WOODLANDS survived a scare before pulling off a 32-run win in a low-scoring encounter at Moorend against relegation-haunted Cleckheaton in the Bradford Premier League Premier Division.

The champions lost their top three batsmen with just four runs on the board after being put in.

They eventually limped to 139 all out, with Muhammad Bilal (35) and Elliot Richardson (33) gathering important runs against an attack in which Iain Wardlaw (4-45) and Amir Hussain (3-56) did much of the work

Woodlands are often at their most dangerous when they are in a tight spot and so it proved again.

After skipper Brad Schmulian had taken two early wickets, fellow spinners Chris Brice (5-34) and Kez Ahmed (3-18) completed the job of bowling out Cleckheaton for 107.

Cleckheaton’s overseas batsman Yusaf Baber again showed his quality with an unbeaten 59, but lacked support from his colleagues as the last six wickets fell for 25 runs.

Woodlands fell further behind New Farnley though, who went 17 points clear after thumping Methley by 178 runs.

Ossett skipper Nick Connolly passed 1,000 runs for the season as he helped his side secure a 48-run win over Bankfoot.

The left-handed opener reached the landmark when he got to 51 in his knock of 63 in a team total of 226.

James Lee posed the main threat with 3-30 but retired from the attack after just 5.5 overs.

Lee was back in the thick of the action when Bankfoot batted. He top scored with 73 as his side were all out for 178. Left arm spinner Mattie Race took 5-33.

But defeats for Cleck and Hanging Heaton mean Bankfoot are still in a healthy position in their relegation battle, 22 points above the drop.

Hanging Heaton are only eight points clear of second-bottom Cleck though, with Jack Hartley and Matthew Duce the key figures as Bradford & Bingley cruised to an eight-wicket win over them.

Paceman Hartley justified skipper Ed Brown’s decision to bowl first by taking 5-38 as Hanging Heaton were dismissed for 154.

Bradford & Bingley had no trouble knocking off the runs, wicket-keeper Duce clearly enjoying his promotion to opener as he blasted 80 from 69 balls.

He was joined in a second-wicket stand of 132 by Australian Corey Miller, who finished on 55 not out as victory was achieved in 23.4 overs.

Batley may be bottom of the table but they showed once again that they are going to battle all the way to preserve their Premier Division status.

Their 50-run win over Pudsey St Lawrence was only their fourth of the season but they are now just 13 points behind Cleckheaton and 21 adrift of third-from-bottom Hanging Heaton.

Townville subsequently climbed above Pudsey St Lawrence and into third place when they continued their recent good run with a four-wicket win over Farsley.

Jer Lane notched up their 15th win of the season as they breezed to a seven-wicket over an East Ardsley side who have dropped deeper into the relegation mire.

Deron Greaves (73) and Abdul Rehman (42no) enabled the leaders to chase down their opponents’ score of 161-6 in just 17.1 overs.

Jer Lane are now 50 points clear at the summit after second-placed Carlton lost by six wickets to promotion rivals Pudsey Congs.

There was a dramatic finish at Scatcherd Lane, where a run out from the final ball of the game enabled improving Morley to snatch a one-run win over promotion hopefuls Undercliffe.

Jack McGahan (92) and Nick Smith (49) looked to be winning the game for Undercliffe when they shared a fifth wicket stand of 143, but Morley refused to give up.

With young paceman Tinaye Mazonde taking 4-46, they managed to keep the visitors to 206-8 to win by the narrowest of margins.

Overseas player Kavindu Kulasekara made 51 and James McNichol (33) in Morley’s score of 207-8. Spinner Jude Roberts was the best Undercliffe bowler with 3-55.

Baildon moved 40 points clear of the relegation positions after a 49-run win at South View Road over East Bierley.

Jonny Reynolds (93) and Dwayne Heke (63) helped the Jenny Lane side to make 261-9 as they shared a third wicket stand of 126.

Danny Cross proved to be the best of the East Bierley bowlers with 4-58.

Umar Zahoor (4-49) and Kevin McDermott (4-44) joined forces as East Bierley were dismissed for 212, with Andrew Duckworth making 45.

Billy Whitford hit an unbeaten century as Keighley romped to a 10-wicket win over Wrenthorpe.

Whitford struck four sixes and 14 fours as he dominated an unbroken opening stand of 139 with skipper Scott Etherington (29no).

The victory was set up by the bowling of Ijaz Ahmed who took 5-29 as struggling Wrenthorpe were bowled out for 137.

Usman Shakir (44) and Kabir Bashir (37) were the only batsmen to make an impression.

Elsewhere, Gomersal dismissed Birstall for 105 on their way to an eight-wicket win.

Sandal pulled level with Yeadon at the top of Division Two after securing a one-wicket win over Buttershaw St Paul’s with four balls to spare.

Ashley Mackereth (72) and Keron Persaud (30) enabled them to edge home despite the efforts of Zafar Jadoon (3-36) and Amer Ayoub (55).

They were also helped by a five-run penalty imposed on St Paul’s.

St Paul’s scored 239-9 when they batted first with Ayoub (55), Jack Wakeling (40) and Matthew Long (41) leading the way.

Michael Carroll (3-43) and Sam Noden (3-92) were Sandal’s best bowlers.

Yeadon lost by 10 runs to promotion rivals Lightcliffe, with that title battle between the top three set to go to the wire now.

Promotion-chasing Hopton Mills missed out on victory against Bowling Old Lane when Imran Patel was run out from the final ball and a nail-biting match ended in a tie.

Mills needed three runs from the last over from Abdulla Ijaz but could only manage two.

Imran Patel (58), Kashif Talib (47) and Mark Ashton (42) led the pursuit of Old Lane’s 196 all out but saw their side end on 196-8. Paceman Hazrat Abbas (4-44) proved a real threat.

Skipper Imran Malik (50), Farhan Hussain (48) and Abbas (45) top scored for Old Lane in the face of fine bowling form Sana Khan (7-65).

South African Ruan Van Rooyen took three wickets in his final over to finish with 7-33 as Crossflatts secured a 13-run win over Northowram Fields, which boosts their chances of avoiding relegation back to Division Three.

Thanks to Van Rooyen, Crossflatts were able to defend their modest total of 135.

A late contribution of 35 by Jim O’Hara in the Crossflatts innings proved crucial after Northowram bowlers Sam Gardner (4-3) and Joe Hough (3-28) posed problems.

Hartshead Moor eased themselves away from the relegation positions with a convincing 69-run win against Great Preston, while Hunslet Nelson thumped bottom side Wakefield St Michael's by seven wickets.

Ian Clayton made 112 for Windhill & Daisy Hill, but Imran Dawood scored 108 as Division Three leaders Liversedge chased down a score of 230 to win by six wickets.

Clayton’s innings featured six sixes and 13 fours. He was supported by Zoaib Iqbal (45) as James Lunn picked up 3-36.

There were five sixes and 16 fours in Dawood’s innings, which was backed up by Shoaib Rehman (60no) as they added 129 for the second wicket.

Gildersome & Farnley Hill dealt Scholes’ promotion hopes a body blow by chasing down their score of 213 to win by six wickets.

Adwalton closed the gap between themselves and Scholes to three points after recovering from 20-5 to record a nervy one-wicket win over East Leeds.

Altofts secured a two-wicket win in a close-fought game against Spen Victoria, Ismail Nazir took 5-15 as Brighouse bowled out Crossbank Methodists for 110 to win by 119 runs and Heckmondwike & Carlinghow crushed Rodley by 220 runs after racking up 357-6 batting first.