Bradford & Bingley, Cleckheaton and Woodlands all lose

Second teamers Sam Johnson and Jordan Moore – deputising for injured skipper Chris Marsden and Josh Dracup – took eight runs from the last over, bowled by spinner Kez Ahmed, to enable Saints to pass the home side’s score of 247-7.

After losing a dramatic game to Townville by seven runs last Monday, this was the perfect response from the Tofts Road side.

Opener Charlie Best (55) gave the St Lawrence innings a solid start while James Smith upped the tempo with a rapid 56, before Johnson and Moore kept their nerve in a nail-biting finish to complete the successful runs.

After singles were taken from the first three balls of Ahmed’s over, Johnson was unable to score from the fourth. Undaunted, the batsman responded with a boundary and the match-clinching single.

Muhammad Bilal took four wickets for Woodlands, but they came at a heavy cost of 90 runs, while spinner Chris Brice took 3-40.

Bilal had earlier smashed six sixes and three fours while making an unbeaten 65, which provided a welcome late acceleration to the latter stages of the Woodlands innings.

Until he hit out, opener Sam Frankland’s 63 was the key feature as Charlie Parker (4-78) proved to be the best of the Saints’ bowlers.

Woodlands’ defeat enabled Townville to pull level with them at the top on 128 points after a comfortable 65-run win over Morley.

Opener Jonny Booth (51), Harry Clewett (47), James Glynn (47) and Jack Hughes (34) helped them to post 238-7 despite Kavindu Kulasekara taking 4-56.

Morley were never in a position to challenge the Townville total and were dismissed for 173. Opener Jack Rowett (48) and Nathan Bromby (43no) were the top scorers as spinners Hughes (4-41) and Clewett (3-33) wrapped up the maximum 20 points.

New Farnley are 10 points behind the joint leaders after an emphatic nine-wicket win over Batley at the Barry Jackson Ground which saw skipper Lee Goddard become the first batsman to pass 500 runs for the season.

He took his tally of league runs to 534 and his average to 133.5 by making 88 not as he shared in an unbroken second wicket stand of 180 with Adam Waite (76no) as Batley’s score of 179-9 was passed with 19 overs to spare.

Kasir Maroof (45) and Adal Islam (30) were the main contributors as spinner Gurman Randhawa picked up 4-43.

The day’s only century in the top flight was scored by Hanging Heaton’s talented left hander Callum Geldart. He hit three sixes and 12 fours while making 115 in his side’s 75-run win over Farsley at Red Lane.

He capitalised on the solid work of opener Nick Connolly (57) as he powered Hanging Heaton to 250-7 in heir 50 overs.

Skipper Matthew Lumb (4-55) was the pick of the home bowlers while Mark Harrison (52no) top scored as Farsley were restricted to 175-9. Josh Wheatley and Danny Glover both took 3-44.

Wrenthorpe picked up a valuable win in their bid to keep away from the relegation places as they climbed to eighth place with a four-wicket triumph at Bradford & Bingley.

Matthew Race led the way with an unbeaten 88 in the successful run chase, while Sam Wigglesworth (52) and Mohammad Suleman (39) added impetus.

Opener Kyme Tahirkheli (50) and Arjun Ramkumar (47) were the main scorers in Bradford & Bingley’s 234-7. Overseas player Khalil Khan picked up 3-60.

The arrival of overseas player Charitha Kumarasinghe cannot come soon enough for Cleckheaton after they slipped deeper into relegation trouble with a 66-run defeat against Methley.

Methley were given a cracking start by opener Gharib Nawaz (95) and his good work was built on by Yorkshire all-rounder Matthew Waite (72) and Jason Marshall (48) as a total of 281-9 was compiled.

Spinner Amir Hussain’s 6-67 should be a source of encouragement for the Moorend side who saw opener Nick Lindley (73) and skipper Mally Nicholson (55) make half centuries as they were bowled out for 215.

Ben Waite (4-39) and former Yorkshire spinner James Logan (3-60) did much of the damage.

In Division One, Birstall openers Eric Austin and Josh Haynes shared a stand of 250 as they provided the inspiration for the leaders’ 73-run win over Keighley.

Veteran Austin made an unbeaten 150 which contained three sixes and 21 fours, while Haynes hit four sixes and 14 fours while making 121.

Their centuries helped Birstall to post the day’s highest score of 329-4.

Haynes also stole the limelight in the Keighley innings by taking 5-33 with his left arm spin as the visitors were dismissed for 256.

Paul Quinlan (73) and Nathan Storton (42) fought hard for their lowly side. but Haynes and Brad Lay (3-26) ensured their efforts were in vain.

Spinners Max Chappell (5-64) and Matthew Varley (3-51) helped second place Ossett bowl out Hartshead Moor for 193 to complete a 44-run win.

Abhishek Paradkar (57), Craig Field (44) and Nick Ward (36) were the top scorers for Hartshead Moor, who had earlier become the first side to incur a six-run penalty for failing to bowl their 50 overs in three and a half hours.

The penalty helped swell the Ossett total to 237-8. Opener Marcus Walmsley (69) and Paul Malone (40no) led the way, while Paradkar (4-69) was the best Hartshead Moor bowler.

Big-hitting Ben Walter struck 10 sixes and seven fours while making 102 for East Bierley, but he ended up on the losing side.

Despite his fine knock and 42 from skipper Adam Brown (42), East Bierley’s total of 253 was chased down by Gomersal as they secured a four-wicket victory.

