Batley stun Championship leaders Keighley as promotion race thrown open

Batley may lie back in sixth place but are now just 11 points off top spot after their excellent win.

Veteran Tariq Hussain claimed 4-41 as Keighley were bowled out for 150, with Jonathan Wilkinson (42) and Max Davidson (37) the only batsmen to make an impression.

Sami Ullah (54no) and Faisal Javed (53no) enabled Batley to overhaul Keighley’s modest score and inflict only their second defeat of the season.

Gomersal earned a third win of the campaign as they overcame second placed Baildon by 73 runs.

Callum Flynn struck 73 for Gomersal as they were bowled out for 181 with Australian Blair Oakley taking 5-28, while veteran spinner Mushtaq Ahmed moved on to 999 Bradford League wickets with 3-33.

Gomersal captain Richard Wear (6-39) and spinner Chris Rhodes (4-19) helped bowl Baildon out for 108 in reply.

That result allowed Bankfoot to jump into joint second spot after beating another promotion hopeful East Bierley by eight wickets.

Tahseen Suleman (37), Tawkal Zadran (34) and Ompal Boken (33) made useful contributions in East Bierley’s total of 208, which saw Jimmy Lee (4-39) and Andrew Stothart (3-50) impress.

Lee followed with a knock of 71 which was backed up by Hisan Ahmad (63no) and Hamzah Iqbal (36) as Bankfoot secured victory.

Morley are level on 112 points with Bankfoot — one behind Keighley — after a three-wicket win at Pudsey Congs.

Yorkshire all-rounder Tim Bresnan made a winning debut with Hartshead Moor as they defeated Wakefield St Michael’s by 35 runs.

Bresnan made 22, while Mohammad Khan (66) top scored in Hartshead’s total of 183.

Imran Mahboob included the wicket of Bresnan in his figures of 4-18.

Bresnan then picked up 3-41 as Hartshead Moor bowled out St Michael’s for 148 to seal victory with former Yorkshire seamer Iain Wardlaw sharing the new ball to claim 3-22.

Mitchel Forsyth battled hard to hold the St Michael’s innings together and made 80 before being bowled by Bresnan.

Bottom team Scholes celebrated their first win of the season as they defeated Ossett by 81 runs.

Neil Kellett (54) top scored as Scholes made 178-9 before Hammad Khan (5-37) and Josh Fell (4-52) helped bowl Ossett out for 97.

Victory saw Scholes move to within five points of both Wakefield St Michael’s and Ossett.