KEIGHLEY Cricket Club’s indifferent start to the Bradford Premier League season continued on Saturday, as they crashed to an ugly eight-wicket defeat at Gomersal.

The hosts have set off like a train in Division Two, with this their fifth win in six league games this year, but the ease with which they cantered to victory will have concerned Keighley.

The Lawkholme Laners have only won twice in the third tier so far this season and now sit ninth in the 12-team table, just six points clear of the relegation zone.

Batting first, Keighley slipped to 46-3, but led by opener and wicketkeeper Harry Temperton, they recovered fairly well.

He made 64, and with captain Simon Bailey chipping in with a carefully-constructed 38 not out later in the innings, the visitors managed a competitive 215-6 from their 50 overs.

Ibrar Younis, Rob Warriner and Chris Rhodes all took two wickets apiece for Gomersal.

The hosts quickly made that Keighley total look miniscule, as Liam Fletcher (94) and Richard Wear (55) put on 154 runs for the first wicket inside 27 overs.

Wear, who used to play for Keighley, is Gomersal's captain and he played the anchor role as Fletcher thrashed the visitors' bowling around the ground.

The home side only needed 37 runs to win by the time Wear was the second man out, which meant victory was a stroll for the home side, as they made it over the line with nearly eight overs to spare.

Keighley’s next league game is another tough one, as they host in-form neighbours Crossflatts, who sit second in the table as it stands.