WOODLANDS may be in the thick of a four-horse race for the title but skipper Pieter Swanepoel is backing Cleckheaton to win the JCT600 Bradford League championship for a third successive season.

Pudsey St Lawrence are leading Division One on 237 points with six matches remaining, while Woodlands are second on 225, Cleckheaton third with 221 and Hanging Heaton fourth on 217.

Woodlands host Cleckheaton tomorrow in the top flight's game of the day but former Yorkshire bowler Swanepoel, possibly wanting to take the pressure off his own side, said: "Four teams can still win it but my money is on Cleckheaton for the title.

"They are a good side and have the experience of knowing how to win it."

However, Cleckheaton and Hanging Heaton seemed more distant bets for the championship before last weekend, when both St Lawrence and Woodlands lost.

Saints' defeat by a run at Hanging Heaton and Woodlands' setback at East Bierley brought the third and fourth-placed clubs right back into it – and Swanepoel admitted that he may have erred in deciding to bat first.

He said: "It was a used wicket with a bit of grass on it and I decided to bat first. But it seamed around a lot and their opening bowlers bowled well."

The upshot was that Woodlands were dismissed for just 73, only Chris Brice (23) and Logan Weston (10) making double figures as Awais Ejaz cashed in with 6-31, Richard Atkins backing him up with 4-31.

Bierley were 30-4 themselves but were ironically seen home by former Woodlands keeper Nick Rushworth (31no), while Saints contrived to lose by a run when, chasing 211 for victory, they were 207-8.

Swanepoel said: "Those defeats have brought Cleckheaton and Hanging Heaton right back into it."

St Lawrence and Hanging Heaton both face relegation-threatened opponents tomorrow, with Saints at home to Farsley and Hanging Heaton visiting Lightcliffe.

Bierley, not entirely out of the woods themselves just yet, are at home to fellow strugglers Undercliffe.

If Woodlands v Cleckheaton can be a vital clash in the top section, then Scholes' trip to Morley could be even more telling in Division Two as far as their championship is concerned.

Leaders Morley are on 255 points and Scholes 240, with third-placed Baildon back on 206, while Yeadon and Gomersal – who both have a game in hand on the teams above them – are fourth and fifth respectively on 185 and 180.

Scholes cricket secretary Paul Calvert said: "It will be interesting to see how we shape up against Morley, bearing in mind how we lost to them by seven wickets in the league earlier this season – which is what Baildon did to us the week before that as well.

"Morley have consistently been the best team in the division, although we are stronger now than when we last met them. But I don't see it as a two-horse race for the title."