BIRSTALL boosted their promotion challenge from the All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League Championship Two with a four-wicket win over fellow contenders Yeadon in a rehearsal for the Jack Hampshire Cup final on Sunday, August 18.

Yeadon’s batsmen were kept in check by some tight Birstall bowling after opting to bat first.

Openers Gareth Lee (38) and Rob Smith (28) shared a stand of 56 in 27 overs, but once they were parted the innings subsided.

The last nine wickets fell for 25 runs as Yeadon were dismissed for just 109. James Russell (3-40), Josh Haynes (3-27) and Ryan Gray (3-8) did the damage.

Birstall eased to victory in 22 overs with opener Ian Carradice making their top score of 38.

The result leaves Birstall in second place, 24 points behind leaders Carlton and 21 ahead of Yeadon with six games to play.

The Jack Hampshire Cup final will be played at Liversedge Cricket Club, Roberttown Lane, from noon. Entrance is £3 for adults and Under-16s free.

Elsewhere in Championship Two, Carlton’s overseas player Kershaski John Lewis was the headline act once again as they defeated fourth-placed Buttershaw St Paul’s by nine wickets.

John Lewis produced his season’s best bowling figures of 7-24 as St Paul’s were skittled out for 88 and hit an unbeaten 59 to steer his side to their target.

Bowling Old Lane continued their climb away from the danger zone and added to Liversedge’s relegation woes as they inflicted a 183-run defeat on them.

Paceman Zeeshan Haider (6-25) and Adam Zahid (4-27) ripped through the Liversedge batting to dismiss them for just 55 when they replied to the Old Lane total of 238.

The experienced Ahsan Butt provided the key contribution to the Old Lane total with a knock of 75. Mohammed Lorgat with 3-16 was the most-successful Liversedge bowler.

Altofts and Hopton Mills recorded important wins in their respective bids to pull clear of relegation. Altofts defeated bottom team Adwalton by 97 runs while Hopton Mills had an emphatic nine-wicket victory over East Ardsley.

An opening stand of 126 between Azhar Sharif (74) and Liam Webb (56) was built on by Jordan Carter (54no) as Altofts compiled a total of 242-7.

Despite a hard-hit 80 off just 55 balls from Umar Shakir in which 76 of his runs came in boundaries – six sixes and 10 fours – Adwalton were bowled out for 145 with Ismail Patel taking 5-17.

Ashley Mackereth blasted four sixes and 10 fours while making 79 to guide Hopton Mills past East Ardsley’s score of 130 with just one wicket down. Andy Grey (5-24) had earlier set up the win as the East Ardsley batsmen found the going tough.

Mohammed Maroof took 5-40 for Spen Victoria but could not save his side from a 48-run defeat at Hunslet Nelson.

Patrick Hinchliffe (46) helped Hunslet Nelson to 160 and that proved to be a winning total as Will Stiff (4-18) helped bowl out the visitors for 112.

Jer Lane’s overseas fast bowler Hazrat Shah showed his batting prowess in their 79-run win over Northowram Fields.

Coming in at number nine, Shah smashed 90 from just 50 balls and peppered the boundary with seven sixes and nine fours.

He dominated a last-wicket stand of 76 with Matthew Johnson which swelled the Jer Lane total to 291. Shah’s knock built on the earlier good work of Abubakar Dawood (64). Josh Bennett-Kear was the pick of the Northowram Fields bowlers with 5-67.

Jacob Slater (47) and skipper Dru Patel (39no) top scored for Northowram Field as they were bowled out for 212 with Amjid Khan taking 5-65.