Keighley will be watching Sunday's Heavy Woollen Cricket Cup semi-final between Baildon and Undercliffe with more interest than most.

They can look on safe in the knowledge that the winners will be facing them in the final after getting through in only their second year of entering the competition.

And they did it in style last weekend by thrashing Central Yorkshire League side Northowram-Fields by nine wickets at Lawkholme Lane.

In front of a sizeable crowd, their demon triumvirate of bowlers - Steve Reape and brothers Dale and Ross Towler - ripped into the visitors and shared all the wickets between them.

Opposing supporters could only look on in a mixture of disappointment and astonishment as their team were dismissed for just 39 runs and the game effectively over in less than two hours.

Dale was destroyer-in-chief as Keighley tore into their opponents from the start, taking five for 13 from his ten overs. Ross took two for 14 from seven overs, while Reape weighed in with three for ten from 6.4 overs.

Keighley had no need to use more than the three bowlers with Northowram-Fields all out in less than half the allotted overs.

It left Keighley with a relatively simple runs target and although they lost opener Paul Wilkinson early on, an unbeaten 16 from Aussie Joel Crouch and 12 not out by Lee Gordon saw them home with no more scares.

But they know they will have their work cut out to get the better of either holders Baildon or fellow Bradford League First Division side Undercliffe in the final on at Liversedge on Sunday, August 4.

"We know we will be going into the game as underdogs whoever gets through, but we are delighted to have made it to the final," said club secretary Mike Parker.

"It is the first time the club has reached a cup final since 1984 and then we were well beaten by East Bierley in the Priestley Cup final. So we will be all out to make amends.

"The players are certainly looking forward to it and we are busy making arrangements for the game at Liversedge. We will probably be taking a coach for the players and supporters."

Baildon clinched their place in a semi-final against Undercliffe with a convincing 59-runs win over East Bierley in their delayed fourth round encounter at the weekend.

They will be bidding for their fourth successive final in a competition Bradford League clubs have dominated since first being admitted six years ago.

This weekend is a double header in the Bradford League, but with Keighley having a bye on Sunday they must make the most of their game at Drighlington tomorrow to get back in the promotion hunt from Division Two.

Last week they were frustrated by the weather when well on their way to a home win over Brighouse and need maximum points tomorrow to keep in the hunt.

Picture: Keighley's bowling trio, from left, Dale and Ross Towler and Steve Reape, who destroyed the Northowram-Fields batting line-up on Sunday.