NEW Farnley inflicted a first All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League Premier Division defeat of the season on leaders Woodlands and breathed new life into the title race.

With second-placed Pudsey St Lawrence edging a two-wicket win at Methley the gap between the top two has been cut to 25 points.

Woodlands’ decision to bat first backfired dramatically as New Farnley’s left-arm seamers Alex Lilley (5-15) and Charlie Parker (4-27) found conditions to their liking as the home side were bowled out for just 68 in only 22.3 overs.

New Farnley cruised to victory in 16.3 overs to secure an easy eight-wicket success which suggests they could be finding the sort of form that eluded them in the first half of the season.

Pudsey St Lawrence were made to fight all the way for their victory over a Methley side that remains without a win at the bottom of the table.

Jordan Laban top scored with 53 in Methley’s total of 146 as spinners Steve Watts (4-33) and Archie Scott (3-50) enjoyed the most success for St Lawrence.

What had seemed a modest total assumed greater proportions when Methley’s Yorkshire bowlers Jarred Warner and Matthew Waite reduced St Lawrence to 39-5.

A determined innings of 32 from young Josh Priestley proved vital as St Lawrence recovered to win with eight wickets down. Warner finished with 3-28.

Bradford & Bingley skipper Matthew Duce claimed his 600th Bradford League wicketkeeping victim during his side’s four-wicket win at Lightcliffe which keeps them in third place.

Duce reached the landmark when he caught Ibrar Younis off the bowling of left-arm spinner Bradley Reeve (4-33) as Lightcliffe were bowled out for 178.

Overseas player Suleman Khan top scored with 75 while skipper Ian Philliskirk was given out for obstructing the field.

A second-wicket stand of 101 between Kyme Tahirkeli (68) and Callam Goldthorp (41) helped Bradford & Bingley on their way to victory, despite Khan taking 4-45.

Undercliffe climbed out of the relegation positions after an emphatic 10-wicket win over Wrenthorpe who have now dropped into the bottom two.

Overseas spinner Khalid Usman took 5-53 and Scott Etherington (3-44) as Wrenthorpe were bowled out for 143. Skipper Jordan Sleightholme was the top scorer with 43.

Undercliffe’s openers Simon Lambert (87no) and Jack Holland (42no) powered their side to victory with an unbeaten stand of 144.

Jonathan Whiteoak produced his season’s best figures of 6-38 as Cleckheaton skittled out Townville for 73 on their way to a six-wicket win. Azeem Rafiq made 39 as Cleckheaton wrapped up their second win in a row.

Farsley returned to winning ways with a hard-earned five-run win at Hanging Heaton, a success which owed much to the batting of their lower order. Ben Morley's battling 52 was the score of note as they slipped to 131-8 before skipper Matthew Lumb led a recovery which saw the last two wickets add 92 runs as a total of 223-9 was posted.

Lumb made an unbeaten 56 and was well supported by Paul Nicholson and Matthew Simpson.The runs they gathered proved crucial to the outcome. Josh Holling took 3-45 and Tom Chippendale (3-52) were the best of the Hanging Heaton bowlers.

Their good work was then built on by Yorkshire leg spinner Josh Poysden (4-61) and overseas player Pat Kruger (3-60) as Hanging Heaton, despite a fine 97 from skipper Gary Fellows and 37 from Ishmail Dawood, suffered their second successive defeat.