RAIN may have curtailed the Bradford League programme but there was still plenty of significant action with the top three in the Premier Division all posting wins.

Bradford side Woodlands defeated Batley by 10 wickets and have established a one-point lead over Townville, who overcame Cleckheaton by 52 runs.

New Farnley are a further 16 points back after their thrilling four-run win over Bradford & Bingley, in a match that saw their captain Lee Goddard reach 10,000 Bradford League runs.

Woodlands showed no mercy for bottom team Batley as they bowled them out for 104.

Kasir Maroof (46 not out) was the only batsman to make an impression as Chris Brice (4-23) and Muhammad Bilal (3-27) posed problems.

Openers Tim Jackson (60no) and Sam Frankland (40no) ensured that Woodlands picked up a maximum 20 points with an unbroken stand of 107 from their 28 overs per side contest.

Skipper Jack Hughes was in top form for Townville against Cleckheaton. He made 72 not out in Townville’s 268-4 and followed up with 6-56 as Cleckheaton replied with 216-8 in a game reduced to 36 overs per side.

Although they were beaten, Cleckheaton will be heartened by the performance of their Sri Lankan player Charitha Kumarasinghe, who made 108, his first Bradford Premier League century.

He hit eight sixes and five fours and was backed up by Iain Wardlaw (35no).

Left-arm spinner Gurman Randhawa impressed with 6-43 as New Farnley managed to restrict Bradford & Bingley to 136-9 to secure a narrow win in their 28 overs per side game.

Jack Hartley (41no) launched a late onslaught, which was not quite enough to turn the game in his side’s favour after they had done well to dismiss New Farnley for 140.

Goddard, who took his tally of league runs this season to 720 when making 50, was the only one of his side’s batsmen to make an impression as Yasir Abbas (4-45) and Bradley Reeve (3-38) prospered.

Methley bowled out Wrenthorpe for 134 to secure a 29-run win, which has lifted them into fourth place, while Farsley added to Morley’s relegation worries as they defeated them by 29 runs.

The game between Pudsey St Lawrence and Hanging Heaton at Tofts Road was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

In Division One, leaders Ossett saw their game against Lightcliffe abandoned, giving chasers Birstall and Bankfoot the chance to cut their lead.

But both fluffed their lines.

Birstall went down to a six-wicket defeat against lowly Carlton while Bankfoot lost by the same margin against Baildon.

Baildon captain Dwayne Heke made 71no and Kevin McDermott (63) as the Jenny Lane side overhauled Bankfoot’s 191-3.

James Lee (90) provided the bulk of Bankfoot’s runs when they batted first.

Keighley defeated Pudsey Congs by four wickets with one ball to spare but remain bottom of the table.

Ryan Ridehalgh (51) and Luke Chapman (44) helped them chase down the Congs score of 128-7 that featured 66 from in-form opener Jacob Slator.

Ben Hemsley was the pick of the Keighley bowlers with 3-49.

The games between Hartshead Moor and Gomersal and Undercliffe and East Bierley were postponed due to Covid-19 precautions.

Sandal are the new leaders of Division Two after defeating Hunslet Nelson by 60 runs to capitalise on Buttershaw St Paul’s suffering a nine-run defeat against Hopton Mills.

Jer Lane are second, five points behind Sandal, after a seven-wicket win over Wakefield St Michael’s.

Farakh Hussain (39), Cosmond Walters (37no) and Abubakar Dawood (31) sped them past the St Michael’s score of 150-8.

Buttershaw St Paul’s dropped from first to third after their loss.

Michael Carroll took 6-60 as St Paul’s were dismissed for 163 when replying to the Hopton Mills score of 172-8. Zafar Jadoon (55) battled hard but could not save his side from defeat.

Amer Ayoub took 4-49 for St Paul’s.

Bowling Old Lane pushed Spen Victoria closer to relegation with a 115-run win.

Farhan Hussain (78no) and Hazrat Abbas (58no) shared a fourth wicket stand of 108 which helped them to a total of 229.

Spen Victoria could only manage 114 in reply, Adam Zahid posing the main threat with 4-52.

Northowram Fields v Scholes was abandoned without a ball being bowled while East Ardsley v Yeadon was postponed due to Covid-19 precautions.

Great Preston skipper Oli Baron made a superb 119 as his side defeated Windhill & Daisy Hill by 13 runs to climb up to second place in Division Three.

Shoaib Iqbal took 5-44 for Windhill & Daisy Hill as they restricted Great Preston to 209-9.

He followed that up with 51, while Ian Clayton hit 60, but their side could only score 196 in reply.

Brighouse have dropped to third after suffering a second successive defeat. They went down by 45 runs against Gildersome & Farnley Hill.

Altofts v East Leeds, Crossbank Methodists v Adwalton, Liversedge v Heckmondwike & Carlinghow and Rodley v Crossflatts were all abandoned with no play.