East Bierley beat Premier drop on dramatic final day of season

East Bierley’s match against Bradford & Bingley was abandoned with them in trouble at 75-5 in response to the visitors score of 186-6 but it was enough to see them finish with 166 points, two more than Batley and five better than Pudsey Congs — who were the sides relegated.

The three points East Bierley earned was enough to lift them out of the bottom two, although they still needed 112 runs to win from 41 balls when the weather brought play to a halt.

Bradford & Bingley posted a formidable score of 186-6 in their 20 overs with Hamzah Iqbal making 50 and Matthew Duce (35) before Kyme Tahirkeli smashed 30no from just six balls to boost the total.

Bierley lost wickets pursuing quick runs as Jack Hartley and Yassir Abbas picked up two apiece and although opener Adal Islam (23) and Umer Yaqoon (23) made useful contributions, they looked to be headed for relegation when the rain swept in.

Bierley faced an anxious wait as victory for either Pudsey Congs or Batley would have seen them relegated.

One run was the agonising margin between safety and relegation for Pudsey Congs as their Premier Division tenure came to an end.

Two runs from the final ball of their match with New Farnley would have earned them a tie and that would have seen them finish level on points with East Bierley and survive by virtue of having one more win.

But Congs only managed a single and finished on 136-5 in reply to New Farnley’s 137-3 in another game reduced to 20 overs per side.

New Farnley captain Lee Goddard blasted 97 from just 65 balls in an innings which included four sixes and eight fours as his side compiled a total of 137-3.

Having picked up just one bowling bonus point, Congs set about chasing down their target and opener Mubtada Akhtar hit four sixes in his 45 before Zahid Nissar (42no) who put his side in sight of survival.

However, the game had a cruel twist as Danish Hussain was run out for 21 and and Congs lost by the narrowest of margins.