A fifth wicket partnership of 113 between Andy Gorrod (78) and Richard Wear (56no) proved decisive after openers Graham Hilton (34) and Liam Fletcher (31) had provided a solid base.

Bankfoot’s surge up the table came to a halt as lowly Pudsey Congs secured a two-wicket success with Yorkshire spinner Sam Wasniewski (4-63) playing his part.

Jamie Allen (3-16) was the other key bowler as Bankfoot were bowled out for 126.

Congs didn’t find the task of knocking off the runs easy as Seif Hussain (5-39) got to work, but Jacques Allen ensured Congs secured a much-needed success with a timely 32.

Baildon continued their good run with a three-wicket success against Lightcliffe which has lifted them to fifth in the table.

Opener James Ford hit an unbeaten 80 and was supported by Ben Howell (42) as Baildon chased down Lightcliffe’s score of 186-5, which included 71 from Gavin Whipp, 43 from Alex Stead and 41 by Subhaan Ammar.

Carlton are rooted to the bottom and are still searching for their first win after suffering a two-wicket defeat against Undercliffe.

Opener Daniel White made 59 but lacked support as his side were bowled out for 163. Zeeshan Qasim (4-28) and Mohammed Sharafat (3-35) were the best Undercliffe bowlers.

Omar Khatab (38) and Bailey Worcester (33) helped Undercliffe stave off the threat posed by their former player Farrouk Alam (4-39) and Jonathan Rudge (3-61) as they edged home with eight balls to spare.

East Ardsley are the new leaders of Division Two after their hard-earned two-wicket win over fellow promotion challengers Buttershaw St Paul’s

They took advantage of Jer Lane having their game with Hunslet Nelson postponed to takeover at the summit.

Their win was set up by the bowling of Ashley Pearson (5-35) and Adam Pearson (3-45) as Buttershaw St Paul’s were bowled out for 175. Opener Jonathan Burston was top scorer with 45.

East Ardsley were guided to victory by Gary Jennings (64) despite Amer Ayoub taking 3-34 for St Paul’s.

Wakefield St Michael’s are now second after edging home by three wickets at Northowram Fields. They have 95 points and are one behind East Ardsley and three ahead of Jer Lane, who have a game in hand on the top two.

Spinner Zaeem Zulfqar took 4-32 as Northowram Fields were dismissed for 143 while opener Qasar Hameed made 42 as St Michael’s sealed the win. Joe Hough took 3-33 for the losers.

An unbeaten 101 by Muhammad Khan enabled Yeadon to pull off a thrilling one-wicket win over Bowling Old Lane with eight balls to spare.

Khan hit two sixes and 13 fours as he helped his side stave off the threat of Zeeshan Haider (5-74) to chase down a score of 236-9. Jonathan Bell (56) was also a key figure in the Yeadon triumph.

Khan had earlier taken 4-32 as he and Nadeem Hanif (3-51) toiled away in an Old Lane innings in which Abid Alishan (53), Imran Malik (38) and Tahir Khan (36) were the main run scorers.

Bottom team Spen Victoria finally secured their first win when they edged home by two wickets against Scholes. Skipper Bilal Ejaz made an unbeaten 35 to help his side overhaul the Scholes total of 109. Ali Rafiq took 4-18 for Scholes while Waqar Mahmood picked up 4-16 for Spen Victoria.

Bowlers Lee Geldard (4-56) and Sam Noden (3-33) helped Sandal restrict Hopton Mills to 168-8 as they secured a 32-run win.

Ashley Mackereth (75) led the Mills reply to Sandal’s 200 which included 50 from Danny Riley, an unbeaten 45 from Brandon Hewlett, and 35 by Matthew Westwood.

Michael Carroll (5-56) and Andy Grey (4-48) were the best of the Mills bowlers.

There was joy at last for Liversedge as they lifted themselves off the bottom of the Division Three table with their first win of the season.

They defeated Rodley by 17 runs and have climbed above Windhill & Daisy Hill who suffered a seven-wicket defeat against second placed Crossflatts.

Will Atkin (36) and James Lunn (31) helped Liversedge to a total of 175 against a bowling attack in which Luke Cosford took 6-38.

Louis Stronach (42) and Bailey Wilson (32) lacked support as Rodley were bowled out for 158 with Samar Farooq taking 4-28.

Windhill & Daisy Hill became the latest side to realise that newcomers Crossflatts are a force to be reckoned with.

After Rizwan Bhatti (44) and Matthew Marshall (42) had helped them post 192 in the face of good bowling from Alex Bradbury 5-40, Windhill & Daisy Hill might have fancied their chances, but their opponents soon showed that their score was under par.

Openers Josh Brooksbank (73) and Joe Hicks (37) got Crossflatts off to a fine start and Harris Hassan (61no) ensured there were no slip ups as the runs were knocked off in 30.1 overs.

Leaders Brighouse remain five points ahead of Crossflatts after their 76-run win over Crossbank Methodists. Khurram Maqsood (72) and Parvaise Khan (50) led the way as Brighouse made 287-9 when they batted first.

Arshad Jan (3-71) and Mohammad Hassan (3-47) plugged away for Crossbank Methodists, who made 211 in reply.

James Colbourn top scored with 55 and there was a 10th wicket stand of 59 between Jan (36) and Imran Patel (21no) which held up Brighouse’s victory push.

Quadratullah Azizi (3-64) and Khan (3-30) shared the bowling honours.

There were also big wins for third-placed Great Preston, Gildersome & Farnley Hill and East Leeds, as they beat Adwalton, Altofts and Heckmondwike & Carlinghow respectively.