PUDSEY St Lawrence haven't won the JCT600 Bradford league championship for 24 years.

However, logic suggests that, as current First Division leaders, they are ready to end that drought and record an eighth title win in all.

After all, with a third of the season to go, they have 208 points compared to Woodlands' 204, Hanging Heaton's 190 and defending champions Cleckheaton's 185.

But there are some people within the league who reckon that Saints, who have lost their last three matches (to New Farnley, Woodlands and East Bierley) and, by their own admission, haven't been playing that well when they have won recently, are title outsiders.

One of them is Hanging Heaton stalwart John Carruthers.

The veteran bowler said: "It would be nice if it was still a four-way race for the title, but we will have to play incredibly well to stay up there.

"Cleckheaton (who ruled themselves out of the title race only a matter of weeks ago) and Woodlands are going to be the two for me because Pudsey St Lawrence could well slip up somewhere else."

Hanging Heaton are at Woodlands tomorrow in the match of the day and Carruthers added: "We haven't got a good record there in the past three or four seasons and we are going to have to play really well to match them.

"They just have that experience of knowing what to do at the back end of the season."

Woodlands have the best bowling bonus points tally of 59 ahead of Pudsey St Lawrence (56) and New Farnley (55) but Hanging Heaton are leading the way in terms of batting points with 57, in front of the same two, who are on 49 and 47 respectively.

Last Saturday, the Batley-based side showed their mettle by scoring 346-3 at home to East Bierley, boosted by an opening stand of 298 between former Yorkshire player Gary Fellows (192) and Nick Connolly (114).

"I can't say that it is something that I didn't expect," admitted Carruthers, "because Nick has been batting fantastically well and Gary is one of the most talented players in the league.

"Gary was really unlucky to be well caught on the edge, and if he hadn't been out he could have broken the individual league batting record of Richard Gould (218)."

East Bierley replied with 228, with Carruthers (5-0-18-0) and David Stiff (9-2-25-0) returning the only decent figures of the contest.

"It is easier to bowl when you can see there is 300 on the board," laughed Carruthers.

Hanging Heaton's prowess with the willow is also shown by the fact that Connolly is the leading First Division run-scorer with 695, Fellows is third on 638 and team-mate Ian Philliskirk tenth on 522.

St Lawrence are at home to cellar dwellers Saltaire tomorrow and Cleckheaton host third-from-bottom Farsley, while the top game in the Second Division is fifth-placed Spen Victoria's visit to second-placed Scholes.