THE battle at the wrong end of the All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League top flight is hotting up – with three of the teams who started the weekend in the bottom four recording wins.

Bradford & Bingley had a nail-biting one-wicket win over Woodlands, Scholes beat Morley by three wickets to record their second-successive victory and Pudsey Congs breezed to an eight-wicket success against Lightcliffe.

East Bierley have dropped back into the bottom two after their 139-run defeat at the hands of leaders Pudsey St Lawrence who are now 214 points clear at the top.

The day’s most thrilling finish was at Wagon Lane where Bradford & Bingley recovered from 58-6 to pass the Woodlands total of 140.

The key man in the successful run chase was opener Charlie Best. He stood firm after spinner Kez Ahmed (5-35) had threatened to turn the game in Woodlands’ favour.

Best made a determined 71 before becoming the ninth man out with the scores level. Will Grace scrambled the winning run from the next ball after being joined by last man Kyme Tahirkeli.

Woodlands, who were without their overseas player Sarfraz Ahmed, struggled when they batted first. Only Joran Laban with 56 looked at ease as Matthew Walker (4-17) and Noman Ali (3-42) shared the bowling honours.

Playing against his old club certainly brought the best out of Pudsey Congs all-rounder Josh Wheatley.

He took 5-39 with his off spin as Lightcliffe made 189-9 and followed up with an unbeaten 62 to help his side to an eight-wicket win which lifts them out of the relegation places.

Wheatley was backed up by left-arm spinner Nick Lindley as Lightcliffe were unable to capitalise on skipper Alex Stead’s 42 at the top of the order.

Congs got their innings off to a flying start with Callum Geldart cracking 56 from just 26 balls in an opening stand of 95 with Wheatley. Geldart struck three sixes and six fours.

Wheatley, whose innings contained ten fours, had to play second fiddle to Andrew Bairstow when he came in at number four.

Bairstow hammered four sixes and five fours as he made 61 not out in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 81 with Wheatley which enabled Congs to reach their target in just 27.4 overs.

Scholes remain bottom of the table despite beating Morley by three-wickets in a low-scoring encounter.

Morley’s decision to bat first back fired as James Harding (4-35) and skipper James Stansfield (3-8) exploited the helpful bowling conditions to dismiss the home side for 66. Morley’s last four wickets fell for just one run.

Scholes didn’t find batting any easier as they lost seven wickets achieving their victory target. Paceman Matthew Dowse took 5-25 for Morley who have now lost their last three games after a promising start to the season.

East Bierley’s hopes of securing their third win in a row were ripped to shreds by Pudsey St Lawrence.

There was early encouragement when in-form Matthew Lumb (5-78) dismissed Mark Robertshaw with the second ball of the innings, but Lawrence didn’t let the early setback trouble them.

Adam Waite steadied any nerves his side might have had with a knock of 62 before skipper James Smith set about the East Bierley attack. Smith struck six sixes and six fours in his 81 as St Lawrence made 265-9.

East Bierley never looked like challenging the home side’s total. Spinners Steve Watts (4-17) and Tom Hudson (3-43) were the key bowlers as East Bierley were bowled out for 126.

Hanging Heaton bounced back from their Bank Holiday Monday defeat at East Bierley by beating second-placed Cleckheaton by five wickets.

Overseas player Mohammed Rameez took 4-14 as Cleckheaton crumbled to 85 all out. Skipper Gary Fellows made 30 as Hanging Heaton, despite losing five wickets on the way, inflicted a second-successive defeat on Cleckheaton.

Wicketkeeper Lee Goddard took five victims and struck an unbeaten 74 as New Farnley secured a four-wicket win over Farsley.

Goddard hit a six and ten fours as New Farnley passed Farsley’s total of 176 with 4.5 overs to spare.

Farsley skipper Arthur Price carried his bat to finish 96 not out – finishing in touching distance of his second Bradford Premier League century. Spinner Dave McCallum was again the most-successful bowler with 4-53.