Skipper Ben Heritage remains upbeat about JCT600 Bradford League bottom club Undercliffe’s prospects, despite all manner of frustrations that have beset his team.

Heritage reckons Undercliffe have been more badly affected than most clubs by the weather, they have three players out injured and suffered further frustration when their home match against Lightcliffe yesterday went the way of all other First Division matches when it was abandoned after heavy early-evening rain left pools on the square.

Also, their battle against relegation was not helped when they suffered a ten-point penalty after being found to be in breach of Bradford League regulations concerning contracted players.

They re-signed their former all-rounder, Worcestershire player Shaaiq Choudry, to play against Cleckheaton on Saturday, May 19 and he helped them to a one-wicket win with 54 and three wickets, but the league said that they had broken the rule that says all contracted players like Choudry must be registered at the start of the season.

Heritage said: “We hoped Choudrey could play ten games for us, but, although his registration was initially approved by the league, we were subsequently found to have broken the rules.

“He was transferred and registered two days before the match and then we were told during the game he should not be playing.”

Lightcliffe set Undercliffe a formidable target after declaring on 229-9 in 46 overs after eight overs had been lost to the rain.

Their total was founded on a third-wicket stand of 98 between Yorkshire second-team batsman Alex Lees and former Yorkshire and Durham second-teamer Charlie Roebuck.

Lees hit ten fours in an impressive 71, while Roebuck’s 58 contained six fours.

Overseas all-rounder Suleman Khan kept up the momentum by hitting three sixes in his 26 as Lightcliffe lost their last four wickets for 28 runs in pursuit of quick runs – and maximum five batting points – following another break for rain as Imran Khan took five wickets.

The declaration was designed to ensure that both sides had an equal number of overs.

But when Undercliffe had reached four without loss in 4.4 overs, further heavy rain caused the match to be abandoned, with Lightcliffe taking ten points and Undercliffe nine to leave them still bottom, six points adrift of next-to-bottom Pudsey Congs.

Heritage said: “It was a disappointing day – we were on and off with the covers several times.

“I thought we bowled pretty well, but Alex Lees played particularly well and anchored their innings. I think they might have declared a bit sooner – like 200-3 – but the weather would have probably caught up with us anyway.

“We have not played a full game of cricket for a month and have had six games rained off, but there is a long way to go and the next few weeks are crucial for us.

“Things have not gone as we wanted, but it is a very tight league, there is a lot of cricket to be played and I think we need to win six or seven games to give us a fighting chance of staying up.”

Lightcliffe captain Jonathan Wilson said: “I wanted to get maximum batting points, and I would have backed us to defend a total like that but the weather frustrated us. That said, we got ten points so it wasn’t a bad day.”