Whitehurst smashes way into the records

Big-hitting Gomersal captain Richard Whitehurst smashed his way into the record books with an 11-ball half-century in his side's 72-run defeat to Pudsey St Lawrence.

Whitehurst hammered five sixes and five fours as he beat the previous fastest 50 which had been made off 16 balls by Bankfoot's Richard Peel in 1997.

Despite Whitehurst's rapid knock of 54, Gomersal finished on 170 in reply to St Lawrence's 242-6, which included half centuries for Alex Stead (71), Mark Robertshaw (68) and Gareth Clough (55).

The victory enabled St Lawrence to return to the top with a 14-point lead over Woodlands, who had to settle for six points from their match with Pudsey Congs after rain intervened and prevented a positive result.

The highlight was a fifth-wicket partnership between Andrew Bairstow (63no) and Babar Butt (59), which helped Congs post 252-5 and ruined the bowling figures of the division's top wicket-taker Chris Brice, who returned 2-105.

Woodlands were going well in reply when Tim Orrell (52) and Sam Frankland (40) took the score to 101, but after both fell victims to Yorkshire's Richard Pyrah (4-30) either side of a rain break, the innings declined. Woodlands finished on 154-7.

Congs collected 10 points but dropped one place to fifth because East Bierley defeated Baildon by four-wickets to go two points ahead of them. Paceman Muhammad Azharullah took 6-63 as Baildon were dismissed for 181 – Ian Philliskirk top scoring with 66. East Bierley were guided to victory by Andrew Rennison's unbeaten 60.

Yorkshire paceman James Lee (5-28) helped Farsley to dismiss Bankfoot for 116 as they recorded a four-wicket win.

Undercliffe collapsed from 89-1 to 123 all out at Saltaire. The home side were struggling at 77-7 after good bowling from Chris Greenwood (4-11) and Nawaz Sardar (3-26) when rain forced play to be abandoned.

Rain also prevented a definite outcome to the match between Cleckheaton and Yeadon. Thirteen overs were lost from the Yeadon innings as they attempted to overhaul 160-9. Grant Soames hit 69 for Yeadon and off-spinner Damon Gormley took 5-44 in the Cleckheaton innings.