BATLEY powered to the top of All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League Championship One, which includes Keighley, with a burst of 97 points from a possible 100 before Saturday’s washout halted their winning run.

They hold a seven-point advantage over Bankfoot with Morley a further two points back as they seek to regain the Premier Division place they lost two years ago.

Overseas player Sami Ullah has scored 407 runs while Muhammad Shahnawaz has led the bowling with 33 wickets.

They look to have a favourable run-in with the two key games being the away match with Pudsey Congs next Saturday and home to Bankfoot on August 31.

Keighley, captained by Paul Quinlan, made a flying start to the season and led the table before their form started to dip. They are 19 points above the relegation places but have some tricky matches to negotiate, including a clash with Batley.

Bankfoot have a similar finish to their programme and will be looking to make the most of their matches against the bottom two, Wakefield St Michael’s and Scholes, who are both desperately in need of points.

Skipper James Lee’s all-round skills and spinner Andrew Stothart’s wicket-taking have served them well so far and will no doubt be key in the push for the top.

Morley’s form has been inconsistent, but they are well placed to pounce if Batley and Bankfoot slip up. They have four of the current bottom five, Gomersal, Ossett, Wakefield St Michael’s and Scholes to play.

Sri Lankan spinner Akash Senarathna has taken 33 wickets and hit a century in a promising debut season. Morley fragile batting is a concern and could hinder their challenge.

Fourth-placed Pudsey are 31 points adrift of the leaders but that margin could be whittled away if they can come out on top in their matches against the three teams above them in the table.

Young batsman Vikram Sharma and teenage spinner Sam Wisniewski, above, have enhanced their reputations with fine performances in recent weeks which have enabled their side to gather valuable wins.

The battle to avoid relegation is a real dogfight. Scholes are cut adrift on 77 points and are 49 from safety and that is a huge deficit to make up if they are to avoid relegation for a second season.

Wakefield St Michael’s, promoted last season, have a battle on their hands to avoid an immediate return to Championship Two.

They are 10 points from safety and still have all the top three to play. All-rounder Imran Mahboob has proved to be a valuable addition while skipper Mark Atkinson and Australian Mitchell Forsyth will need to make key contributions with the bat if their team are to survive.

Ossett sit just above the bottom two and their erratic form has kept them deep in the relegation scrap. Their remaining fixtures see them face the other four team in the bottom five, Keighley, Gomersal, Wakefield St Michael’s and Scholes so they have their destiny in their own hands.

Gomersal have shown in glimpses what they are capable of but they still have plenty of work to do to stay out of trouble.

Skipper Richard Wear and batsman Jonathan Boynton are potential match winners, but the big fear for Gomersal is the three away games to come against the top trio Batley, Bankfoot and Morley.

TOP: BATLEY (181pts): Aug 3 Pudsey Congs A, 10 Baildon H, 17 Wakefield St Michael's A, 24 East Bierley A, 31 Bankfoot H, Sept 7 Keighley A, 14 Gomersal H.

BANKFOOT (174pts): Aug 3 Hartshead Moor A, 10 Scholes H, 17 Pudsey Congs A, 24 Baildon H, 31 Batley A, Sept 7 East Bierley H, 14 Wakefield St Michael's A

MORLEY (172pts): Aug 3 Gomersal H, 10 Wakefield St Michael's H, 17 Ossett A, 24 Hartshead Moor H, 31 Scholes A, Sept 7 Pudsey Congs H, 14 Baildon A.

PUDSEY CONGS (150pts): Aug 3 Batley H, 10 East Bierley A, 17 Bankfoot H, 24 Keighley A, 31 Gomersal H, Sept 7 Morley A, 14 Ossett H.

BOTTOM: KEIGHLEY (135pts): Aug 3 Ossett A, 10 Hartshead Moor H, 17 Scholes A, 24 Pudsey Congs H, 31 Baildon A, Sept 7 Batley H, 14 East Bierley A.

GOMERSAL (131pts): Aug 3 Morley A, 10 Ossett H, 17 Hartshead Moor A, 24 Scholes H, 31 Pudsey Congs A, Sept 7 Baildon H, 14 Batley A.

OSSETT (126pts): Aug 3 Keighley H, 10 Gomersal A, 17 Morley H, 24 Wakefield St Michael's H, 31 Hartshead Moor A, Sept 7 Scholes H, 14 Pudsey Congs A.

WAKEFIELD ST MICHAEL’S (116pts): Aug 3 Baildon H, 10 Morley A, 17 Batley H, 24 Ossett A, 31 East Bierley H, Sept 7 Hartshead Moor A, 14 Bankfoot H.

SCHOLES (77pts): Aug 3 East Bierley H, 10 Bankfoot A, 17 Keighley H, 24 Gomersal A, 31 Morley H, Sept 7 Ossett A, 14 Hartshead Moor H.