Copley and Booth book final clash

Cricket - Northowram Hedgetop v Booth. Chris Conroy bats for Hedgetop.

The pair won close, highly competitive semi-finals yesterday.

Copley, who lifted the trophy on their own ground two years ago, were two wicket winners against visitors Warley, Craig Taylor hitting the winning boundary with three balls to spare.

Warley made a solid start but then lost Chris Marsh, Shazad Hassan and Ben Atkinson in one over bowled by Chris Dennison.

Half-centuries from Graham Kinsey and Greg Keywood helped Warley to a respectable 203 all out.

Dennison made 63 at the top of the Copley order but Warley also struck a couple of double blows.

When Luke Duckitt returned to dismiss Mohammed Seraj and then Matty Rowles first ball, Copley looked up against it at 130 for six.

However, experienced trio Mark Baldwin, Craig Taylor and Chris Goulden edged the home side closer.

The 43rd over, bowled by Keywood, was the crucial one with 21 coming from it.

Copley needed three off the final over and after a dot ball and a single, Taylor settled matters.

Dennison said: “Everyone was absolutely buzzing afterwards, particularly a few of the older lads who could be playing in their last final.”

Booth, the 2009 winners, were given a run for their money by underdogs Northowram Hedge Top, who made a bold bid to defend a score of 231.

Chris Conroy made 74 at the top of the home order and number eight James Fearnley hit 49 after Hedge Top had been struggling at 123 for six.

The players came off for rain at 193 for six with 6.1 overs left and Booth skipper Richard Laycock was happy to keep the home side in check on the resumption.

“We thought we might be chasing 250 to 270 so the rain helped us a bit,” he said.

Rob Worsnop made a half-century for the visitors and most of the other batsmen chipped in but at 120 for five the game was very much in the balance.

Laycock and Patrick Thomas scored 38 in three overs to leave Booth requiring 70 off nine and Laycock (56 no) and Nigel Horsfall (33 no) completed a four-wicket win with 10 deliveries to spare.

Laycock said: “It should be a good final. It is a big field at Sowerby and normally good for the bowlers. The batsmen normally have to work for their runs.”

SBCI stand between Warley and a hat-trick of wins in the Crossley Shield.

The pair will meet in the second teams’ final at Mytholmroyd on August 21.

SBCI beat Booth by five wickets and Warley got the better of Blackley by 32 runs in yesterday’s semi-finals.