WHEN Hanging Heaton captain Gary Fellows was well caught, low down on the square-leg boundary in the 46th over of their home match against East Bierley the chance of breaking two JCT600 Bradford League records disappeared.

The former Yorkshire all-rounder had made a magnificent 192, 26 short of the highest individual score of 218 set by Gomersal batsman Richard Gould two years ago.

In addition, his opening stand of 298 with Nick Connolly, who scored 114, was only six runs short of the league best set in 2000 by Undercliffe's Mark Gilliver and Mark Chapman.

Fellows, who hit 23 fours and eight sixes in his 144-ball innings, said: "I had no idea of league records. When you look at it you may be a little bit disappointed not to have beaten it but at the start of the match you would have taken that score without a doubt."

So well did Fellows and Connolly play on an excellent batting pitch that it looked as if they would go through the innings unbeaten.

Fellows said; "It isn't something we spoke about – we just wanted to try to post as big a score as possible.

"It is my highest score in the Bradford League but I got 230 for my previous club Wrenthorpe in the Central Yorkshire League.

"It is Nick's fourth hundred of the season. This is his second year at the club having joined us from Methley and he has settled in really well."

Connolly, who hit 13 fours, followed Fellows to the pavilion, also caught on the boundary, at the end of the following over, but by that time it was clear that the Hanging Heaton's total – they eventually reached 346-3 – would be beyond an under-strength Bierley side, lacking four regulars.

It was to their credit that they made 228-8 in reply. Opener James Ford (51) and Nick Rushworth (53) gave the innings a solid foundation and a ninth-wicket partnership of 33 between Awais Ejaz, who hit two sixes and two fours in his 23, and Gareth Davis ensured they gained maximum batting points.

While Fellows was pleased with third-placed Hanging Heaton's, 118-run win, which keeps them in touch with the top two clubs Pudsey St Lawrence and Woodlands – they are 18 points behind the leaders – Bierley skipper Danny Shuffe's is concerned with the other end of the table.

He said: "We said at half-time 'let's get maximum batting points.' We also needed to pick up bowling points, but they batted really well although we dropped five catches.

"I don't think we bowled particularly badly, but once they got in it was difficult to get them out.

"Our priority is to stay up. We have beaten the top teams, but lost to the ones below us which has kept us in the relegation battle. Now we need to beat the teams around us."