THERE was drama at the bottom of the All Rounder Cricket Bradford League Premier Division table as Pudsey Congs and East Bierley secured victories while Scholes suffered an agonising one-wicket defeat at New Farnley.

Pudsey Congs, who started the day in the bottom two, collected a maximum 20 points as they inflicted a fourth straight defeat on Cleckheaton, while East Bierley held their nerve in a tense finish to win by seven runs at Lightcliffe.

East Bierley must have feared the worst when they frittered away a promising start to be dismissed for 151.

Opener Neil Gill (31) was top scorer before left-arm spinner Suleman Khan (4-46) sparked the visitors' decline.

Lightcliffe, their skipper Alex Stead apart, found batting equally tricky against the teasing spin of Luke Jarvis (5-36) and the accuracy of opening bowler Tuseif Arshad (3-26).

While Stead was at the wicket it looked as if Lightcliffe might just pull through, but when he was ninth out for a well-made 70, East Bierley took full advantage to seal a win which takes them up to eighth in the table.

Congs produced a commanding performance against an out-of-sorts Cleckheaton side.

Their score of 272-5 featured good knocks from Callum Geldart (65), Nick Lindley (47), Jonathon Donnelly (47no), skipper Gareth Phillips (46) and Andrew Bairstow (42).

Cleckheaton captain John Wood (39) and wicketkeeper Mally Nicholson (37) were the only batsmen to make an

impression as their side were dismissed for 169.

Geldart (3-21) and Donnelly (3-37) were the best of the Congs bowlers.

The closest finish of the day was fought out at New Farnley where the home side scraped victory by one wicket against a Scholes side that is getting to grips with the demands of the top flight.

Scholes looked as if they were going to pull off their third win of the season when they reduced New Farnley to 8-4 as Yassir Ali (3-28) claimed three early wickets.

At that point the Scholes score of 150-8 looked a long way off, but Mark Lawson (51) and Lee Goddard (43) turned things around before James Stansfield (3-50) caused more anxiety in the home camp.

It needed an unbeaten 21 from Dave McCallum to see them home.

Opener Kasir Maroof (38) was the main contributor in the Scholes innings, while the best of the bowlers was Muhammad Bilal (3-32).

Morley, who went down by 26 runs away at leaders Pudsey St Lawrence, have joined Scholes in the bottom two after their fifth-successive defeat.

St Lawrence recovered from a mid-innings wobble against the bowling of spinner David Nebard (4-62) to make

222-6.

Opener Mark Robertshaw (40) and Barrie Frankland (39) were two of Nebard's victims, and it needed a vigorous late assault from Richie Lamb (40no) to push the score beyond Morley's reach.

Last season's Division Two champions did make a spirited reply with opener James McNichol hitting 61 in their total of 196. Spinner Steve Watts (4-40) ensured that St Lawrence secured the win.

Morley are on 83 points, 19 ahead of Scholes and six adrift of Bradford & Bingley who suffered a 128-run defeat at home to second-placed Hanging Heaton.

The highlight of the match was a third league century of the season for Hanging Heaton skipper Gary Fellows.

He made a superb 101 and, with two tons already to his name in the Priestley Cup, has scored 956 runs in all 50 over competitions for his club this season.

Fellows has amassed 503 runs in league matches – more than any other batsman in the Premier Division – and his latest knock helped his side to post a score of 240-6 on their way to a 20-point haul.

Fellows and Nick Connolly (76) shared an opening stand of 179 as the home attack were made to toil. Matthew Walker (3-46) and Yassir Abbas (3-65) shared the wickets to fall.

Bradford & Bingley struggled against the pace of David Stiff (4-9) and Muhammed Rameez (3-30) as they were bowled out for 112.

Third-placed Farsley overcame inconsistent Woodlands by five wickets at Red Lane.

Only skipper Tim Jackson (41) posted a reasonable score in a disappointing total of 142-8. Seamer Chris Henry (3-24) and spinner Mark Harrison (3-31) ensured they were kept firmly in check.

Farsley eased to their target with opener James Pickles making 52 and wicketkeeper Dan Hodgson (39). Spinner Chris Brice (3-46) was the only bowler to threaten for Woodlands.