Hopton Mills 224-5

Keighley 228-5

KEIGHLEY went 13 points clear at the top of the All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League Championship Two table with an excellent chase to beat Hopton Mills by five wickets at Lawkholme.

Hopton Mills won the toss and did not hesitate in electing to bat first on an excellent looking batting wicket.

Keighley made their first breakthrough with 16 on the board, Ben Jagger removing John Bowett for with an excellent catch from keeper Adam Smith. The duo worked again as Gary Senior soon followed for a duck, leaving Hopton at 20-2.

This prompted a third-wicket stand of 65 between opener Chris Scott and Ashley Mackereth until Nathan Storton removed Scott lbw for 24.

Mackereth though was in excellent form finding the gaps in the Keighley field until skipper Paul Quinlan eventually removed him for a fine 72.

Stephen Bland soon followed for 39 with an excellent caught and bowled from James Rogers leaving Hopton at 161-5.

However, this brought to the crease Umar Abbas and Michael Carroll who plundered 63 in the final five overs closing the Hopton innings on 224-5, Abbas scored 45 in just 29 deliveries, Carroll 23 in 17. Pick of the bowling for Keighley was Jagger with 2-35, backed with a tidy spell from Storton who finished with 1-17.

A target of 225 a season ago would have been a tough ask; however, this is now a more experienced Keighley team and openers Luke Chapman and Richard Gould forged another 50 partnership, until Gould was caught for 27. Chapman saw two more wickets fall until he himself was out, caught for a creditable 62. When Jonny Wilkinson perished for 10 three overs later, the writing looked on the wall for Keighley at 143-5 and now needing a run a ball to chase down the total.

This brought together 18-year-olds Nathan Storton and Abe Kenny, who had shared a big partnership at Brighouse two weeks before.

The duo, obviously enjoying batting together, were Keighley’s starlets again as they smashed the Hopton bowling attack to all and sundry seeing the home side to the winning target with five deliveries to spare. Kenny finished with a fine 51 from 50 deliveries, backed with 41 from Storton in just 37 deliveries.

Meanwhile, Keighley’s second string made the long journey to Hopton Mills aiming to keep their unbeaten start to the season intact.

Skipper Alex Towler won the toss and asked the home side to bat first.

Hopton skipper Neil Harrison was in imperious form; however, he was unable to find a fellow batsmen who could make a stand with him and wickets fell at regular intervals.

When Harrison fell for 49 his side were struggling at 111-8 and despite a last wicket partnership of 35 between Andrew Moorhouse (16) and Philip Bland (23 not out), Hopton were dismissed for 146 in just 39 overs.

Pick of the Keighley bowlers was Harry Hollingsworth with 4-29, ably backed by Towler (2-18) and spinner Jack Rogers (2-24).

Despite having 56 overs to chase the total down, Keighley vice-captain Hami Shahzad was having none of it.

Walking out to bat at 24-1 he systematically destroyed the Hopton bowling attack with a brutal batting display plundering an unbeaten 104 in just 40 deliveries, which included 11 fours and eight sixes. He saw his team over the line in just 14 overs.