BRADFORD & BINGLEY are the form team of The All Rounder Bradford Premier League and they will put their eight-game unbeaten run on the line away to leaders Hanging Heaton on Saturday.

Since plunging to the bottom of the table after losing their first four matches, Gareth Phillips’ side have won six of the next eight with the remaining two being abandoned.

The fortunes seemed to turn around after their defeat at Lightcliffe where Yorkshire’s Alex Lees hit a league record score of 227 not out.

Their response of 302 to Lightcliffe’s 355-5 banished the batting blues that afflicted them in their earlier games, and they haven’t looked back since.

One of their strengths has been the ability to win close matches. Last week’s 11-run win over Pudsey St Lawrence followed an 18-run success against East Bierley.

Two key men in their revival have been paceman Jack Hartley and spinner Noman Ali who both played for the league side in their T20 defeat by a Yorkshire Vikings XI on Monday.

Hartley, who underwent a shoulder reconstruction last year, has taken 20 wickets in just 66.2 overs while Ali has taken 21.

They will need to be at their best against a Hanging Heaton side boasting the league’s most prolific opening batsmen in Nick Connolly and Gary Fellows.

Connolly is the league’s leading runscorer with 713, having hit three centuries and four fifties, while Fellows has scored 438 runs.

It was a knock of 81 from Fellows on Tuesday night which saw Hanging Heaton defeat Bradford & Bingley by five wickets in the semi-finals of the T20 Cup. Hartley said: “Gary is a quality batsman and we know how important it will be to get him or Connolly out early.”

The 23-year-old paceman added: “We’ve had a knack of winning close games and would like to continue that run now.”

He also revealed that he has had to limit the amount of bowling he does following his operation. “I tried to do too much too soon and bowled 15 overs in our first game at Pudsey St Lawrence.

“In the next one against Hanging Heaton I only managed one over. I then didn’t bowl for a number of games, but in the last couple of weeks everything has been good and I have bowled 12 overs in each of our last two matches,” Hartley said.

Second-place Farsley are poised in case Hanging Heaton slip up as they visit Pudsey Congs, while Pudsey St Lawrence will be looking to bounce back from their defeat at Bradford & Bingley when they host Lightcliffe.

Townville will look to halt their recent slide at Batley, Cleckheaton will seek a much-needed boost against Woodlands, while East Bierley host a New Farnley side they have already beaten.