CRICKET FIRST XI’s: Booth settling in nicely on ‘home’ turf

The ‘home’ team, playing at Stainland for the rest of the season whilst work is being carried out at The Arches, was inserted and after reaching 46-2 its remaining eight wickets fell for only an additional 42 runs, coinciding with the introduction of Patrick Thomas who claimed 5-32 as Copley closed at 88 all out in 33.3 overs.

The visitors lost its first two wickets for only seven runs but any chance of another shock result was soon dispelled as Matthew Hoyle (30 not out) led his team home, despite having to use 29.4 to reach a maximum points 93-4.

Triangle’s score, batting first at Shelf Northowram HT, looked worrying at 97-5 but Taylor Swaine (67) and Curtis Whippey (58) came together and, with contributions from the tail, the score reached a challenging 256-8.

Quite simply it proved far too many as only wicketkeeper Kier Litjens (40) showed much appetite for a fight as Liam Turner (4-54) removed four of the top five.

SNHT hardly helped itself with two run outs and the innings fizzled out at 138, leaving Triangle with a 118 run win and a retention of top spot.

Sowerby Bridge gave itself a massive lift, after a miserable few matches, with a superb win by eight wickets at champions Illingworth St Mary’s, and that after the home team elected to bat first.

Over 83 per cent of St Mary’s runs came from three batsmen, Luke Brooksby (44), Callum Cook (43) and Stephen Cook (33) as the remaining eight simply failed to cope with the bowling of Tom Belfield (5-32) and Sam Mellor (4-56), managing only 144 all out.

The Bridge’s recent batting performances would not have given much confidence to even reach that total but its top four suddenly found form as Tim Helliwell (30), Joshua Wood (50), Noman Hussain (22 not out) and Belfield (43 not out) timed the chase to perfection to reach 147-2 and more than a welcome 12 points.

There was a nail-biting contest at Moderna Way where Warley fell five runs short in chasing Mytholmroyd’s 179 all out, much to the disappointment of man-of-the match Milton Greenwood whose previous 6-41 proved to be in vain.

At 120-2 the home team looked set for a big score as the Earle’s, Tom (48) and Jack (33) had set the scene.

However Greenwood then got to work and the Royd struggled to 179 all out.

Warley’s reply was a mixed affair with three batsmen reaching the thirties and then getting out.

When the ninth wicket fell, with 10 runs still required to win, panic stepped in and a run out ensured the 12 points went to the Royd – Warley 174 all out.

Blackley also failed to chase a target by a narrow margin, falling at home to Thornton by 13 runs and, as at Mytholmroyd, the man-of the match was on the losing side.

The visitors were put in to bat and after losing its openers early the next six batsmen all made scores between 26 and 40, the latter a top score by Greg Soames in a total of 219-6.

Blackley had reached 65-3 when there was a mid-innings collapse as Soames claimed 4-59.

Enter skipper Matthew Britton, who strode to the middle, at 108-7, with a solitary intent.

Whilst 220 runs looked out of reach he made every effort to breach the gap by smashing the Thornton bowlers all over Lindley Road hitting 81 runs in 36 balls.

The knock came to end however as Josh Hutchinson claimed his wicket – the man-of-the-match last out at 206 all out.

Struggling SBCI dropped into the bottom two as its match, at home to Bradshaw, proved to be one for the bowlers.

Bradshaw batted first and stuttered to 141 all out as Alex Scholefield (4-21) and Thomas Wood (4-28) exploited the overhead cloudy conditions.

The SBCI response was way below standard and with eight batsmen failing to make double figures only Lewis Firth (52) gave the Bradshaw bowling any problems as Si Collins (5-25) featured – SBCI 99 all out.

Upper Hopton lost its 100% First Division record, but only just by two wickets, in a low scoring affair at Mount.

Inserted by the home team batting was an arduous task with only Callum Fern (41) dealing with the Mount bowling with any confidence, as Ismail Mayat (4-35) and Riyaz Motala (4-42) exploited the weather conditions to destroy Hopton for 90 all out. With the home team’s reply reduced to 65-7 the visitors were in with a chance but No 8 batsman Fakir Laher (37 not out) came to the rescue and Mount ran out winners at 94-8.

Great Horton PC went to the top of the table on the basis of average points per match, a system brought in for just this season.

