of tricks at the end of the innings Woodlands had taken a heavy toll off Jamie Marchant and Mick Wood, their joint seven overs going for 60.

Woodlands lost Pyrah, Brice, Nick Whitehill, Nick Rushworth and skipper Tim Orrell before the revival, and Spen had Gharib Razak, John Wood, Gareth Davis, Thomas Owens and Ian Wood back in the 'tent' before they turned their innings around.

Baker hit ten fours and a six for Spen Victoria and reached his 50 in 77 balls and 97 minutes, Elstub notching eight fours and two sixes, getting to his landmark in 98 balls and 127 minutes.

Wrenthorpe have successfully chased much bigger targets than the 217 Spen set them and there was plenty of tension in the air as Baker and John Wood opened the bowling for the home side against Richard Walker and Mark Alvey.

John Wood had a very confident appeal for caught behind turned down, but the opening partnership didn't last much longer, and then it was a matter of breaking up partnerships between Wrenthorpe skipper Lee Smith and Jonathan Kirk and Smith and Steve Palmer for the fourth and fifth wickets respectively.

Davis' accurate left-arm spin did the job for the fourth wicket before John Wood was recalled and dismissed Palmer second ball. Davis bowled Mark Frost behind his legs, but Spen could not rest while Smith was at the crease, and he found another useful partner in Paul Marshall.

They added 38 before Elstub, who had a fine match, trapped Smith leg before for 53. That was the turning point and Wrenthorpe's innings was wrapped up not long after.

John Wood said: "It is important to have a good cup run. I didn't play in the final last year, which we disappointingly lost to Mirfield, so we have a chance to put that right.

"And hopefully success in the cup will lift the lads for their league matches."