Ammar Mahmood was a popular man at Cleckheaton on Saturday night – and no wonder.

The overseas all-rounder was showered with congratulations from team mates, supporters and opponents alike after his match-winning innings of 128 not out off 107 balls enabled the hosts to beat bottom club Baildon by two wickets as they successfully chased 259-6.

Victory saw them extend their lead at the top of JCT600 Bradford League Division One to 13 points.

It wasn’t just his fine drives and wristy shots that brought him 17 fours and two sixes that earned everyone’s admiration, but the way he managed the innings that ensured Cleckheaton achieved their win with three balls to spare as wickets fell around him.

A delighted Mahmood said: “It was a difficult pitch, the bounce was unpredictable and the ball turned slowly.

“It was my responsibility to stay in and play all the way through and help us reach the target.

“I was delighted to make the match-winning hit. Mushtaq Ahmed is one of the best left-arm spinners in the league and I aimed to survive against him and go after the bowler at the other end.”

An understrength Baildon set Cleckheaton a testing target thanks to a superb opening stand of 184 between Gharib Razak and wicket keeper Vaibhav Naik, but the home side regretted three dropped catches and two missed run-outs.

Razak hit four sixes and nine fours before he was out three runs short of his century and Naik followed 18 runs later, having hit two sixes and eight fours in his 83.

The innings lost some momentum as the visitors lost four more wickets, but the target was sure to test Cleckheaton to the limit.

Skipper John Wood and Tim Jackson gave the leaders a solid foundation with an opening stand of 54 before Wood was out for 29. Jackson followed 20 runs later for 34 and, after the Nicholson brothers, Ian and Michael, went cheaply, Cleckheaton were in trouble at 93-4.

The match was still in the balance when James Lee was out at 141 but Mahmood and Richard Whitehurst put the home side back on course with a sixth-wicket stand of 77. When Whitehurst was bowled by Ahmed in the 45th over, 41 were still needed, but the game dramatically swung Cleckheaton’s way in the 48th over, when Tom Webb returned to the attack and conceded 16 runs, Mahmood hitting a six and two fours.

Cleckheaton, who lost Iain Wardlaw off the first ball of the 49th over, were left needing seven to win off the last over, but new batsman Ian Wood took the pressure off, cover-driving Webb for four, and then took a single to leave Mahmood to score the winning runs with a pull for four wide of mid wicket.

Mushtaq Ahmed, who took 4-44 in 14 overs, said: “We were one and half bowlers short. Our captain Craig Hitchenor was injured and Sohail Raz couldn’t come back for a second spell because he was fasting due to Ramadan.

“We batted really well against a formidable bowling attack, but the crucial moment came when Ammar Mahmood was dropped by the wicket keeper off my bowling.”