"Just add it to the list of matches that we should have won," said Keighley bowler Jamie Robinson after they had been beaten by four runs by Brighouse at Lawkholme Lane on Saturday.

In the only first-team game to finish, relegation-threatened Keighley made 204 for seven in reply to Brighouse's 208 for six in a contest that was reduced to 45 overs per side.

Unusually for a truncated affair, both sides started off with a century stand, Mark Gilliver (71) and Gary Wainwright (38) putting on 102 for the visitors and Rob Bartlett (62) and Matthew Bottomley (40) 111 for the hosts.

But while the Brighouse duo struggled initially after expressing surprise at being asked to bat, the Keighley pair looked more assured.

"We were up with the run rate virtually all the way through but we needed 12 runs off the last over bowled by Robin Hill, which was a bit too much," said Robinson.

"We got bogged down with three or four overs to go. The singles dried up and our skipper Steve Reape gave us a ticking off in the dressing room afterwards, and rightly so."

Ten additional points for Keighley here, especially with no-one else winning, would have put them on the heels of both third-from-bottom Farsley and fourth-from-bottom Cleckheaton.

However, the only small consolation for the Lawkholme Laners was that their six points brought them up to only 13 points behind Farsley, who they played the following day, and 16 points behind Cleckheaton.

Keighley's Robinson is among the 40-somethings playing in Division One this season, others including all-rounders Ashley Metcalfe and Richard McCarthy.

The crucial difference with 44-year-old Robinson is that he hasn't played at this level for ten years since he was with Baildon.

Captain of the second team this season, he hasn't even played for them this campaign due to first-team calls.

"We were going to get an overseas bowler but we didn't get one and we ended up with a batter who can bowl in Rob Bartlett," explained Robinson.

"The standard is about the same as it was ten years ago but you have to concentrate much more in the first team than the second team, where I could sometimes switch off for a little while. I tend to bowl 12 in my first spell and I have even done 15 a couple of times because I find it very hard to come back for a second spell.

"Among my victims this season have been Mark Gilliver and John Proud but the fun thing has been meeting people I used to play against, although most of them tend to be in the bar nowadays!"

As for Keighley's prospects of avoiding the dreaded drop, Rob-inson said: "Maybe we should bring Alan Broadley in for his experience.

"He is the leading run-scorer in the second teams and had a great season last year too. Every game is a big game, but I try not to think about that. I just try and take them one at a time and treat them all the same."

Although Gilliver, who changed his bat in the first over because it was cracked near the shoulder, and Wainwright both struggled to get the ball away through the point area initially, they cashed in when opening pair Ross Towler and Jamie Robinson tired.

Off-spinner Richard Robinson came on for Ross Towler at 58 for none after 18 overs, and with Reape replacing Jamie Robinson, drinks were reached at 73 for none after 22 overs with Gilliver 42 and Wainwright 25.

Wainwright, who hit six fours and batted for 1hr 36min, then holed out at extra cover and Gilliver, who was in for 1hr 48min and hit six fours and three sixes, holed out at long on. However, Haroon Rashid made batting look easy in hitting an unbeaten 36 in 50 minutes, the persevering Reape taking five for 68 after both Robinsons (Jamie none for 31 off ten and Richard none for 38 off ten) kept Brighouse quieter than most. Bartlett and Bottomley laid a fine platform for Keighley but wickets fell at regular intervals before Lee Gordon (24) helped to provide a late revival.

However, wickets from Rizwan Ahmed's spin helped to curb Keighley's attacking instincts just enough.

The relegation gap widened when Keighley visited the side above them, Farsley, on Sunday.

Batting first, Farsley put up an impressive total of 268-5, led by A Metcalfe who notched up a century and finished on 129 not out.

Towler and Bartlett took two wickets each, but Richard Robinson was the pick of the bowlers taking just one wicket, but gave up fewer runs (36) in 15 overs.

In reply, opener Matthew Bottomley reached a half century scoring 51 runs. The only others to score more than 20 runs were Reape on 39 and Gordon on 24.

Keighley finished on 211 all out.

KEIGHLEY V BRIGHOUSE BRIGHOUSE M Gilliver c Bartlett b Reape 71 G Wainwright c Bottomley b Reape 38 Z Raje c Bartlett b Reape 9 H Rashid not out 36 R Ahmed b Reape 16 J Stansfield lbw Reape 18 R Barron run out 2 M Horne not out 0 Extras 18 Total 208-6 Fall: 1-102, 2-124, 3-139, 4-160, 5-201, 6-206 Bowling: R Towler 13-3-57-0, J Robinson 10-1-31-0, R Robinson 10-0-38-0, S Reape 12-0-68-5.

KEIGHLEY R Bartlett c Horne b Ahmed 62 M Bottomley b Ahmed 40 R Robinson lbw Hill 15 P Wilkinson lbw Ahmed 2 S Reape run out 10 A Waggett c Horne b Ahmed 9 L Gordon run out 24 R Towler not out 15 J Wilkinson not out 0 Extras 27 Total 204-7 Fall: 1-102, 2-124, 3-139, 4-160, 5-201, 6-206 Bowling: J Stansfield 9-1-38-0, M Rasool 6-0-22-0, R Ahmed 15-2-57-4, R Hill 15-0-66-1.

Keighley 6, Brighouse 16 KEIGHLEY V FARSLEY FARSLEY S Simpson c Waggett b Towler 36 A Metcalfe not out 129 A Blakeborough lbw Robinson 33 M Green c Reape b Bartlett 20 S Rashid b Towler 18 J Petty c Reape b Bartlett 4 C Henry not out 20 Extras 8 Total 268-5 Bowling: R Towler 15-2-91-2, J Robinson 7-0-47-0, R Robinson 15-4-36-1, S Reape 6-0-39-0, R Bartlett 7-0-50-2.

KEIGHLEY P Spragg c Rashid b Thornton 19 M Bottomley c Green b Gadzina 51 R Bartlett lbw Henry 0 R Robinson c Blakeborough b Braddock 16 S Reape b Gadzina 39 L Gordon b Gadzina 25 P Wilkinson c Green b Gadzina 0 A Waggett c Thornton b Metcalfe 15 R Towler b Henry 17 J Wilkinson b Henry 12 J Robinson not out 2 Extras 15 Total 211 Bowling: C Henry 11.1-1-43-3, R Thornton 9-0-32-1, C Braddock 7-0-33-1, J Gadzina 12-1-66-4, A Metcalfe 7-0-27-1.