IT IS not hard to figure out why Pudsey St Lawrence are leading the way in the All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League title race.

The defending champions have scored the most runs (1,546) and taken the greatest number of wickets (69) while opening up a 24-point lead after eight Premier Division matches.

But the Saints face a real test of their championship-winning credentials tomorrow when they visit a Cleckheaton side keen to bounce back after successive defeats by Scholes and Hanging Heaton.

Opener Adam Waite (325) and skipper James Smith (309) have been the main run-scorers for St Lawrence – but their aggregates fall short of the 381 that Chris Holliday has made during an impressive start to his Cleckheaton career.

Cleckheaton, who were dismissed for just 85 as they lost by five wickets to Hanging Heaton last week, will be without two of their front line batsmen in Andy Gorrod and Ian Nicholson.

Second-placed Hanging Heaton visit a Morley side with the worst current form in the division after losing their last three matches.

Morley will be hoping overseas player Kashif Naveed shakes off the back injury which has forced him to miss two of those defeats and not bowl in the third one.

Naveed currently tops the Premier Division bowling averages and his left-arm spin will be needed if Morley are to contain a powerful Hanging Heaton batting order that is headed by the section's top run-scorer Gary Fellows (402).

Another overseas player trying to shrug off an injury is Sarfraz Ahmed of Woodlands. He had been having treatment on a knee problem and is expected to return for the home clash with a New Farnley side on a three-match winning run.

There are two crucial matches featuring the four sides currently occupying the bottom four positions.

Basement team Scholes will be looking to make it three wins in a row as they entertain a Bradford & Bingley side who defeated Woodlands by one wicket last week.

Second-bottom East Bierley are at home to a Pudsey Congs outfit lying just seven points ahead of them in the table.

Congs' struggles have been due to their inability to take wickets. They are currently the side that has taken less than anybody else (39) but also lay claim to having lost less than anybody else (44).

Farsley have picked up after a poor start and much of the credit is due to their new South African skipper James Price, who will be looking to boost his tally of 310 runs against Lightcliffe.