WHEN it comes to who will be in title contention in the Gordon Rigg Bradford Premier League Premier Division this season, people tend to talk about New Farnley, Woodlands and Townville.

Newly-promoted Ossett have thrust themselves into the mix as well, but Pudsey St Lawrence are sometimes forgotten and, after six successive wins, they shouldn’t be.

New Farnley lead the table on 125 points from defending champions Woodlands (120), but Saints are third on 113, admittedly ahead of a very challenging month.

This Saturday, Chris Marsden’s side are at New Farnley, and then they are at home to Ossett and Woodlands on successive weekends before a visit to Townville in what could be a pivotal four weeks for the off-spinner’s team.

Opening bat Mark Robertshaw, who has just become, as far as statistics permit, the player who has scored the most runs for one club in the league’s history, overtaking former club colleague James Smith (Robertshaw now has 12,837 compared to Smith’s 12,597), is keeping an open mind on their chances of silverware.

Robertshaw said, after his 73 had helped to defeat Bankfoot by 128 runs at Tofts Road on Sunday: “We have started off really well and is nice to see that the young lads have started to take a bit of responsibility and started to show some performances.

“We are just playing nice, competitive cricket, and the lads are keen, are training hard and want to learn and we are hoping that we will be there or thereabouts.

“But you never know - you can have a good run or a bad run and a couple of defeats and you can be out of it, but we will just take each game as it comes and enjoy our Saturdays, enjoy each others’ company, enjoy fighting for each other and try and grind out wins.”

St Lawrence opted to bat on a green-looking wicket and, in contrasting styles, Robertshaw and Charlie Best (106no) put on 139 for the first wicket to lay a good foundation.

Left-hander Robertshaw, who is an elegant batter, unfurled a few exquisite cover drives and tucked the ball off his hips as he and Best milked the Bankfoot bowling.

The visitors’ ground fielding was shabby at times, and by the time young Josh Priestley came in at No 3, it was time for fireworks, as he launched four fours and two sixes in a quickfire 35.

Harry Cullingford and Archie Scott quickly came and went but Best remained throughout, reaching his deserved century with a mid-wicket six off Andy Stothart off the penultimate ball of the innings.

Charlie Parker (29 not out off 15 balls) was there to congratulate him, and then it was over to bowler Parker as the left-armer took six of the first seven wickets to fall.

He bowled his 15 overs in one go to finish with 6-31, with the other wickets being taken by new-ball partner Jordan Moore and spinners Scott and Luke Patel, the last man out being Stothart to a run out by Cullingford as Bankfoot were sent packing for 137.

Only opener Hisan Ahmed (22), Hamzah Iqbal (24) and keeper Sam Massheder (20no) reached 20 as promoted Bankfoot continued their current challenge of picking up bonus points against the top teams.

Robertshaw, 34, who made his first-team debut 20 years ago, is happy to see the progression of St Lawrence’s youngsters and explained why he has stayed at the club for so long.

He said: ““It is just that family feel and it is good for my family, who have been here a long time, and there is a community spirit within the club.

“The whole ethos is building that young talent and bringing them through - Josh (Priestley), Archie (Scott) and Harry (Cullingford) are going to be the foundation of the club for the future.

“It is what they did with me, with Chris (Marsden), with Jim (Smith), and it makes me proud to be a part of that and it being done the right way.”