Hard-hitting batsman Richard Whitehurst curbed his natural instincts to lead JCT600 Bradford League First Division title challengers Cleckheaton to an important three-wicket win at Pudsey Congs yesterday.

The result was in the balance at 98-7 in reply to Congs’ 145 when Ian Wood joined Whitehurst, but the eighth-wicket pair guided the visitors home, with Whitehurst bringing up his own 50 with a match-winning boundary.

It was a result that leaves Cleckheaton only one point behind leaders Woodlands after the reigning champions surprisingly lost at home to Baildon.

Whitehurst said: “The match was in the balance when I came to the wicket. It was just nice to get us over the line.”

It was a mature, disciplined innings of 53 not out from the experienced Whitehurst, laced with nine fours. “There were a lot of balls I would normally try to hit,” he said, “but I restrained myself.

“Ian Wood did well at the other end – if one of us had been out we would probably have lost the game. There were lots of overs left – it was just important not to play any rash shots except when the ball was wide or a half-volley.”

Congs’ members would agree with skipper Gareth Phillips’ view that the home side did not score enough runs.

Nick Lindley was lbw to former Yorkshire second-team all-rounder James Lee first ball, and Congs were in trouble at 40-4, with Lee taking the first three wickets before another former Yorkshire second-team player Callum Geldart, who joined Congs from Undercliffe, led a recovery with 46.

Unfortunately for Congs, after he was out at 88 wickets fell regularly, with off-spinner Andrew Deegan taking four wickets in a row as Congs were dismissed for 145 – a total that did not look likely to test a Cleckheaton side full of confidence after beating Woodlands the week before.

However, the visitors began badly, losing skipper John Wood without scoring while Tim Jackson, a century-maker in the Woodlands win, was out for three – the first of Eugene Burzler’s five victims.

Burzler, who gained pace and lift from the pitch, also accounted for Ammer Mahmood, brothers Ian and Michael Nicholson and Lee, all caught off careless, mistimed shots when apparently well set.

Their dismissals left the visitors in trouble at 81-6, and when Joseph Robinson was lbw to slow left- arm bowler Glenn Roberts with 48 still needed, Cleckheaton were in danger of throwing the match away, but Whitehurst took charge of the situation and he and Wood saw them over the winning line with an unbroken stand of 50.

Phillips regretted a missed chance near the end that could have swung the game back in Congs favour.

“The deciding moment in the game came when our keeper dropped Ian Wood at 119,” he said.

“Overall, though, we didn’t score enough runs. We got into a winning position and threw it away. We were 40-4 and then got ourselves to 88-4 with 25 overs left, but then Callum Geldart was out and we lost a few quick wickets. If Callum had gone on to make 70 or 80, we would have scored 200.”