KEIGHLEY beat Liversedge by two wickets to haul themselves up to equal sixth with their beaten hosts in All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League Championship Division Two.

After the previous week's disappointing result at home to Brighouse, Keighley skipper Andrew Wear decided to let Liversedge bat and was rewarded with some excellent fast bowling from returning 17-year-old James Rogers.

He sliced through the home team batsmen at regular intervals, taking 5-45, overseas player Travis Nightingale chipping in with 3-0 in his only over as Liversedge were dismissed for 143 in the 44th over.

On a wicket that was clearly benefiting the bowlers, Keighley’s batsmen dug in and carefully accumulated the runs required to cross the winning line.

Opener Luke Chapman (41), Nightingale (33) and 16-year-old Louis Horsfield (25) patiently helped the away side home in the 50th over.

Keighley, who are 35 points behind second-placed Hunslet Nelson, entertain fourth-placed Northowram Fields, who are 18 points ahead, at Lawkholme Lane on Saturday.

The second-team match between Keighley, who are bottom of Championship One, and second-placed visitors Gomersal, who were 171 points ahead of their hosts,was predictably one-sided.

Gomersal has no hesitation in asking Keighley to bat first on a wicket that had borne the brunt of a very wet week, and their experienced bowlers wasted little time in making inroads into the young Keighley batting line-up.

Wickets tumbled at an alarming rate,and the hosts were back in the pavilion by the 26th over, being bowled out for a paltry 48, with only one batsmen making double figures – No 3 Joe Williams with ten.

Ryan Kitson took 5-22, Adam Stott 3-17 and Matthew Hirst 2-7.

To make things worse for Keighley, Gomersal’s opening pair consisted of former New Zealand international Tony Blain and Richard Gould, who is currently the fourth leading run scorer in Bradford League history and whose nephew Nathan Allatt was in the Keighley team.

It took the pair just over ten overs to chase down the required score and inflict a painful ten-wicket defeat on the Lawkholme Laners.

A trip to fourth-placed Cleckheaton awaits the second team this weekend.