Wood ton but Bierley snatch victory thanks to Azharullah
IT PROMISES to be a thrilling finale in Bradford League Division One with five teams separated by just 23 points in the tussle for the title.
Second-placed Woodlands beat Farsley by 71 runs and they are just one point behind Pudsey St Lawrence who lost by 48 runs at home to Pudsey Congs, while Muhammad Azharullah starred in East Bierley's dramatic one-run success at Cleckheaton to see them stay in fourth place.
Bierley opener Gavin Hamilton made 32 but with John Wood (4-46) and Iain Wardlaw (3-64) in inspired form the visitors were reeling at 75-6.
Azharullah and Matthew Anderson (22) then shared a stand of 73 before Azharullah was trapped lbw by Marcus Walmsley (1-27) after scoring 61 from 52 balls with eight fours and three sixes.
Paul Hutchison and Luke Jarvis (33no) continued the fightback with a 75-run stand before Hutchison (38) fell off the last ball to see Bierley to 229-9.
Cleckheaton seemed well in charge as openers John Wood and Mark Cummins shared an impressive stand of 135 before Cummins (38) was caught behind by Ismail Dawood off Jarvis.
Wood powered to 100 with 13 fours and four sixes but then fell lbw to Anderson (1-27). It was the first of four wickets to go for 17 runs as Jarvis (4-60) reduced the home side to 170-5.
Neil Nicholson (7) and Michael Nicholson put on 43 for the seventh wicket and even when Dawood ran out Michael Nicholson (36) Cleckheaton needed just three runs for victory with 10 balls remaining.
Azharullah then struck the decisive blows as with the first two balls of the final over he dismissed Joseph Robinson and Wardlaw to end with 4-61 and leave Cleckheaton 228 all out.
Opener Sam Frankland set the platform for a solid Woodlands display as they eased to victory over visitors Farsley.
Frankland hit 11 fours and four sixes in 85 from 126 balls and supported by Adam Wood (27), Sarfraz Ahmed (27) and Pieter Swanepoel (20) the hosts reached 209-7 as Chris Henry claimed 4-36.
Farsley replied with Bradley Kruger making 29 and Lorenzo Ingram 31 as they reached 119-5 in 31 overs with Richard Spittlehouse taking 1-30 and Swanepoel 1-43.
Ingram was run out by Swanepoel and that sparked a collapse as the last five wickets fell for 19 runs to see them 138 all out. Ahmed (4-23 in 11 overs) and Chris Brice (3-29) returned to mop up the innings and seal victory.
Richard McCarthy became the 16th bowler to take 1,000 Bradford League wickets on a dramatic day. He took 4-22 as Bradford & Bingley powered to a 145-run win at Saltaire and they now stand third, 14 points behind Woodlands.
Gomersal remain in eighth place after their 52-run defeat at Baildon.
Simon Webb (42) and Ian Philliskirk (50) shared a 102-run stand for the third wicket as they totalled 197-8. Shahzaib Khan claimed 4-49 while Ben Platt (3-50) and Rob Burton (1-64) also struck.
Andrew Gorrod made 25 at the top of the Gomersal order before Khan hit 25 from 27 balls but when he was out the reply was struggling at 72-6.
Platt struck a determined 50 not out, and shared in a 50-run stand for the seventh wicket with Burton (14) but wickets continued to fall and Gomersal were bowled out for 145 in their 41st over by Andrew Walker (4-56) and Mushtaq Ahmed (4-31).
Undercliffe eased to victory against bottom-team Bankfoot by seven wickets. The result confirmed their relegation after just one season in the top flight.
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Weather for Cleckheaton
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
