Elland beat Rastrick in thriller

Actions from Rastrick v Elland cricket at Round Hill. Pictured is Bradley Birkhead

Rastrick had won the first meeting and taken a 10-point lead into the rematch, only to go down by the narrowest of margins in a 32 overs per side game.

Elland made 131 with visiting pro Asif Afridi, playing his last match of the season for Rastrick, taking three of the five wickets to fall. Opener Liam Fletcher top scored with 39.

Brad Birkhead (42) and opener Ovais Hussain (30) laid a solid platform for Rastrick after Afridi had been caught behind for four but Peter Dobson, Harish Krishmesh and Thomas Haytack bowled well to tip the scales Elland’s way.

Runs were hard to come by at Thongsbridge where Barkisland, clinging on to a Premiership place by their finger tips, lost by two wickets.

They made a bold effort to defend a score of Barkisland 109-9, spinner Matthew Steers taking four for 26.

Lightcliffe lost their third game in a row in the Bradford League’s top flight when they went down by two wickets at home to second-placed Farsley.

The eighth-placed team put up a far better effort than when humiliated in the first meeting, posting 222 for six which was almost 200 more than in the away fixture.

Yorkshire CCC’s departed for 24 off 18 balls but Kasir Maroof (58), Niall Lockley (46), Kashif Naveed (36) and Jonathan Wilson (30) all contributed to a decent total.

Arthur Price spearheaded the visitors’ reply with 85 and Farsley were sitting pretty at 179 for three but his departure to Lees was followed by a flurry of wickets.

Jonathan Whiteoak bowled four Farsley batsman and the visitors were relieved when Chris Henry hit a six off the fourth ball of the penultimate over to seal a two wicket win.

Northowram Fields are third in Championship 2, 15 points behind second place Altofts, after a three wicket win at Keighley.

Ex-Sowerby Bridge bowler Ashton Richardson continued his fine first season at the Westercroft Lane club with 4-28 and Jason Smith (3-33) continued his good form as the home side were bowled out for 134.

Northowram scrambled home by three wickets thanks to Shakeel Mahmood’s 45.

Brighouse remain next to bottom of the same section after being bowled out for 79 in reply to hosts Hopton Mills’ 211 for seven.

Only Kurram Maqsood (25) and Samar Farooq (15) made double figures, Sohail Hussain having earlier picked up four for 63.

Walsden’s Pennine League match at Austerlands was abandoned.