HANGING Heaton may have beaten Woodlands twice this season in the All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League second teams’ Premier Division.

But Hanging Heaton’s chairman and skipper John Carruthers isn’t thinking that they are favourites to win tomorrow’s Priestley Shield final at Cleckheaton (noon).

Woodlands lead the table before today’s matches with 225 points, while Hanging Heaton are only sixth with 172.

Carruthers, who has dropped down to second-team level this season after becoming only the 12th player to take 1,000 first-team wickets, said: “We may have beaten them twice this season but Woodlands are a very good side and start as heavy favourites.”

They first met this season on the second Saturday at Bennett Lane, when Woodlands scored 168 (Jack Carter 57, Carruthers 4-40, Jamie Baulk 4-62), Hanging Heaton replying with 173-9 (Chris Goodair 49no, Kieran Collins 3-38, Liam Collins 3-46).

The return four weekends ago was shortened by rain, with Woodlands scoring 123-5 (Rob Medcalf 49, Baulk 3-26) off their allotted 29 overs, with the Batley club replying with 126-4 (Jack Irwin 53no, Adeel Hafeez 42) off 22.4 overs.

As for the contrast between first team and second-team cricket, Carruthers said: “The main difference is that there is no overseas player, but I have been pleasantly surprised at the standard, and there are younger players with potential and some old heads.”