Bradford League round-up: Toby Booth and Yousaf Baber combine to lift Cleckheaton off bottom

Cleckheaton climbed off the bottom of the Premier Division table with a much-needed nine-wicket win over Methley in the Gordon Rigg Bradford League.
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An unbroken second-wicket stand of 119 between Toby Booth (69no) and overseas star Yousaf Baber (53no) brought them home with 6.2 overs to spare.

With Booth hitting 11 boundaries and Baber 10 fours they sailed past a DLS target of 148 from 31 overs which they were given after rain caused 19 overs to be lost.

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Methley had been dismissed for 236, a total that owed much to Jordan Laban’s 120, which included seven sixes and 14 fours.

Yousaf Baber's unbroken stand with Toby Booth clinched victory for Cleckheaton against Methley.Yousaf Baber's unbroken stand with Toby Booth clinched victory for Cleckheaton against Methley.
Yousaf Baber's unbroken stand with Toby Booth clinched victory for Cleckheaton against Methley.

Spinner Andrew Deegan (4-53), Hashim Wajid (3-23) and Iain Wardlaw (3-67) shared the wickets.

Batley dropped back to the bottom after an 125-run loss to Ossett.

With in-form skipper Nick Connolly hitting his fifth league century of the season, including three sixes and 15 fours in his unbeaten 120, Ossett were able to reach 284-6 in their 50 overs.

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Rain resulted in Batley being set a DLS target of 266 from 42 overs and they never looked like reaching it. Although Kasir Maroof made 52 they were all out for 140.

Skipper Brad Schmulian guided champions Woodlands to a five-wicket win over Townville in a thrilling Premier Division game that went down to the final over.

They chased down a DLS target of 213 from 38 overs to secure victory with two balls to spare as Schmulian hit an unbeaten 53 after openers Sam Frankland (43) and Tim Jackson (41) had paved the way.

It was history repeating itself as Woodlands had also beaten Townville off the last ball of the game when the teams had met on the opening day of the season. This time the Castleford-based team pushed the champs by making 233-9 from 45 overs.

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Harry Warwick (81) was their top scorer while Muhammad Bilal took 4-50.

Hanging Heaton were undone by one of their old boys as they lost by eight wickets to Premier leaders New Farnley.

Mark Lawson (6-32) returned his best bowling figures of the season as Heaton were bowled out for 128 after being put in.

Opener Nick Lindley (40) and Sasith Manuranga (26) helped them reach 80-2 before the last eight wickets went down for 48 runs.

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Farnley lost skipper Lee Goddard in the opening over of their reply, but suffered few alarms as they eased to a DLS target of 123 with 18 overs to spare.

Gomersal batsmen took the chance to impress against struggling Wrenthorpe in Division One.

After piling up a mammoth 398-7 total they went on to complete a comprehensive 242-run victory.

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Openers Liam Fletcher (91) and Graham Hilton (87) set the tone with a partnership of 148, the former hitting four sixes and 13 fours in a 76-ball knock and the latter cracking 14 fours and a six in his 98-ball stay.

Overseas player Lwandiswa Zuma then thrashed 69 from 28 balls, smashing three sixes and 10 fours, during a sixth wicket stand of 112 with Andy Gorrod (57).

Set a DLS target of 374 from 46 overs, Wrenthorpe were bowled out for 131 as Daniel Syme (4-20) and Jonathan Boynton (4-31) struck.

East Bierley became the latest team to be unable to prevent Division One leaders Jer Lane from continuing their winning record.

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Lane have maximum points from 11 games and won by eight wickets after bowling out Bierley for 131 despite a battling 54 by Danny Cross.

A rain affected contest saw Birstall lose out by 60 runs to neighbours Morley.

Jack Rowett (112) and Kavindu Kulasekara (109) helped Morley to make 308-5 as they batted their full 50 overs. David Mc Callum (3-94) did most to restrict them.

Birstall’s innings was disrupted by rain and left them with a DLS target of 282 from 41 overs. Opener Eric Austin hit 47 while Andrew Robertson contributed 31 and Brandon Silverwood 28, but they were all out for 221.