Ciroc began the defence of their Bradford & District Evening League Division One title with a last-ball victory in a low scoring game at home to Raja’s.

Batting first at the Karmand Centre, Raja’s were bundled out for just 66 in 13.4 overs, with skipper Mushy Shah taking five wickets for just two runs in 1.4 overs.

Ciroc seemed to be coasting to victory at 34-1 thanks to opener Ishy Dawood’s 21, but then Raja’s Mohammad Altaf (4-7) & Shahid Hussain (3-18) reduced the champions to 57-8 before Shaban Raheem (5) and Shah (4) saw them stagger over the line off the final ball of their 16 overs.

Last season’s runners-up Greenfield had a comfortable win at an understrength Denholme. Greenfield smashed 164-4 in their 16 overs with Azhar Mahmood (51no), Aftab Khan (49) and Mohammad Asim (37) all cashing in on some lacklustre bowling.

Faced with such a daunting target, Denholme finished on 85-8 with Andy Wear top scoring with 34 as Sajid Ali took 4-7, ably assisted by Mohammed Faisal’s 3-13.

What looked to be the match of the day between newly-promoted Bradford League giants Buttershaw St Paul’s and Undercliffe, ended in a comfortable nine-wicket victory for the home side at their St Paul’s Avenue ground.

Undercliffe were missing several of their key players from last season but still managed to set a competitive target of 115-7, with opener Abdul Wahid top scoring with 47. However, Jordan Laban (50no) and Elliot Richardson (45no) made light work of reaching the target as St Paul’s ended on 119-1 with 3.5 overs to spare.

The final game in Division One resulted in a six-wicket home victory for Crossflatts at Ryshworth Park against John Breare.

The Westfield Lane side made 82-9 as Manny Singh took 4-26. The homesters then produced some aggressive batting as Billy Whitford (27no) and Amjad Hussain (23) saw them to 88-4 off just 9.4 overs.

The two sides relegated to Division Two, Thornton and Shelf, both started life in the lower tier with away victories at Bradshaw and Cross Roads & Daisy Hill respectively.

In a high scoring game at Bradshaw Lane, Thornton equalled Greenfield’s highest score of the day as they posted 164-6 with overseas Johandre Bernard top scoring with 47.

An opening partnership of 70 between Matthew Crowther (34) and Jonny Waddington (31) gave the home side early optimism that they could pull off an unexpected victory but a fine spell of bowling from Mark Clayton (3-24) reduced them to 84-5.

A late flurry of runs saw Bradshaw finish on a respectable 158-6 thanks mainly to 43no from Piers Fisher.

The other demoted side from last season, Shelf, were also among the runs as they scored 125-6 at Busy Lane, but this could have been a different story had Cross Roads & Daisy Hill taken their catches as they dropped top scorer Asad Shah three times before he retired on 51no, as Yunis Bismil also chipped in with 33.

Byron Greenwood top scored with 32no as the home side fell 24 runs short of their target on 101-7, as Mohammed Pandor took 3-14.

Muff Field set a competitive 114-8 at Ewart Street as Ibby Bismillah scored 31 while Hisan Ahmed took 3-4 for the home side.

The Sunnybank side must have thought they were in with a chance of victory as they dismissed explosive overseas opening batter Blair Oakley for a duck but Oliver Challis (38) steadied the ship and set Great Horton Park Chapel on the road to victory as they ended 115-6 with 1.3 overs to spare.

Today’s fixtures: Division One – Buttershaw St Paul’s v Raja’s, Greenfield v Crossflatts, John Breare v Ciroc, Undercliffe v Denholme. Division Two – Muff Field v Cross Roads & Daisy Hill, Shelf v Bradshaw, Thornton v Great Horton Park Chapel.