There was a thrilling climax to the Bradford Central League season yesterday, Norwood Green snatching the First Division championship on a dramatic last day as title favourites Allerton crashed to a two-wicket defeat at home to Apperley Bridge.
Norwood Green knew only a win for them against visitors Salem Athletic would give them any sort of title aspirations, and even then their hopes would be dependant on how Allerton fared against third-placed Applerley Bridge.
Green did their bit by restricting Salem Athletic to 160 - a target the home side achieved, led by Sajid Khan, whose unbeaten 80 helped the Calderdale side to a four-wicket win.
Meanwhile at Allerton the game ebbed and flowed throughout, with the home side reaching 182 at tea with prolific wicket-taker Abdul Basit returning 5-42 for the visitors.
Allerton took charge after the resumption, and at 69-5 Apperley Bridge were second favourites.
However, a stand of 57 between Mohamed Kurshid(41) and Ghiyas Ahmed (45) revived their hopes, which appeared to be dashed again at 151-8.
But, thanks to an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership of 34 between Basit (15) and Hamad Ali Khan (21), the visitors got home to add the championship to the Waddilove Trophy, Norwood Green thus completing a league and cup double.
At the 21st time of asking, basement boys Greenfield finally clamed their first victory of the season with a four-wicket success (137-4) at Thornbury.
In the final fixture in the division, Great Horton Church (181), Adnan Ghafoor hitting 70 and Mohammed Azad taking 5-43, rounded off their season with a second successive win after defeating visitors Girlington (113, Qasim Akbar 5-24) by 68 runs.
Runaway Second Division champions Salem Athletic (264, Yasir Shezad 65, Dil Nawaz 56no, Awais Anwar 7-48) clocked up their 15th win of the season after crushing visitors Norwood Green by a massive 212 runs.
They were shot out for just 52 (Mohammed Siraj 5-19) in reply.
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