Its elevation came with a 36-run victory over Low Moor HT at Ewart Street.

The home team took first knock and a 67-run partnership between Nasir Chowdrey(57 not out) and skipper Adam Beasley (48) was to prove the winning effort – Horton closing on 181-7

The Trinity response was similarly headed by its captain, Lee Broadbent (53) but with the exception of Adam Forbes (37) there was very little offered by the middle and lower order and the score slumped from 82-2 to 145 all out to give Horton the maximum return as Zafar Anwar took 4-32 in his 12 overs.

Oxenhope continue to improve but that elusive first win is proving difficult to achieve, on this occasion going down by five wickets at Luddendenfoot.

Its problem stems from it having to rely on two or three batsmen per innings to produce the goods, a real team effort yet to arrive, This week’s performances came from Lewis Hopkinson (75) and Grahame Ellis (66 not out) who came together at 66-5 and shared in a 119 run sixth-wicket partnership, Oxenhope closing on 208-6.

The Foot gained its first win this year, albeit a ten-pointer, as an opening partnership of 138 runs between Owen Bairstow (92 not out) and Jacob Whitehouse (68) set up the innings.

However Bairstow must have been concerned as he lost five partners for 15 runs before the winning runs came with a score of 207-5, the opener thwarted of his century by eight runs.

In the Second Division Augustinians also came nearest to its first win of the season, in the reverse fixture against Queensbury which it lost easily last week, as it pushed its visitors to the limit this time around to go down by only two wickets.

Batting first it managed its highest score for some time, 159 all out, at least giving its bowlers runs to work with.

Skipper Zafar Khan (50) top-scored, with Firmin Ali (35) chipping in with some useful runs.

Queensbury’s Damian Cockcroft (4-18) was the pick of its bowlers.

The Queensbury win was solely down to opener Joseph Clough as, had it not being for his 94 not out, that Augustinians win would have been a certainty.

As it was Clough watched, with some incredulity, from 22 yards as six wickets tumbled, from 82-2 to 107-8, until Sammy Naylor (3 not out) survived 23 balls to allow the opener to hit the winning runs and his team scrape home at 160-8.

Bradley & Colnebridge had a easy win at home to Cullingworth in a match that produced the only century of the day as the home team’s opener, Iqrar Hussain, hit 115 in 108 balls before being run out.

He featured in a third-wicket partnership of 168 runs with Shahraiz Khan (80) that effectively sealed the win – B&C closing on 242-9.

That proved 130 runs too many for Cullingworth as Zafar Iqbal, introduced as first change, swathed through the visitor’s batting with figures of 11.4-2-36-7, the best bowling of the day – Cullingworth 112 all out.

Stones also enjoyed a home win – this one against Leymoor by 35 runs. Batting first Jack Westerby (56 not out) was required to stem the flow of wickets at 69-6 and 86-7 as he took the score to a 40 overs 142-7, with assistance from Adam Horner (24 not out).

In reply Leymoor appeared to be in the driving seat at 70-2 but the scoreboard picture changed dramatically, wicket by wicket, as the last eight batsmen disappeared for only another 37 runs to give Stones a maximum return and a win by 35 runs, four of its bowlers sharing the wickets.

The match at Southowram (v Greetland) was cancelled due to safety reasons.

Premier Division: Thornton 219-6, *Blackley 206: pts 12-4. *Copley 88, Booth 93-4: pts 1-12. [played at Stainland] *Illingworth St Mary's 144, Sowerby Bridge 147-2: pts 2-12. *Mytholmroyd 179, Warley 174: pts 12-5. Triangle 256-8, *Shelf Northowram HT 138: pts 12-3. Bradshaw 14), *SBCI 99: pts 12-3. First Division: *Great Horton PC 181-7, Low Moor HT 145: pts 12-4. Oxenhope 206-6, *Luddendenfoot 207-5: pts 4-10. Upper Hopton 92, *Mount 94-8: pts 2-12.

Second Division: *Augustinians 159, Queensbury 160-8: pts 4-12. *Bradley & Colnebridge 242-9, Cullingworth 112: pts 12-3. *Stones 142-7, Leymoor 107: pts 12-3. *Southowram v Greetland: cancelled - safety reasons.