There was no tannoy system at the Memorial Park.

But if there had been it would have surely been blazing out the theme tune from the Great Escape.

Spen Victoria's position at the bottom of the Specialist Ducting Supplies Bradford League First Division looked hopeless on July 10.

They were bottom of the table with 15 points, having won only two of their 15 matches, Undercliffe being six points ahead of them in the second relegation place.

Mirfield had double that in fourth from bottom. Bankfoot, meanwhile, had just notched a great home win over East Bierley and were eighth in the table with 39 points.

But how things have changed since then. Undercliffe have tailed off to be cast adrift in bottom place, but the other place was up for grabs until the final day, with three clubs in danger.

Mirfield (51 points) and Spen (50 points), who faced each other at Memorial Park, and Bankfoot (49 points) were the trio who were sweating on the final day.

But Spen, who stretched a remarkable unbeaten run to 11 games (five wins and five one-pointers before this weekend) were not under as much pressure as Mirfield, who had given themselves every chance of surviving with recent superb victories over top-four sides Woodlands and Pudsey St Lawrence.

The tension in the air was perhaps evident when Mirfield opening bowler Neil Parkinson appeared to hold back Spen batsman Gareth Davis as he tried to reach the safety of his crease.

Words were exchanged and Parkinson appeared to manhandle the batsman.

There was an irony about Davis's later dismissal when he was sent back by Gharib Razak and was run out for 19 at 43.

Razak then hit Parkinson (10-4-22-0) out of the attack by smashing him for four successive fours in his 11th over.

And another noteworthy incident happened when umpire David Ratcliffe summoned the batting side's skipper, Chris Elstub, onto the field of play for a word.

Apparently, Mirfield had put wicketkeeper Philip Ackroyd down twice on their team-sheet, omitting to name their star batsman Tariq Aziz, who was coming on at the tennis court end to bowl his off-spin.

By drinks Spen were 82 for one with Razak 40 not out and Tosh Baker 19 not out.

And they took their stand to 114 before Baker was bowled by Mirfield captain Mark Fairburn for 65 (six fours), reaching his 50 in 70 balls and 79 minutes.

Ian Wood was bowled sweeping, Kez Ahmed fell to a shooter and Razak holed out at long-on at 211 for 85 (11 fours), having reached his half-century in 113 balls and 126 minutes. Elstub's unbeaten 22 helped Spen past 200 but that target was always vulnerable while Aziz was at the crease.

He soon lost fellow opener Andy Bolt and club secretary Pat Neal for ducks, and then Elstub got one to move off the wicket to bowl Aziz for 26 (six fours), all of which had been scored by the Pakistani.

When Dave Jackson was bowled by Kez Ahmed at 39, it looked as if Mirfield might fold. But, calling on the improved team spirit they have shown in the second half of the season, they hauled themselves back into the match with stands of 79 between Andy Kaye (33) and Fairburn (41) and 38 between Ackroyd and Toby Ibbotson.

No 8 Ibbotson reached a deserved half-century off the last ball of the match and Mirfield had survived for a point, news having filtered through of Bankfoot's defeat which meant both Mirfield and Spen were safe.

"It has been worth all the pain and all the pain-killers," said Parkinson on his team's survival. "Most weeks recently we have had at least four second-teamers playing for the first team."

Elstub said: "How vital our one-point draws have been this season with nine wickets down, and that is thanks to Adam Brown, James Hardcastle, Dave Manby, Leigh Manton and Ben Tootell."