AFTER two weeks of postponements due to wet weather and Eid, Keighley finally got their Bradford Premier League Division Two campaign underway on Saturday.

But the title favourites, whose difficult 2022 on and off the field ended in relegation from Division One, could not have made a much worse start.

They were thrashed by 116 runs on the road at Heckmondwike & Carlinghow, who have made a fast start after their promotion from Division Three.

Heckmondwike skipper Muhammad Shahnawaz won the toss and did not hesitate in electing to bat first at a small ground with a good-looking batting track.

This proved to be the right decision as Heckmondwike raced to 278-8 in their allotted 50 overs.

Opener Wajid Hussain cashed in on some slack bowling by smashing 139 not out off just 125 deliveries with no fewer than 11 sixes.

He was backed up by Surender Singh, who scored 73, while the pick of the Keighley bowlers was new signing Daanyaal Ahmed, who took 4-54.

Keighley’s reply started brightly enough with Mark Gilliver (28) and overseas signing Johandre Barnard putting 78 on for the second wicket.

But once Barnard holed out for 56, the Lawkholme Laners' middle and late order collapsed accordinglym with no answer to Singh’s left-arm spin, as he backed up his half-century with 5-27.

Keighley were eventually dismissed for just 162 in just the 33rd over, with skipper Simon Bailey hoping his new-look side settles sooner rather than later.

The first-team's next game sees them host Wrenthorpe at Lawkholme Lane this Saturday.

There was better news for Keighley’s second string, who entertained Great Preston Reserves at the weekend in the Bradford Premier League’s Second XI Second Division.

Home skipper Dillon Birkett won the toss and invited the opposition to bat first on a flat looking batting track.

New signing James Dobson (3-15) took an early wicket and despite a brave 53 from Ben Broxup, the middle and late order crumbled in the face of some fine line and length bowling.

Great Preston were eventually dismissed for 111 in just the 32nd over.

The evergreen Steve Butterfield was the pick of the Keighley bowlers with 4-18.

Keighley’s reply stuttered initially, with the home team 43-4 at one point, but a brutal 70 not out from Lucas Keslinke saw the hosts home by six wickets in only the 17th over.

The seconds travel to Sandal this coming weekend.