Local cricket: Lightcliffe must pursue their Bradford League Second Division promotion ambitions without their star batsman.

Indian A teamer Mohammed Kaif - one of two players in the league to reach 1,000 runs this season - has had to return to India to play for his club.

Skipper Andy Baxter is under no illusions that Lightcliffe will miss his stylish and productive batting, but he's still confident the club can clinch the third promotion place and bounce straight back to the First Division after being relegated following just one season in the top flight.

Baxter said: "We will miss Mohammed Kaif, but the good news is that we have signed him for next season providing we go up."

Lightcliffe, seven points clear in third place, have a tough match tomorrow when they visit Yeadon.

Yeadon, already promoted, will be crowned champions tomorrow if they win or draw, or if second-placed Lidget Green, 20 points behind, fail to beat neighbours Great Horton, whose own promotion challenge has faded.

Baxter said: "We have lost only one match in the second half of the season, and that was at Lidget Green, where we should have won.

"Yeadon are the best side in the division, but they have missed opener Neil Elvidge in the second half of the season."

Baxter, who sees Drighlington as the main danger to Lightcliffe's promotion ambitions, added: "I think we can afford to lose one of our last four matches, ut I would like to go through unbeaten and be the best team in the second half of the season.

"Unfortunately, our opening bowler James Horne, who has taken 17 wickets in four games,will be missing after tomorrow - for the last three matches. We owe a lot to our wicketkeeper-batsman Shaun Humphreys, who missed the first six matches, but has made a big difference since then."

In the First Division, eight of the 14 clubs are in danger of relegation and only 15 points separate Bankfoot (bottom) from the seventh, eight and ninth placed clubs, Cleckheaton, Windhill and Bradford and Bingley who are level on 51 points.

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