Smuts keeps up the good work

Cricket - Todmorden v Walsden pre-season friendly. New Todmorden pro, Kelly Smuts from South Africa.

The South African, who had set a new Lancashire League record with 211 on his Todmorden debut the previous week, was Walsden’s guest pro as they await the arrival of Umesh Karunaratne after injury.

The all-rounder duly helped defending champions Walsden to a first Pennine League success of the season, after their opening day defeat at Norden the previous Sunday.

Rochdale were the team in the firing line in the first of two rounds of fixtures this weekend. The visitors were all out for 139, Smuts picking up five for 49 with his medium pace.

The South African then hit 66 not as he and skipper Nick Barker (53 no) completed an eight-wicket success.

Barkisland are struggling for form going into today’s Sykes Cup games in the Huddersfield League.

Darren Robinson’s Premiership side lost at Honley yesterday after making an inadequate 169 for eight, half-centuries from Bjorn Taylor and Richard Parker completing a comfortable win for the hosts.

There were successes for Elland and Rastrick in the Championship.

Elland beat Holmfirth at Hullen Edge thanks to Liam Fletcher. The batsman hit 95 as Elland overtook the visitors respectable 195 total for the loss of only two wickets.

Rastrick were emphatic 106 run winners at home to Kirkheaton after scoring 290 for six, thanks to Ovais Hussain (65), Brad Birkhead (53) and Faisal Javed (96no). Kirkheaton were all out for 184.

Lightcliffe were beaten but far from disgraced in a 22-run defeat at home to Bradford League champions Pudsey St Lawrence.

The hosts, with a young bowling attack and no overseas player, limited Saints to 234 for seven and were hot in pursuit at 142 for two and 179 for four.

Kasir Maroof (56) and teenager Adam Wainwright (45) scored well but the lower order were unable to support Jonathan Wilson, who was last man out with the total on 212.

Promoted Northowram Fields made it two wins out of two in Championship Two with a four wicket win at Carlton.

Experienced slow bowler Jason Smith took four for 28 off 15 overs as the home side laboured to 160 for nine.

The Rams were soon nine for three but a stand of 114 between Shakeel Mahmood (71) and Ben Grech (33), who was returning from injury, set up victory.

Brighouse lost by six wickets to Buttershaw St Paul’s, the team who beat Northowram to the bottom section title in 2016.

Muhammad Khurshid made 46 and Adil Mehmood a hard-hit 36 but a total of 145 was never going to be enough.