Bradford League: Silkstone saves Lightcliffe with ton

Silkstone, who scored more than 1,400 league runs for Triangle in the Halifax League last season, showed he could make the step up in class by hitting 108 off 105 balls.

The Wakefield Road men were 29-5 and their total would have been a sorry one without him, Rob Burton’s 19 being the next best contribution in a total of 173.

Silkstone hit seven sixes and 10 fours, eventually falling to Zeeshan Qasim, who along with fellow opening bowler Craig Wiseman took four wickets.

Lightcliffe’s total proved enough with Yassir Abbass striking early blows to leave Undercliffe 43-4, a 40-run stand for the next wicket being in vain as the visitors slid to 140 all out with spinners Suleman Khan (3-39) and Josh Wheatley (2-28) mopping up the tail.

Northowram Fields are still looking for a first win of the season after a 54-run defeat to Spen Victoria in a wildly-fluctuating game at Westercroft Lane which became heated late on.

A quick finish looked on the cards when opening bowlers Sam Gardner (5-51) and Josh Bennett-Kear (3-27) had the visitors 33-7 and 56-8. A stand of 87 between Michael Flathers (42) and Liam Grant (44) revived the visitors’ fortunes and Spen finished on 164.

Fields looked in control at 51-1 but slipped to 57-5 and 74-7. They were all out for 110, with ex-Brighouse bowler Abid Awan taking 6-54, but only after suffering a controversial second run out.

It was unclear whether a visiting player had broken the wicket with ball in hand. A decision to give the batsmen out was reversed and then altered again after the visiting captain had spoken to the umpires, sparking protests from the home camp.

Brighouse finally got their Conference campaign under way, after opening opponents Azaad had withdrawn on the eve of the season, and won by four wickets away to Rodley.

It was a takle of two Wajid Hussains for the visitors. One took 4-29 as their new-look side dismissed the Leeds team for 163 and then completed victory with 26 not out. The other top scorer with 42 in the successful chase.

Fifteen year-old Noah Priestley played a key role as Todmorden made progress in the Lancashire League’s Worsley Cup yesterday with a 131-run home win over division-lower Rawtenstall.

He marked his debut in the competition with four for 31 - including the early scalp of South African professional Jovaun Van Wyngaardt - as the Centre Vale men opened their account for the season after successive Division One defeats.

All Tod’s top eight batsmen made 17 or above as the hosts totalled 248-8, spearheaded by Chris Schofield (54), Freddie Priestley (43) and opener Ben Pearson (37).

Noah Priestley’s entrance into the game started with 18 not out off 10 balls, including a six, and continued with two fine spells of bowling as Rawtenstall were dismissed for 117 in the 35th over.

Barkisland are still looking for a first win of the season in the Huddersfield League’s top flight but they were far from disgraced in a rain-hit match at home to powerful Hoylandswaine.

Brayden Clark (54) and Leicestershire’s Arron Lilley (44) helped the Barnsley side to 132-2 but Jake Finch (4-61) and Luke Bridges (3-75) reduced them to 162-8 before a late rally to 239-9.

Matthew Weston made a patient 46 in reply but poor weather left Barkisland with a revised target of 203 off 40 overs and they finished on 179-3 with Bridges unbeaten on 55, off 48 balls, and Jamie Summerscales 35 not out, off 31.

The experienced Paul Winrow made an unbeaten 118 as Elland maintained their promising start in the Championship with a nine-wicket home win over Holmfirth.

Winrow and fellow opener Greg Alexander (64) added 195 as the Hullen Edge men closed in on the visitors’ 202-9, which included 69 from Sami Ur-Rehman.

Elland are fourth and Rastrick second in the early table after the Round Hill side beat visitors Clayton West by 41 runs.

A second wicket stand of 147 between Majid Khan, who has a back problem and retired on 67, and pro Asif Afridi, who made 81, set up Rastrick for a total of 252-5.

Osama Ahmad dismissed three of Clayton’s top four and returned to finish with figures of 6-75 as the visitors replied with 211.