Cleckheaton CC get that champion feeling while Hartshead Moor and Scholes have all to play for
Cleckheaton CC will be going up as champions after clinching top spot in Division One of the Gordon Rigg Bradford League.
After being made to wait to celebrate their championship success following a surprise defeat to Birstall it was job done for Richard Pyrah’s men when they came up with a nine-wicket win over East Ardsley on Sunday.
Following relegation from the top flight last year Cleckheaton have been a dominant force in Division One and that continued as they made short work of beating an Ardsley team heading for relegation.
Lachlan Doidge (4-20) and James Stansfield (3-20) led the way as Cleckheaton bowled out bottom side East Ardsley for just 76.
Prolific scoring opener Waleed Akhtar then led the response with 52 as victory was secured in only 10.5 overs.
Cleckheaton missed the chance to secure the title on Saturday when they suffered an eight-wicket defeat against a Birstall side fighting to avoid relegation.
They were bowled out for 165 with only Iain Wardlaw (43) and Waleed Akhtar (38) making much of an impression.
Gomersal's Australian Fergus McKenna became the third to reach the 1,000 runs milestone for the season – Cleckheaton’s Akhtar and Yousaf Baber are the others – but ended on the losing side in a six-wicket defeat against second-placed Undercliffe.
McKenna hit 41 as Gomersal were all out for 156.
The Division Two title race is going down to the wire with Bowling Old Lane leading Hartshead Moor by five points ahead of next Saturday’s final round of fixtures.
Moor overcame Liversedge by 49 runs with Leo Manteit (4-23) and Tim Bresnan (4-22) helping to bowl out their opponents for 120.
Liam Pearson (42) and Chris Wynd (32) had top scored for Moor while Quadratullah Azizi took 4-39 for Liversedge who are two points above the relegation positions ahead of their final game.
Heckmondwike & Carlinghow avenged their Gordon Rigg Jack Hampshire Cup final defeat by Northowram Fields by beating them by 26 runs.
Ovais Shah (97), Iqbal Khan (62) and Wajid Hussain (35) helped them post a total of 233-7 before Fields were dismissed for 207 with Surender Singh taking 5-50.
Just four points cover the top three teams as the Division Three promotion battle heads for a thrilling conclusion on Saturday.
Scholes currently lead the way with 294 points after they were convincing eight-wicket winners over Spen Victoria, chasing down their 201-8.
Adam Greenwood (67no), Christian Jackson (63no) and James Robson (56) ensured the Spen total was passed with ease. Chris Allen (54) and Peter Jackson (46) top scored for Spen.