Haworth secure overdue title joy (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Haworth can start title Celebrations after 125 years of waiting

4:50pm Tuesday 11th September 2012 in Sport By Trevor Coe

Haworth have been crowned Craven League top-flight champions for the first time in the 125th season of their existence.

On a day that saw Ingrow and Airedale relegated from Division One , top two Haworth and Crossflatts met at West Lane.

The Bronte side plundered 212, Jamie Rowell leading the way with a fine 85.

The Ryshworth Park outfit replied with 168, Amer Ayub and Mohammed Adil both making 41 as Damian Rowell took 4-45 and Jamie Rowell 3-26.

Victory meant that Haworth lead the table by five points with only Saturday’s match at Bradley remaining.

Third-placed Haworth Road were at Bingley Congs and shot them out for 60 in 32 overs, Mohammed Zahid finishing with 5-21.

The Baildon Bottom side also found runs hard to come by and lost six wickets before reaching their target.

Fourth-placed Oakworth travelled to Embsay, who were just one point above a relegation spot.

The Wide Lane side went first and made 158, Robert Hopkinson top-scoring with 60. Their Shires Lane opponents secured their place in the top flight for another season with a four-wicket verdict.

Airedale made a tremendous effort to save themselves from relegation but went down by nine runs at Thornton .

Jonny Martin (51) and J Greenwood (45) put on 101 for the third wicket, which helped the Booth Bridge Laners to 185 as Alan Hayes spun his way to 5-68.

Visiting skipper Nadeem Zaman, batting at eight, threatened to snatch the game with a battling 44 but when he was bowled by Jack Laycock (4-52) the battle was lost and they were all out for 176.

Ingrow will be joining Airedale after they went down by 83 runs at Barrowford. Liam Roberts (77) was the main contributor to the red rose side’s 194 as Mark Price took 4-44.

The Hainworth outfit were rocked back on their heels and soon found themselves 22-7. Only a battling 54 not out from Nick Crook got them to 111 as Matt Clark finished with 4-21 off 14 overs.

Division Two pace-setters Foulridge and Ingrow St John’s both won again, so the destination of the title will be decided on Saturday with the pair still level on points.

Foulridge were in cracking form at Oakworth II. After being put in on a ‘shirt-fronter’, they blasted 270-4, with David Spokes (105) and Adam Dutton (104) putting on 195 for the third wicket, Drew Duffey taking 3-23. Ollie Stell made 38 as the Cure Hill side crumpled to 115.

Ingrow St John’s were at Long Lee and reduced their hosts to 51-7 after 16 overs. Then evergreen duo Jonathan Green (66) and Dave Collins (38no) put on 119 for the eighth wicket to help the score to 174 as Nadeem Saftar took 6-46 and Ali Khalid 3-41.

Farhan Abassi (36), Dissanayke Deepal (33) and S Zakria (30) helped the Saints to victory by two wickets.

Cowling moved back into third after a fine seven-wicket win at home to Wilsden . The Windy Grove side made 125, with Dave Henson scoring 41 not out and Steve Richardson taking 4-39 off 17 overs. The latter then made 63 to see his side to the points.

Next-to-bottom Cononley gave themselves a lifeline when they beat visitors Sutton . The Royd Mill side were dismissed for 116 before Joel Grainger (50no) and Andrew Starkey (44no took the hosts to the points by seven wickets.

Glusburn where hustled out for 88 at Pendle Forest, Karl Samson making 24. The Fence side got home by six wickets in the 33rd over.

Sandy Lane ’s stay in the division came to an end as they went down by three wickets to Riddlesden at Grange Road.

The Greenwood Park side were dismissed for 124 as skipper Mark Oldfield made 73, Adam Khan (4-24) and V Kakkar 3-17 being the main wicket-takers.

The visitors were struggling against Matthew Roberts (6-20) but when he came off sparks began to fly as Mohammed Zulfiqar finished with 74 not out to take them over the line.

Leading Division Three duo Denholme and Barrowford II went head to head at Bradford Road and the red rose side came out on top to take a three-point lead.

The Bull Holme side were 75-6, only for the last four batsmen to reach double figures and push the score to 159. Of six bowlers used, five took two wickets.

The white rose side replied with 138 as Marc Atkinson took 4-39 and Freddie Bailey 6-49 off 8.4 overs. Toby Priestley (33) and Matty Wear (30) were the highest scorers for the losers.

Third-placed Embsay II’s wheels came off big style and they crashed by 190 runs at Haworth Road II.

The Baildon Bottom side thumped a formidable 279-5 in their overs, with D Tariq making 99, Richard Butterfield 57 and Will Forrest 50.

Then N Gata-Aura (5-13) and I Afzal (3-42) had the Shires Laners out for 89 in 23 overs.

Crossflatts II remain in the relegation dogfight after going down by five wickets at Chatburn. S Baxter made 62 of the Ryshworth Park side’s 173-8 but Neil Cartledge then whacked 93 and Dave Lakin 42 to set up the victory.

Cullingworth II’s relegation was confirmed when they crashed by ten wickets at home to Haworth West End, who move to joint-second spot.

Only Jack Rodgers (16no) made double figures as the home side crumpled to 58 all out, with Joe Bottomley claiming 6-15 off ten overs. The Bronte outfit galloped home in six overs, with Bottomley striking 37 not out.

Skipton CI picked up three vital points as they strive to stay in the division. They had the match stars in Sean Williamson (54) and John Drake (8-48) as they beat Ingrow St John’s II by 42 runs.

Gargrave ’s Will Smith scored a superb 100 not out in his side’s 192-6, which proved 77 too many for Eldwick & Gilstead (C Child 58).

Division Four champions Wilsden II had a walkover when Cononley II were unable to raise a side.

Second-placed Bradford & Bingley III travelled along the road to Airedale and came away defeated by 23 runs.

John Pollard (33) top-scored as the Keighley team made a modest 119, with Dave Critchlow taking 6-26 in 8.2 overs.

Critchlow then made 26 as the Wagon Laners slumped to 96. Giles Wilmore finished with 6-41 and Jason Ahad 3-35.

That defeat opened the door for Riddlesden II to sneak past Bradford & Bingley III should the latter side slip up.

The Grange Road side posted 133, with Imran Mehban making 40 as Mick Hawkes took 3-16 and Andy Greenwood 3-35.

Visitors Long Lee were then hustled out for 73, Phil Atkinson top-scoring with 28 as Bob Morrisroe took 5-29 and Mehban 4-18.

Bingley Congs II were in fine fettle at Ingrow, rattling up 227-8 with Tony Teale making 61, Charlie Raistrick 46 and Josh Nutting 36 as T Hodgson claimed 6-57.

Teale then took 5-14 and Rick Andrews 4-3 to have Ingrow back in the hut for 113, with Matty Courtman scoring 60.