Priestley finalists get bye in draw

4:04pm Friday 14th November 2008

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Holders Pudsey Congs and 2008 runners-up Woodlands have both been given byes in the first round of next season’s Sovereign Health Care Priestley Cup.

Also getting a free passage into round two are Spen Victoria, Windhill, Farsley, Lightcliffe and Morley.

There are three all-First Division ties – Hanging Heat-on against Baildon, Cleckheaton against Yeadon and Saltaire hosting Manningham Mills.

Best chance of an upset could be 2006 finalists Bowling Old Lane, demoted this season, at home to surprise 2003 winners Bradford & Bingley.

In order to avoid play on weekday evenings, each round will now have a reserve date, with first-round ties scheduled for Sunday, May 3 (1.00), the reserve date being the following day, which is a Bank Holiday Monday.

Each round will have a reserve date up to and including the semi-finals, and matches will consist of a minimum of 25 overs per side, with overs being deducted from the original 50 at a rate of two (or part of) for every six minutes.

But if play is not possible on either the scheduled day or the reserve day, then there will be a bowl-out.

If the first innings of the match is completed but the second innings does not go beyond ten overs, there will also be a bowl-out.

However, if there is an interruption after ten overs have been bowled in the second innings and no further play is possible, the winner will be the team with the better average run rate after the first ten overs of each innings.

Sovereign Health Care Priestley Cup – First-round draw: Bowling Old Lane v Bradford & Bingley, Keighley v Hartshead Moor, Hanging Heaton v Baildon, Gomersal v Idle, Cleckheaton v Yeadon, Pudsey St Lawrence v Brighouse, Great Horton v East Bierley, Undercliffe v Bankfoot, Saltaire v Manningham Mills. Byes: Spen Victoria, Woodlands, Windhill, Farsley, Lightcliffe, Pudsey Congs, Morley.

Sovereign Health Care Priestley Shield first-round ties are the reverse of the above, also to be played on Sunday, May 3 with a reserve date of Monday, May 4.