LEADERS Keighley returned to winning ways with a 37-run win over struggling Spen Victoria at Lawkholme Lane in the All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League Championship Division Two.

After losing their previous two games, Keighley must have feared another defeat when they were reduced to 58-6 as Josh Fell (3-31) and Rob Warriner (3-60) posed problems.

Thankfully, Max Davidson (54) and Paul Quinlan (42) led a recover which enabled them to post a score of 200.

Fell (43) and Adam Brown (38) made useful contributions for Spen, but they were bowled out for 163, with Adam Greenwood (3-26), Hammy Shahzad (3-48) and Quinlan (3-55) doing the damage.

Third-placed Birstall’s promotion hopes suffered a setback as they went down by three wickets to bottom team Liversedge.

Tidy bowling from Liversedge helped them bowl out Birstall for 126, with Peter Gregersen (51) was the only batsman to get going.

Liversedge had to work hard for their runs but got home with seven wickets down, thanks largely to Mark Hydes (50).

East Ardsley are hovering just above the relegation places after their slide continued with a five-wicket defeat by Buttershaw St Paul’s.

Paul Carroll made 80 and Amer Ayoub 64 as St Paul’s eased past East Ardsley’s 203-8 with 17.5 overs to spare.

Matthew Redgwick (43no) and Haseen Bashir (37) were the main contributors for East Ardsley as Kian Phillipson (3-17) and Ayoub (3-69) led the St Paul’s bowling effort.

Farroukh Alam (64) and Matthew Bishop (59) guided Altofts to a two-wicket win over Hopton Mills.

Their 92-run partnership for the fourth wicket gave their side the impetus to better Hopton Mills' total of 184.

Micky Carroll (4-53) was the pick of the Mills bowlers, while Ashley Mackareth took 3-51 after earlier making the top score of 73 for Mills.

There was a high-scoring game at Northowram Fields, where the home side suffered a 10-run defeat against Brighouse.

The visitors made 267-6, with Sohail Hussain (85) and Tanvir Bashir (67) sharing a 113-run fourth-wicket partnership.

Jason Slator (74) and Jonny Lister (70) bettered the Brighouse pair’s efforts as they added 134 for their side’s fourth wicket.

The visitors had the final say though with Abid Awain (4-45) and Quadratullah Aziz (3-58) earning them victory.