YORKSHIRE opener Alex Lees smashed the highest individual score in the All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League’s history as he helped Lightcliffe to a 53-run win over rock-bottom Bradford & Bingley.

Lees made an unbeaten 227 to surpass the previous best of 218 which was set by Gomersal’s Richard Gould against Great Horton in 2013.

The left-hander, who had made a century for Yorkshire seconds earlier in the week, showed no mercy for the bowlers as he hit ten sixes and 21 fours in his 153-ball knock.

Along the way he shared in an opening stand of 136 with Alex Stead (41) and added 177 for the fifth-wicket with Jonathan Wilson (57).

Thanks to Lees, Lightcliffe made 355-5, their highest total of the season, which left Bradford & Bingley with a mountain to climb.

Their most successful bowler was Yassir Abbas, but his three wickets came at a personal cost of 114 runs.

Bradford & Bingley belied their league position with a spirited response which earned them maximum batting points. Their total of 302 was easily their best of the season.

Overseas player Noman Ali (77), skipper Gareth Phillips (71) and Matthew Duce (45) all took the fight to Lightcliffe before their side were finally dismissed for 302 with Max Gardner returning figures of 5-67.

On a day when the batsmen excelled, there were four more centuries in the top flight as four teams scored total in excess of 300.

Hanging Heaton pulled off the most remarkable win of the day as they chased down New Farnley’s 314-4 to win by four wickets with three balls left.

New Farnley opener Simon Lambert set the tone for the run spree with his highest Bradford Premier League score of 147.

Lambert’s innings included four sixes and 17 fours and he was joined in an opening stand of 119 by Martin Andersson (37).

Lee Goddard stepped up the tempo with a rapid 59 from 36 balls as all of the bowlers found the going tough, none more so than overseas player Muhammed Rameez. Last season’s league wicket taker finished with 1-105 from his 15 overs.

Hanging Heaton skipper Gary Fellows chose the perfect time to rediscover his best form. He made a superb 110, an innings laced with a six and 11 fours.

Nick Connolly (43) – his lowest score of the season to date – shared an opening stand of 108 with Fellows as the platform was set to challenge the New Farnley total.

New signing Callum Geldart also found his touch with a timely 68 as Hanging Heaton achieved their huge target with three overs to spare, to maintain their 100 per cent start.

Tim Jackson led from the front as Woodlands defeated Pudsey St Lawrence to go above them in the league table.

The Woodlands captain made 112no – his second-successive century – as his side chased down the St Lawrence score of 227-5.

Jackson struck two sixes and 11 fours and was joined in a fourth-wicket stand of 107 by Alex Atkinson (45) as Woodlands record their fourth win of the campaign. Mark Lawson was unbeaten on 37 when victory was achieved with 4.2 overs to spare.

Adam Waite was the cornerstone of the St Lawrence innings with a determined innings of 88. His main support came from Barrie Frankland (40) and Chris Marsden (34no).

Farsley maintained their 100 per cent record with a 53-run win over East Bierley to take over at the top of the table, but it didn’t always look as if things would work out that way.

Only opener James Pickles (56) looked at ease as Farsley were bowled out for 179. Amar Rashid

(5-58) picked up his second five-wicket haul of the season while Shaaiq Choudhary took 3-42 as the spinners did the damage.

East Bierley also found the going tricky against the spinners. Yorkshire second team left-arm slow bowler James Logan impressed with 5-21 while Adam Ahmed backed him up with 3-36 as East Bierley were dismissed for 126. Opener Fahid Rehman was their top scorer with 34.

Cleckheaton skipper John Wood was another batsman in top form. The former Durham and Lancashire player scored 122 as his side made 234-8. Wood struck fours sixes and 13 fours as his side registered their first win by one run with one ball to go at Batley.

Overseas player Qaisar Ashraf gave his skipper support with 43 as Mohammad Shanawaz picked up 4-56.

Batley, who are still without a win, came close to breaking heir duck. Opener Shayan Patel (48) and Shabir Rashid (37) set the tone, but it was Muhammad Khan who kept the run chase going as wickets fell around him.

Khan made 74 before being run out off the fifth ball of the final as his side were all out for 233. Left-arm spinner Nick Lindley took 4-55 for Cleckheaton.

Newly-promoted Townville made it three wins in a row as they secured an eight-wicket win over Pudsey Congs.

Opener Jonathan Booth, who scored 1,000 runs in last season’s Championship B title triumph, made an unbeaten 65 and shared an unbroken third-wicket stand of 97 with Jack Hughes (66no). Hughes struck ten fours and two sixes in his innings.

Pudsey Congs were dismissed for 162 when they batted first. Irfan Amjad (51) and Danish Hussain (40) battled hard in a fourth-wicket stand of 95, but the rest of the batting faltered against the bowling of Peter Hepworth (4-27) and Connor Harvey (3-34).