STRUGGLING Keighley made the short journey to East Bierley over the weekend in the Bradford League Championship of the Bradford Premier League, losing by just one run in an extraordinary contest.

Despite losing two early wickets, East Bierley’s batters went hard from the start with opener Samuel Gatenby chipping in with 66 and Ben Walter blasting a quick 40.

But these innings were both eclipsed with a magnificent 124 from just 106 deliveries by Andrew Duckworth.

He was dismissed off the last ball of the innings, as East Bierley posted a daunting 330-8 off their allotted 50 overs. Pick of the Keighley bowlers was Ben Helmsley, who finished with 5-63.

In reply, Keighley’s batting line up came out swinging with a positive start from opener Henry Moore, who made 56 from 54 balls.

He found backing from Nathan Storton, who scored a quick 40 from 27 balls.

At 177-5 though, the reply was faltering until skipper Max Davidson joined Paul Quinlan at the crease.

The pair put on 146 for the sixth wicket, with Quinlan in an exceptionally brutal mood, making an incredible unbeaten 131, including seven sixes.

Davidson was run out for 42 with the score on 323, which brought Helmsley to the crease, and some quick running between the wickets got Keighley to 329 with one ball left.

But, needing one to tie and two to win, Helmsley agonisingly holed out in the deep, ending a fabulous game but adding to Keighley’s problems at the wrong end of the table.

They need to pick themselves up quickly before they travel to Bankfoot this weekend.

Keighley’s second string entertained league leaders and local rivals Bradford & Bingley at Lawkholme over the weekend.

Winning the toss, Keighley skipper Dillon Birkett invited the visitors to bat first, hoping his young bowling attack could make early inroads.

But openers William Johnston (49) and Lewis Brown (40) had other ideas, putting 78 on for the first wicket.

Phil Broadley then added to the misery with a quick-fire 75, with this backed up by 46 from skipper Warren Allitt.

That saw the league leaders finish with 244-6 in their 45 overs. Fourteen-year-old Mohammed Abbas was the star bowler with 4-38.

In reply, Keighley’s batters struggled to go at the same pace as their Bradford & Bingley counterparts and despite 45 from Abbas and 36 from keeper Abid Hussain, they could only make 137-4 in their 45 overs.

Keighley's seconds entertain Farsley this weekend down at Lawkholme.

Finally, a much depleted Keighley side, which included five second team players, were heavily beaten by East Bierley in the second round of the Priestley Cup at Lawkholme.

Batting first, Keighley could only manage 113, being bowled out in just 28 overs. Azeem Hussain top scored with 21 as Reece Clark mopped up with 5-30.

East Bierley, like the day before, went hard from the start and smashed the ball to every part of the ground getting over the line in just the 12th over for the loss of only two wickets.

Matthew West top scored for East Bierley with 45 not out.