RAIN played a key part in determining positions at the top of the All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League Premier Division.

While Pudsey St Lawrence returned to the summit after dodging the showers to beat East Bierley by eight wickets, previous leaders Hanging Heaton and third-placed Farsley saw their hopes of victory washed away as their games were abandoned.

With three matches to go, St Lawrence have 264 points and lead by two from Hanging Heaton, with Farsley a further 14 adrift.

It promises to be a cracking finale to the season, with Saints facing games against Cleckheaton (home), Morley (away) and Bradford & Bingley (home).

Hanging Heaton tackle Morley and Bradford & Bingley at home before visiting Heavy Woollen Cup winners New Farnley on the final day.

Farsley have away games at Lightcliffe and Woodlands before entertaining bottom team Scholes in their concluding fixture.

St Lawrence must have been relieved that they were not facing a much tougher target than the 133 East Bierley set them after being put in.

Bierley looked to be going well while Fahid Rehman (64) and Danish Hussain (32) were together but, once they were parted, the home side lost their last eight wickets for 38 runs to be all out for 132 as spinners Steve Watts (4-26) and Chris Marsden (4-31) turned the game around.

There were three rain breaks in the St Lawrence innings before an unbroken third-wicket stand between Mark Robertshaw (53no) and Barrie Frankland (53no) saw them home.

The early finish enabled St Lawrence to keep an eye on events down the road at Moorend, where Hanging Heaton found the combination of a determined home side and the weather frustrating.

A fourth-wicket stand of 99 between back-to-form Chris Holliday (74) and in-form Ian Nicholson (55no) enabled Cleckheaton to make 202-9 in 47 overs after a delayed start.

Left-arm spinner Muhammed Rameez became the first Premier Division bowler to pass 50 league wickets for the season when he picked up 6-32 to take his tally to 54.

With the rain clouds threatening, Hanging Heaton knew they had to score briskly.

Skipper Gary Fellows set the tone with 47 but the interventions for rain and the fine bowling of Sam Wilson (5-57) saw them slip to 158-8 when play was finally abandoned, which meant they had to settle for nine points.

Farsley saw their hopes of victory over New Farnley disappear down the drain.

Skipper James Price was in superb form and became the division's leading run-scorer as he made 144. The South African hit six sixes and 18 fours as he took his tally for the season to 869.

Adam Ahmed (47) shared an opening stand of 117 with Price as Farsley built a total of 247-8 against an attack in which off-spinner Dave McCallum (5-72) was the most successful.

New Farnley lost wickets steadily and were 143-7 when play was finally brought to a halt.

Lee Goddard (47) and James Middlebrook (34) were their top scorers, while Chris Henry (4-37) and Mark Harrison (3-34) were the pick of the Farsley bowlers.

Pudsey Congs are up to eighth after they recorded a surprisingly comfortable eight-wicket win over Lightcliffe.

Off-spinner Josh Wheatley, playing against his old club, took 4-24 as Lightcliffe were dismissed for 108.

Opener Nick Lindley hit an unbeaten 51 for Congs but had to play the supporting role in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 51 with Callum Geldart. He made 43 not out from 32 balls, including three sixes and three fours.

Woodlands found the going tough when they batted against Bradford & Bingley.

Only big-hitting Sarfraz Ahmed (41) made an impression as his side were bowled out for 111, Yassir Abbas impressing with 4-9 while Noman Ali (3-30) and Scott Etherington (3-43) gave good support.

Bradford & Bingley did not find the going any easier and were wobbling at 51-4 when rain brought a halt to play just 14.1 overs into their innings.

The basement battle between Scholes and Morley was another match to be abandoned.

Scholes, who had already beaten Morley in the league and Priestley Cup this season, made a challenging 245-5.

Opener Kasir Maroof was again in good form as he struck his second century of the season, the left-hander's 101 containing four sixes and 11 fours.

Maroof was joined in a second-wicket stand of 154 by Irfan Amjad (74) before overseas player Rizwan Ahmed upped the tempo with eight fours in his 50.

The weather restricted Morley's reply to 27 overs, openers James McNichol (74no) and Henry Rush (44) sharing a stand of 100 in 131-3.