New Farnley skipper Richard Bedford lifted the Second Teams Premier Division championship trophy aloft after his side clinched the title on a rain-soaked final day, writes GRAHAM SCAIFE.
They defeated Pudsey Congs by nine wickets while Woodlands, who pipped us for the cup last week and started the day one point ahead, were thwarted by the weather as they narrowly failed to pull off a dramatic win.
With rain playing havoc throughout the week and on the day, New Farnley had an army of players and officials mopping up at the Barry Jackson Ground and their efforts paid off.
They bowled out Pudsey Congs for just 49 with spinners Will Swift (5-33) and Ian Fisher (3-8) doing the damage. New Farnley raced to victory in 8.4 overs, with Reece Thompson making an unbeaten 44.
Minutes after New Farnley had picked up a maximum 20 points for their win they were confirmed as champions with Woodlands failing to win.
First team beat Pudsey Congs
The first team finished in style also beating Pudsey in a game reduced to 20 overs a side, with Lee Goddard once again staring smashing 97.
Lee’s haul took him to around 1,000 runs for the season in all formats, a truly memorable feat in arguably the strongest standard of cricket outside of the County Championship.
The victory means Priestley Cup winners New Farnley moved up a place above Townville to finish in 5th position.
