WOODLANDS gained a crushing 136-run win at struggling Undercliffe to move to within one point of long-time leaders Pudsey St Lawrence as the JCT600 Bradford League First Division championship race heads for a thrilling climax.

On a day when rain thwarted St Lawrence and the other main title challengers, Woodlands ripped through Undercliffe's batting line-up, dismissing them for a paltry 36, with slow left-armer Chris Brice (3-7) and opening bowlers, skipper Pieter Swanepoel (3-12) and overseas player Sarfraz Ahmed (3-15), each taking three wickets.

Earlier, Woodlands had made 172-6 on a green pitch, with Logan Weston top-scoring with 65, while Grant Soames gave good support with 43 not out.

St Lawrence, who began the day ten points clear, were involved in a closely-fought match at Bradford & Bingley before rain ruined what could have been a tight finish.

Put in in bowler-friendly conditions, the normally free-scoring St Lawrence struggled to 164-8, with teenager Callam Goldthorp patiently holding the innings together with 62.

The match was evenly poised with Bingley 91-4 when nine overs were lost to rain.

When the players returned, only six overs were left in which St Lawrence took two more wickets to gain an important extra bowling point while Bingley added 31 more runs and missed out by three runs on a batting point.

Charlie Best was Bingley’s top scorer with 52 not out, while leg-spinner Tom Hudson took 3-29.

The match between the third and fourth-placed teams was also cut short by rain with the game in the balance.

Third-placed Cleckheaton scored 235-9, with Mally Nicholson having a fine knock of 97, including five sixes and eight fours.

Andy Gorrod (40) and captain John Wood (38) gave good support until they fell to paceman David Stiff, who took 4-51, while left-arm spinner Ben Elvidge took 3-46.

Hanging Heaton were going well at 125-1 in 29.2 overs with not out batsmen Ian Philliskirk 45 and and Nick Connolly 43 when the match was abandoned.

The curtailment leaves Hanging Heaton 25 points behind the leaders with only two games left and probably out of the title race, but Cleckheaton, 15 points behind, are still in contention as they pursue a hat-trick of championships, particularly as they play St Lawrence in the last match of the season on September 5.

Bottom club Saltaire kept alive their outside hopes of avoiding relegation with a 35-run win at next-to-bottom Farsley, but they are still 25 points adrift of safety.

Saltaire made 161-8, with Amer Ayoub scoring 39 and Adeel Ashraf 37, before bowling out Farsley for 126, with Mohammed Munir taking a match-winning 6-44.

This result leaves Farsley 16 points behind third-from-bottom Undercliffe and a further two points adrift of East Bierley, who suffered a 69-run defeat at Lightcliffe after being bowled out for a mere 58 in reply to the home side’s 127, of which Jonathan Wilson made 48.

Suleman Khan (4-23) and Rob Burton (3-12) were Lightcliffe's match-winning bowlers, while left-arm spinner Luke Jarvis took 6-44 for Bierley.

The match between New Farnley and Pudsey Congs was abandoned as a draw.

New Farnley were bowled out for 172, with Congs struggling on 91-5 when rain intervened.