KEIGHLEY crashed to a seven-wicket defeat at Jer Lane in the Gordon Rigg Premier League Division One.

With Jer Lane’s ground being small and considering his big hitters; skipper Scott Etherington yet again won the toss and elected to bat first.

But the Lawkholme Laners immediately found themselves on the back foot losing opener Billy Whitford with just three balls bowled.

In Cosmond Walters, Jer Lane have an impressive overseas player and his three wickets, aided by Mohammed Jamal’s three wickets, cut through the Keighley batting line-up at regular intervals.

Keighley’s batting heroes from last week, Noah McFadyen (25) and Nathan Storton (67) offered some resistance but the away side were eventually bowled out for 179 in the 42nd over.

On most other grounds 179 is a score that you can potentially defend, but not at Jer Lane and despite taking three early wickets this brought together Walters (26 not out) and the big free scoring Farakh Hussain.

The latter was impressive from the start and the Keighley attack had no answer to his 11 sixes, 11 fours total of 123 not out in just 70 deliveries steering his team over the line in just the 19th over.

Keighley will be looking for a quick rebound victory when they host Wrenthorpe at Lawkholme this coming weekend.

Meanwhile, Keighley’s second team entertained Brighouse this past weekend at Lawkholme in the reserves League Two of the Bradford Premier League.

Stand-in Keighley skipper Allan Birkett won the toss and invited the away team to bat first.

Keighley’s bowlers started brightly making early inroads into the Brighouse batting order and at 33-5 and 118-9 it looked like Keighley would be chasing a small total on a good batting wicket.

But a last-wicket partnership of 60 runs between Kabeer Hussain (46) and Zafar Mahmood (36 not out) steered Brighouse to a respectable 178 at the interval.

Harry Barker (3-49) and Louie Wilkinson (3-46) were the pick of the Keighley bowlers.

Inspired by his last wicket batting partnership Mahmood then produced a fabulous spell of swing bowling that Keighley had no answer too.

Taking 9-33, he single-handedly destroyed the Keighley batting line up with the home team being dismissed for a paltry 105, which was 74 runs short of victory.

Only the returning Raees Hussain (27) and keeper Lucas Keslinke (22) offered any sort of resistance.

The seconds will be looking to make amends when they make the long journey to Altofts this coming weekend.