Yeadon aim to wrap up division title (From Wharfedale Observer)

Yeadon aim to wrap up division title

4:08pm Thursday 6th September 2007 in Bradford League By Sportsdesk

YEADON need just five points from their final game of the season at home to Lightcliffe on Saturday to be crowned as JCT 600 Bradford League Division Two champions.

They had to put their celebrations on hold last Saturday when they suffered a 38-run defeat away to second-placed Keighley.

Three points will be enough to guarantee promotion, but it is the title that David Leather's side will have their eyes on after a dramatic Division Two campaign.

Yeadon are still 16 points ahead of Keighley who finish their season away to Spen Victoria.

The top two are clear favourites for the promotion spots, but Esholt and Morley haven't given up hope of Keighley slipping up.

They meet on Saturday at Esholt in what promises to be an absorbing battle.

Yeadon will be relieved that - on paper at least - they have what looks to be a far easier fixture against a Lightcliffe side they beat easily earlier this season.

But skipper David Leather will warn his side to guard against complacency and he will no doubt remind them of how they let the match at keighley slip away.

Yeadon were cruising at 105 for one just after drinks, chasing Keighley's 197 for six.

But three wickets each for Richard Robinson and Steve Reape, bowling in tandem, saw Yeadon fluff their lines as they crumbled to 159 all out.

After Leather and James Todd had got the visitors off to a flier with an opening stand of 63, Aamir Sajjad played a loose shot and was caught by Stuart Ratcliffe at mid-wicket off Reape to make it 105 for two.

The score had not been added to when Leather, who had looked in great touch, then failed to get on top of a drive off Robinson and was caught by Reape for 58.

Yeadon - who were without leading run-scorer Andrew Robertson - seemed to freeze as Robinson and Reape went to work.

Robinson was particularly miserly, his 15-over stint going for just 20 runs.

The visitors slumped to 127 for six before Saif Malik and Jake Wray produced some resistance.

Malik was given a life when wicketkeeper Richard Wood took his eye off a throw from Paul Quinlan with the batsman stranded.

But his luck turned when Reape deflected a drive from Wray onto the stumps at the non-striker's end when Malik was out of his crease.

That sounded the death knell for Yeadon as Greg Kennedy - Keighley's other prominent bowler - mopped up the tail with the help of a run-out from Max Davidson.

The youngster had a key role to play when the hosts batted, playing the anchor role with 59 not out off 105 balls.

But it was that man Reape who provided key impetus, hitting 63 off 72 balls. He and Davidson put on 101 for the fifth wicket after opener Matthew Bottomley had made 48.

Leather was unhappy with his side's approach. He said: "That's as poor as we've been. Our attitude was poor - a couple of guys turned up late - and it reminded me of our defeat to Windhill when we thought we only had to turn up and it would be all right.

"If that happens next year we are going to get hammered and we are going to have to be better."

Esholt narrowed the gap with Keighley to two points as Baz King scored 99 in a 129-run maximum-points win at home to Spen Victoria.

Morley, who play Esholt this week, kept up their promotion hopes with a 31-run win over Bankfoot, while Gomersal stayed in contention after victory over Undercliffe with three balls to spare.