SCHOLES, promoted last season as runners-up in Division Two, are the most obvious candidates to be relegated from the top flight of the All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League.

They are propping up the table with 81 points, 29 behind next-to-bottom Pudsey Congs.

However, from the Intake Road club above, it is extremely close, with only eight points separating Congs in 11th and Bradford & Bingley in eighth.

East Bierley are on 112, Morley 115 and Bradford & Bingley 118, and when I asked Adam Swallow, chairman of the Wagon Lane club, if he was surprised at any of the clubs being down there, he laughed and said: "I wasn't expecting us to be there!"

He added: "There are some big clubs down there, and it a case of everyone beating everyone else, but we were handicapped by losing a couple of players just before the season started.

"With three weeks to go, you haven't got the time to replace them, but that isn't the only reason that we are where we are.

"Other factors are the weather – we looked as if we were going to beat East Bierley a fortnight ago – and the fact that we are still gelling as a team."

Bierley had been dismissed for 150, Noman Ali taking 5-36, and Bingley were 64-1 off 12.5 overs when rain stopped play, with Charlie Best having been dismissed for 41 and Jack Edgar unbeaten on 22.

Edgar, who joined from Great Harwood in the Ribblesdale League, is among three new signings to have made an impression, scoring 114 not out in the victory over Cleckheaton and 68 not out in the rain-affected draw against Lightcliffe.

Fellow newcomer Matthew Walker, a left-arm pace bowler and aggressive batsman, has often starred in Bingley's victories, scoring 45 not out and taking 5-69 in that win over Cleck, 4-17 in the triumph over Woodlands and contributing 30 and 3-55 in the defeat of Congs.

Meanwhile, Yassir Abbas, who was at Hoylandswaine in the Huddersfield League, has often worked in tandem with Walker to deliver telling performances.

Swallow added: "The lads are gelling now, we have a good team spirit, as can be seen from our recent curry night, and I am sure that we won't be relegated."

A win at home to Morley tomorrow would certainly help, especially as the other three clubs in the bottom five have tough tests – Scholes at leaders Pudsey St Lawrence, Bierley at third-placed Farsley and Congs at home to fifth-placed Woodlands.

In Championship A Division, front-runners Batley host sixth-placed Baildon, while second-placed Yeadon are at Liversedge.

Runaway Championship Division B leaders Townville are at fifth-placed Altofts, while second-placed Wrenthorpe are at home to bottom club Hartshead Moor.