Woodlands ability to win a third successive JCT600 Bradford League Division One title, and a seventh in nine seasons, is about to be put to the test.

The leaders are due to face the two teams that share second place - Pudsey St Lawrence and Cleckheaton - in their next two fixtures.

On Saturday, Woodlands take on Pudsey St Lawrence at Albert Terrace, and a week on Saturday they make the short trip to Cleckheaton, where they have often found the going tough.

It promises to be a testing time for Woodlands, who are still waiting to discover the extent of the arm injury that is keeping key all-rounder Chris Brice on the sidelines.

Woodlands won without him at Hanging Heaton last week, and skipper Pieter Swanepoel said: “It is a blow but I will just be asking my guys to do what they always do when our backs are up against the wall.

"Instead of the 110 or 120 per cent I normally get from them, I will be asking them all for 150 per cent.”

Resilience has been a key quality in their title-winning triumphs, but Swanepoel expects his team to be thoroughly tested by both St Lawrence and Cleckheaton.

He is aware of the threat posed by St Lawrence and said: “In the nine years I have played in the Bradford League, they have always been near the top.

“They have match-winners in their team like James Smith, while Adam Waite and Mark Robertshaw are getting runs regularly and their spin bowlers are a threat.

"I see that leg-spinner Tom Hudson has done well since he joined them from Undercliffe, and off-spinner Chris Marsden has been among the wickets.

“But we have to focus on our own game and the challenge the match presents. It is important that we continue to play the type of cricket that has got us to the top of the table.”

One player who assumed more responsibility in the absence of Brice last week was Grant Soames. He made a crucial 65 with the bat and earned praise from his skipper.

“Grant is the sort of player who responds to having a little pressure on his shoulders,” he said. “It is always important when a key player is missing that others step up, and Grant did that.”

Cleckheaton will be keeping an interested eye on the clash of the top two as they visit relegation-threatened Saltaire.

It is a fixture that has proved tricky for them in the past, so they will be anxious not to slip up.

Manningham Mills, who Swanepoel singled out as “ a very good side,” will look to build on last week’s win over Pudsey Congs as they go to Lightcliffe.

Baildon climbed out of the bottom two with victory over East Bierley, and they will be looking to put pressure on Bradford & Bingley when the sides meet at Wagon Lane.

East Bierley and Hanging Heaton, two sides who would hope to be doing better than they are in the league, meet at South View Road, while bottom team Morley go to Pudsey Congs where they lost narrowly in the Sovereign Health Care Priestley Cup earlier this season.