KEIGHLEY travelled to Northowram for the last game of the 2018 season with promotion already confirmed.

However, the second-placed Lawkholme Laners would need to take maximum points against Northowram and hope that Hopton Mills would do them a favour by upsetting league leaders Wakefield St Michaels.

Keighley skipper Paul Quinlan won the toss and invited the home side to bat first on a damp looking wicket.

His decision to field was soon rewarded with wickets tumbling at regular intervals as the home batsmen struggled with the damp and swinging conditions; Northowram were dismissed for a paltry 52 in the 19th over. Only skipper John Lister making double figures (14).

James Rogers and Abe Kenny each took two wickets, but it was Quinlan again who was the major star finishing with figures of 5-23 in what has been a fantastic season for him.

Keighley’s reply was equally as swift as they went for the maximum points available.

Regular openers Luke Chapman and Richard Gould have made a formidable pairing at the top of Keighley’s order this year and it was Gould who flailed the Northowram bowlers to all and sundry, smashing 46 not out from just 26 deliveries, including four sixes as Keighley chased down the winning total in just the 8th over with no wickets lost.

This meant the Lawkholme Laners took maximum the maximum 20 points available.

Then the news started to filter through that Hopton Mills had scored 225 against Wakefield St Michael’s and that they were struggling to chase the total down.

All Keighley could do was wait until the news they had hoped for (Wakefield were bowled out 22 runs short of victory) triggered celebrations; they had beaten Wakefield to the Championship Two trophy by one point.

Meanwhile, Keighley’s second string entertained second placed Northowram this past weekend already confirmed as champions of Championship 2. After being presented with the trophy, skipper Alex Towler went on to win the toss and asked the away team to bat first.

With the championship already won, Towler decided to let his entire team, except wicketkeeper Ahtasham Raza, have a bowl and, despite early successes for Hami Shahzad (3-16), the Northowram batting line-up took advantage of some loose bowling and compiled a competitive 191 all out.

Towler then decided to mix up his batting order, keeping his more senior batsmen in reserve until required.

The Keighley batsmen, full of confidence from a great season, never looked like not getting to the winning line and it was fitting for skipper Towler to hit the winning runs as his side eased to victory with the loss of eight wickets. Pick of the batsmen was keeper Raza with a fine 57.