Team spirit can carry a side a long way, and Simon Davies is confident that Baildon have got things right.

They are currently joint leaders of the SDS Bradford League First Division, and the Jenny Lane captain says: "Our togetherness was particularly in evidence last week against Pudsey St Lawrence.

"Everyone pulled together to get us a positive result and, while we have had good individual performances, it has been the team spirit which has pleased me most."

Baildon's six-wicket victory at Pudsey St Lawrence put them level with East Bierley on 14 points.

Of course, however, some players within Baildon's set-up are more important than others, and Davies also recognises this.

He pin-pointed two in particular - wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Duce and all-rounder Mushtaq Ahmed.

Duce hasn't failed with the bat yet, having knocks of 41, 28 and 43, while there hasn't been a match yet where Mushtaq hasn't contributed in one way or the other.

His chief bowling efforts have been four for 44, five for 26 and two for 40, while he has also been responsible for the most astonishing innings of the season so far - 103 not out against Yeadon from No 9.

But Davies has plenty of other irons in his bowling fire - Azhar Abbas, Carl Smith, former Yorkshire Academy player David Wigley and Phil Slater.

The skipper said: "It depends on who is available, but it is great that David Wigley was available to us so quickly."

He explained: "I got a phone call two days before the season started saying that he had torn his hamstring and I was expecting him to be out for six weeks. Then two weeks later he was steaming in to bowl for us at Mirfield."

As for the league itself, Davies predicts that Baildon will finish in the top five come the end of the campaign, with East Bierley, Undercliffe, Pudsey Congs and Pudsey St Lawrence also being in the shake-up.

He said: "East Bierley and Undercliffe have improved, and you can never discount Congs, but St Lawrence have started slowly. They are missing their overseas player from last year (Tariq Aziz)."

Tomorrow Baildon take their unbeaten record to Idle, who are among a trio of clubs on two points at the wrong end of the table.

Davies said: "They have a big-name player in Ijaz Ahmed, and it is very important that we get him out early." The former Pakistani Test player hit two sixes and 15 fours in his 104 at Farsley last Saturday, adding 155 for the second wicket with Mark Gilliver in a match that was eventually ruined by rain.

Davies added: "Ijaz is in form, and Idle have other players who are proven at First Division level in Gilliver and Ian Dewhurst. It will be a tough match for us."

Match of the day is third-placed Mirfield at home to East Bierley, while defending champions Pudsey Congs (equal third) are at Hanging Heaton (equal sixth).

Pudsey St Lawrence are at home to Farsley, with both sides lower in the table than they hoped, while Woodlands also have a derby - at home to Cleckheaton.

Spen Victoria and Undefcliffe, who meet at Spen Lane, will both be hoping to pull away from mid-table, while Yeadon and Gomersal - opponents at High Street - are seeking to climb into mid-table from the bottom three.

Division Two might not be the standard it once was, but no one can deny it isn't close, with only two points separating the top four.

Saltaire have a rest week, while fellow leaders Lightcliffe are at under-performing Brighouse. Windhill and Bowling Old Lane meet at the wrong end of the table.