Double delight for Keighley (From Keighley News)

Double delight for Keighley

1:00pm Thursday 26th July 2012 in Sport By Mike Crowther

Keighley did the double over Morley as the second team reached the Priestley Shield final just 24 hours after the first team clinched a thrilling 14-run league victory.

Alex Towler’s side dismissed their Division One opponents for just 83 before knocking the runs off with eight wickets to spare to make the final.

The Scatchard Lane hosts made a surprising decision to bat first on a slow wicket but made a solid start before Towler snapped up Ryan Dowse with the score on 29.

That spelt a collapse as Morley slumped to 39-6 as Steve Reape took two wickets in two balls.

Ash Daley offered some resistance with 21 but the hosts never recovered and were soon dismissed.

Richard Wood was in outstanding form behind the wickets, making two stumpings and three catches, while Towler (4-21) was chief destroyer.

Keighley had few problems in knocking off the runs as Reape, Alan Birkett and Paul Quinlan – back in action following a broken leg – saw them home.

The Lawkholme Laners will meet Woodlands in the final after they beat Bradford & Bingley in the other semi-final.

Meanwhile, Keighley first team produced a superb comeback to beat Morley in the league at home.

They suffered more batting problems as they were dismissed for just 97 but came out fighting and had the visitors reeling at 21-7.

An eighth-wicket partnership of 53 between Chris Rodwell and Dave Nebard threatened to rescue Morley but Amjid Hussain had other ideas.

He had Rodwell caught behind for 14 and took the last two wickets to end with 4-15.

Victory left Keighley in sixth spot – 32 points off a promotion spot with nine games to go, starting with a trip to Spen Victoria on Saturday.

The second team resume their league campaign at home to Undercliffe, having lost at Windhill last week.

The hosts made 212-9 before Keighley fell short on 169 all out, despite 50 from Paul Wilkinson.