ENCO Halifax Cricket League Premier Division leaders Booth sweep aside Triangle

While short they were heavy and without much warning as pitches were livening up, resulting in bowlers capitalising with scores lower than usual this season, writes Paul Whiteley.

Premier Division leaders Booth continued its maximum points start to the season, with a convincing win by eight wickets at Triangle.

The hosts were asked to bat first and could only muster 123 all out, in less than 25 overs. Ric Laycock took 6-43 in his 12 overs, as only four batters reached double figures.

Booth cruised to maximum points in only the 19th over of its reply, led by Rob Laycock's 78 not out in a score of 128-2. Booth has a 14 points lead at the top.

At The Arches Copley stayed in second place with a six-wicket win over Clayton, still seeking its first win of the season.

The visitors batted first and was bowled out for 138 runs as only David Paynter (64) coped with a four pronged home attack, all of whom took wickets.

The home team's reply was dominated by Oliver Thorpe's 85 not out, in a winning 139-4.

Surprise package Upper Hopton won again, on this occasion at Bradshaw by 120 runs.

Asked to bat first it posted 222-7, with Lewis Edmund (93) leading the scoring as five other batters chipped in with scores of 15 runs or over.

The home team fell apart in reply, as it could only score 102 all out, with Harry Scott taking 4-24.

Shelf Northowram HT ran into an in-form Alexander Scholefield at SBCI, where the bowler recorded a six-wicket return for the fifth season in succession.

His 6-33 helped to reduce the visitors, sent into bat, to 109 all out of which Hasnain Wajid (57) scored over half of the total.

SBCI required less than 24 overs to score 111-4 to leap-frog its opponents in the table. Chris Dalby was thwarted of a half-century as the winning score arrived when he was 49 not out.

The majority of the batting line-up of Illingworth St Mary's was tied down for most of the innings, on its visit to Thornton, with only Jack Hargreaves (45) and Ben Robertshaw (31) scoring at respectable strike rates. It fell to 168 all out as Grant Soames took 4-29.

Soames (55) also played a part in Thornton's winning score of 169-2, but it was Richard Wear who dominated proceedings with 91 not out, also missing out due to the winning score arriving before he could complete a century.

There was a statistical quirk at Hullen Edge where an excellent Ben Howell (109 not out) scored exactly half of Oxenhope's 218-8 against Warley & Elland.

Two home bowlers, Mitchell Reader (4-52) and Faheem Khatana (4-61), shared the eight wickets to fall.

W&E made a brave attempt in the chase, just failing by 18 runs to overtake the visitors' score. Mudassar Iqbal (60), Christopher Marsh (41) and Jimmy Sarwar (35) set up an excellent foundation but the middle order could not capitalise and the innings closed on 201-8. Daniel Scott took 4-47.

In the First Division leaders Sowerby St Peter's pinned Oakworth, its hosts, down for most of its 45 overs, as it could only reach 165-8. Joel Gallagher (45) top scored for the home team as other batters struggled with scoring rates.

Experienced Jack Leonard was once again amongst the wickets, with figures of 14-2-34-5. Hayden Bruce (69) led the Sowerby reply and, with double-figure scores from three teammates, a winning 169-4 came in the 34th over.

At second-placed Luddendenfoot the short trip of Mytholmroyd, to High Lee Green, proved problematic as it was bowled out in quick time, in the 32nd over, for 120 runs.

Tom Stott was the main protagonist with figures of 14-6-34-5.

The Foot only required 15.1 overs to collect maximum points with Isaac Baldwin (61 not out) and skipper Jacob Whitehouse (33 not out) ensuring the win.

Cullingworth made a poor start on its visit to Greetland, losing its first five wickets for only 44 runs and it got even worse.

Adil Hanif (4-21) claimed four of those first five and the middle order fared no better as the visitors were bowled out for 59 runs in the 25th over.

The hosts did not have it all its own way in its reply, losing wickets in reaching a winning 60-5.

At Stones the batting of Sowerby Bridge struggled yet again, as it lost five wickets from 46-1 to 69-6.

The tail wagged, as best it could, but the innings closed on 109 all out in the 41st over. William Been (4-17) being the pick of the Stones bowling.

The home team lost five wickets in passing the target, needing three batters to score 80 plus of the runs in a total of 111-5.

Low Moor HT travelled to Blackley and the hosts opted to field first. Trinity responded by setting a target of 180-9 with Dan Robinson (67) and Tom Lamb (40) top-scoring.

Freddie Long took 4-63. In reply the in-form Sam Hesmondhalgh (82 not out) and Mark Gill (51) shared a 109 runs third-wicket partnership to put Blackley well on its way to the victory, which came in the 39th over at 181-4.

In the Second Division, at Bradley & Colnebridge, the home team must have been confident in restricting visiting Bridgeholme to a low target, as 111-7 showed on the scoreboard. However the tail wagged considerably, led by Abshar Hussain (42) and Mohammed Asif (40), as it eventually posted 209 all out, Aqil Ahmed taking 4-44.

Only four B&C batters managed to reach double figures as Khalid Mahmood claimed 4-33, in an innings that was over at 92 all out.

In the top versus bottom clash, at Queensbury, visiting Augustinians produced a much improved batting performance, posting 152 all out in 35.3 overs, Muhammad Hafiz (47) and Muhammad Idrees (36) top scoring, as Pete Forsyth took 5-29.

In reply Queensbury required less than 24 overs to maintain its maximum points haul for the season with a winning 157-4. Oliver Challis 60 not out and Adam Sloane (39) being the principal scorers.

In the local derby at Stainland the hosts decision to bat first, against Outlane, backfired dramatically as it could only record a mere 55 all out.

At 35-2 prospects of a decent score looked promising but it then lost no less than eight wickets for 20 runs, Finley Townsend (4-26) capitalising as seven batters were dismissed for a duck or just one run.

The visitors had no trouble reaching a winning 60-0 as early as the tenth over, with Anurag Bhope (34no) and David Townsend (19 not out) completing the rout.