Keighley secured the Bradford League Second Division title with an emphatic nine-wicket win at Great Horton.

The home side batted first and made a reasonable start on a good pitch progressing to 62-2. Talisman Ross Towler, a man that takes five wicket hauls for fun, then got into his stride and made short work of the opposition line-up taking 4-45 with his partner in crime, Aussie Nick Austin, mopping up at the other end with 4-53.

The remaining wicket came from a run out with an excellent piece of opportunist fielding from 'keeper Richard Wood.

With Great Horton dismissed for 99, Keighley could see the title within their grasp.

Skipper Steve Reape and Matthew Bottomley made a solid start with a stand of 41. After Reape perished for five, Bottomley, who has been nothing short of a revelation this term, steered Keighley to victory with a solid 64 not out. The winning runs were hit by Stuart Ratcliffe, veteran of Keighley's last successful promotion campaign, who finished with 18 not out.

This is a remarkable achievement for a team who have bucked the Bradford League trend of buying success.

In a league predominantly driven by money, Keighley have built a club on a foundation of local players with a strong team spirit who work hard for each other and epitomise everything that is good about Bradford League cricket.

With a blend of youth and experience, this unit can only get better. Keighley have met first division opposition several times this year in the cups and put in performances which suggest that they will be going into the First Division to compete, not to consolidate.

Whilst Keighley's fate is now secured, they still have a big say in the remaining promotion spot with the visit of second placed Brighouse to Lawkholme Lane on Saturday.

Great Horton v Keighley

Great Horton

M Zahid c Wood b Austin 5

Z Ashraf c Wood b Austin 35

G Ahmed c Reape b R Towler 1

A Bajwa b R Towler 24

I Sabir b R Towler 1

A Alishan run out 0

F Khalid c Ratcliffe b Austin 1

M Sharafat b R Towler 15

N Chowdery lbw R Towler 0

W Iqbal b Austin 13

M Nazim not out 3

Extras 1 Total 99

Fall: 1-7, 2-18, 3-62, 4-66, 5-66, 6-68, 7-78, 8-78, 9-91

Bowling: R Towler 15.2-2-45-4, N Austin 15-3-53-4.

Keighley

M Bottomley not out 64

S Reape b Sabir 5

S Ratcliffe not out 18

Extras 13 Total (1wkts) 100

Fall: 1-41

Bowling: I Sabir 8-1-32-1, M Sharafat 12-4-36-0, M Nazim 5-1-23-0.

Great Horton 0, Keighley 6.