KEIGHLEY crashed to defeat at Buttershaw St Pauls in Bradford Premier League Championship 2, despite a late rally.

Buttershaw openers Kevin McDermott and Andrew Pinfield got the home side off to a steady start before James Rogers clean bowled Pinfield for 16 and removed new batsmen Jonathan Burston lbw the next ball.

This brought Amer Ayoub to the crease and, accompanied by McDermott, they put on 65 for the next wicket until McDermott was dismissed for 43 with a smart caught and bowled from spinner Adam Greenwood (2-51).

Ayoub, though was the outstanding performer, making 96 from 113 deliveries, which helped Buttershaw post 216-6.

Keighley’s reply got off to a good start seeing opening pair Luke Chapman and Richard Gould post 48 for the first wicket until the latter was adjudged lbw for 22.

This brought Adam Greenwood to the crease and he and Chapman put on 73 until Greenwood perished for 29.

At 121-2, Keighley looked to be cruising to victory; however, it was those Buttershaw players Ayoub and McDermott again, who came to haunt the Keighley batsmen with their medium paced accurate bowling.

Once Chapman was bowled for 66 by McDermott, the Buttershaw pair tore through the Keighley line-up, leaving them 201-9.

The last pair of brothers Jack and James Rogers however, looked to have rescued the game taking them to 214-9. But James was bowled by McDermott, still needing two to win, with nine balls to go. McDermott finished with 5-34 and Ayoub 4-43.

Meanwhile, Keighley’s second string at last got their season under way against Great Preston, down at Lawkholme.

Skipper Alex Towler won the toss and invited the away team to bat. Leading a strong looking side onto the pitch, his decision to field first was soon rewarded with Dillon Birkett (2-14) and Hami Shahzad (2-22) making early inroads into the Great Preston batting line-up.

Great Preston’s Clinton Griffiths, with good backing from Richard White (20) and Sam Holmes (33) his aggressive 66 in 88 deliveries pushed Keighley onto the back foot.

Towler made several bowling changes and found his talisman in Harry Hollingsworth who after dismissing Griffiths helped to wrap up the Great Preston innings for 189 all out, taking 3-16 in seven overs.

In reply, Keighley’s opening batsmen of Martin Walker and Azeem Hussain got off to a fantastic start, putting on 107 for the first wicket before Hussain was adjudged lbw for 29.

Great Preston’s sigh of relief was short lived as this brought Ahtasham Raza to the crease who was in as aggressive mood as Walker and the Keighley pair pummelled the Great Preston bowling attack, taking the home side to a winning target of 190-1 in less than 30 overs. Raza scored 47 not out from 44, Walker 96no from just 95 deliveries.