BRADFORD and Bingley are preparing for an eye-catching double header this weekend, as they take on league high-flyers Townville.

The latter travel to Wagon Lane on Saturday, in one of the standout fixtures of this game week.

And the hosts will be looking to bounce back from a narrow defeat to New Farnley, however they may face a stern test, coming up against a side who have only lost twice all season.

In the previous meeting between the two sides, Townville collected an eight-wicket victory, and Bradford and Bingley will be looking for sweet revenge this weekend.

As his side prepare to take on the league’s second placed side, captain Ed Brown is fully aware of the challenge ahead.

He said: “We are very excited about-facing Townville. Obviously, we got a bit of hiding from them when we played them earlier on in the season, but we are hopeful we can get something at the weekend.

“They have probably got the best opening attack in the league, and they don’t give you a great deal, so it’s going to be a challenge for our top order.

“We weren’t great on Saturday against New Farnley, who have similar sorts of bowlers, who move it around a bit, so it’s something we do need to work on.

“The top three or four teams in the league are all very good sides, so when you do come against any of them, you do enjoy that kind of challenge.

“Townville are a really good side. They have played together for quite a while, and a lot of them have played together since the juniors, so there is a lot of chemistry there.

“They just don’t give you an easy ride at all. The batters are strong, they bat quite deep and play there shots well.

“And the bowlers love to test you. They have a good mix of spinners and fast bowlers, and overall, they’re a very well-rounded side, which can cause many different problems.

“I actually predicted them to be the dark horses to win the league this season, but they are definitely showing everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with.”

After facing Townville on Saturday, Bradford and Bingley come up against East Bierley in the Priestley Cup quarter final on Sunday, and Brown admitted how much he would love to go on a cup run.

He said: “The cup game is going to be big. A cup run is something that will stick out in the memory of your playing career, so doing well in that, is something that drives the team.

"We won't prioritise the cup over the league, but it's always nice to go far in the cup competitions.

"Every game is a big game from now, and we are not mathematically safe, so we will knuckle down and give our best in each fixture. Hopefully we will win."