Booth relieved to beat Saints

The 2016 and 2017 Halifax League champions were six-wicket home winners against Illingworth St Mary’s but the visitors did enough to convince Booth skipper Richard Laycock that they can become useful additions to the top flight, possibly next season.

Laycock said his side had batted, bowled and fielded well. Illingworth had probably given them too much respect and had belatedly realised that a total of 221 for nine probably wasn’t enough at Broad Fold Park.

“They bowled well and they looked like a good side. We told them afterwards that they would be a good Premier Division team,” said Laycock.

“It was a good game and enjoyable to play in. The weather was nice and there was a lot of people on Booth.”

Laycock admitted Booth had been wary of opponents who had won the bottom section on their return to the Halifax League last season and had made a bright start in the middle section.

“They also batted well but we took wickets at good times,” said Laycock.

Patrick Thomas managed to pick up the key wicket of Daniel Murfett with his first ball, the Aussie left hander being caught behind for 36.

Booth also dismissed Matthew Smith (38) and Veryan Brooksby (50) with successive deliveries to leave the visitors 191 for six and stall their progress.

Luke Brooksby bowled two wides at the start of the Booth reply and then saw Steve Senior nick the third delivery but be dropped behind.

Senior went on to make 95 before Laycock (31 no) and Jon Midgley (29 no) sealed victory with five overs to spare.

The Booth crowd was swollen by players from Triangle, whose hosts Old Town were unable to raise a team. Bridgeholme also got a walkover against Cullingworth.

There were no shocks in the 11 other ties which went ahead and a couple of 10-wicket wins.

Bradshaw posted a very respectable 223 at Bradshaw but home openers Tom Baxter (141 no) and Hans Randhwana (76 no) knocked them off.

Baxter crashed 18 fours and eight sixes in an innings that lasted just 28.2 overs.

Mytholmroyd openers Tom Conway (90 no) and Saad Hussain (44 no) overhauled a more modest Queensbury total of 140, in which ex-Bridgeholme player whom Oliver Challis (70) hit exactly half the runs.

Sowerby Bridge rattled up 351 for seven against Greetland with four batsmen hitting half-centuries.

The best was yet to come as Jake Dixon recorded a bowling analysis of 9-6-3-6 to help dismiss their opponents for 102.

Centuries from Southowram’s Dean Crossley and Leymoor’s Andrew Raw helped to ensure their teams are in next week’s draw.

Scores: Bradshaw 223 (Fisher 71, Crowther 64), *Blackley 225-0 (T Baxter 141*, Randhwana 76*). Illingworth St Mary’s 221 (Brooksby 50), * Booth 227-4 (Senior 94). *Bridgeholme w/o v Cullingworth. Bradley & Colnebridge 85 (M Mitchell 48, Wrigley 5-14), *Copley 86-2 (Thorpe 40*). Sowerby Bridge 351-7 (Wood 79, Holdworth 67, Whitehill 55, Mellor 54*), *Greetland 102 (Dixon 6-3). *Leymoor 210 (A Raw 108*, Mistry 4-34), Upper Hopton 158 (E Raw 5-33). Queensbury 140

(Challis 70, J Earle 4-27), * Mytholmroyd 141-0 (Conway 90, Hussain 44). Triangle w/o v *Old Town. *Outlane 280 (Davies 52, Roberts 46, Rahman 40, Overend 4-59), Low Moot HT 212 (C Green 86, Croft 5-11). *Oxenhope 253 (Jackson 69, Fleetwood 51), Luddendenfoot 219 (Holt-Conway 47, Stott 45). SBCI 197 (Wood 55, Fawcett 54*), *Shelf Northowram HT 199-5 (Litjens 58). Great Horton PC 208 (Jordan 59, *Southowram 209-3 (Crossley 112*, Mohammed 40). Mount 138 (Kayat 58, Hoyle 4-18, Grogan 4-38), Sowerby St Peter’s 140-5 (Potts 48). Clayton 206-7 (Wilkins 81), *Warley 209-7 (Marsh 59, Khatana 45*, Oates 41). Byes: Stones and Thornton.