Bradford Cricket League: Ton-up Maroof and Hassan lift Batley off bottom of Premier Division

Chasing Cleckheaton’s 225-9 proved surprisingly comfortable for a team coming into the game at the bottom of the table as they reached their target with more than 10 overs to spare for an eight-wicket success.

An unbroken 227-run stand saw Batley home after they had been reduced to 1-2 in their reply by Iain Wardlaw (2-24).

Hassan hit five sixes and eight fours as he made an unbeaten 102 while Maroof’s innings contained four sixes and 12 fours as he made 104no.

Cleckheaton looked to have set a challenging target as Wardlaw’s late flurry of 57 runs from 26 balls ensured they earned maximum batting points.

Ethan Lee (33) and Michael Nicholson (29) led the other contributions while Hassan also bowled well to take 3-31 from 12 overs and Muhammad Hafeez claimed 3-78.

The second successive win took Batley out of bottom spot, relegating Cleckheaton to the basement in the process.

Woodlands lost ground in the title race when opponents Ossett chased down a DLS target of 236 in 46 overs with three wickets and six balls to spare.

Paul Malone was the man who got them over the line with an unbeaten 70 from 49 balls after skipper Nick Connolly hit 59 and Sajith Warnakulasuriya hammered 49 from 22 balls.

Brad Schmulian took 3-36 and Kez Ahmed (3-57) but they could not save Woodlands from defeat.

Skipper Schmulian was also in good form with the bat, hitting 67 from 69 balls while opener Sam Frankland (66) hit nine fours and a six and Scott Richardson contributed a brisk 36 as Woodlands made 251-8 from their full 50 overs.

Hanging Heaton made it four league wins on the spin to move further away from the drop zone as they beat third from bottom Bankfoot convincingly by 120 runs.

Openers Nick Lindley (64) and Josh Wheatley (35) set them on the way to a decent score with an 87-run first wicket stand and further handy contributions came from Adam Patel (30), Ben Kohler-Cadmore (24), Callum Geldart (21) and Tom Lindsay (20) as they reached 231-9 by the end of their 50 overs.

Bankfoot never looked likely to get close to Heaton’s score as they were reduced to 42-6. Although Zia Ul Haq Parwani hit 67 only one other batsman could reach double figures as they were all out for 111.

Best bowlers for Heaton were Mustafa Rafique (3-22), Callum Bethel (3-30) and Lindsay (2-6).

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Overseas player Nisar Ahmad (5-42) bowled East Bierley to a 56-run win over Morley in Division One.

With Ben Walter also taking 3-52 Morley were all out for 180 in reply to 236-8.

In Bierley’s innings, openers Andrew Duckworth (82) and Sam Gatenby (65) paved the way for a good score with a stand of 146, while Matthew West made 37no.

Lewis Edmond cracked 11 boundaries in an unbeaten 76 to steer Gomersal to a five-wicket win at East Ardsley.

Support came from Jonathan Boynton (28), Liam Fletcher (24) and Lwandiswa Zuma (23no). Muhammad Tariq took 3-42 for Ardsley after earlier making 53 when they were bowled out for 201. Jonathan Boynton (3-47) and Daniel Syme (3-29) led the Gomersal bowling effort.

Birstall lost ground in the promotion race as they went down by eight wickets to second-placed Carlton.

Opener Daniel Ford’s second century of the season saw Carlton cruise home with more than 15 overs to spare after Birstall had posted a seemingly decent 239-8 total.

Ford hit 111 and shared a second wicket stand of 124 with Kershaski John Lewis (63no).

Adam Eustace led the way with 80 for Birstall – hitting 12 fours and three sixes in a 66-ball knock – while there were late flurries in the innings from Juned Delair (37no) and Jaymish Patel (32no).