Rain stops play as weather gets the better of most Halifax Cricket League fixtures

In the Premier Division the most overs were completed at Thornton, the furthest north-eastern ground in the league, where the home team scored 183-9 in 38 overs against Triangle, who had opted to field first.

Nikki Hutchinson (41) top-scored and was ably assisted by six teammates as Thornton looked to set a 200+ target.

Jack Gledhill (4-43) was the pick of the Triangle bowlers before the weather turned.

Bradshaw was undoubtedly the unluckiest team of the day as it looked on course for an easy win at The Memorial Ground, Copley’s temporary home at Stainland CC.

The visitors chose to field and had it not been for Alex Rowles (44) his team would more than likely have recorded the lowest score of the season.

Not one batsman could stay very long with the opener as it lost wickets in pin-ball style, the longest partnership being one of only 21 runs.

As it was Rowles was ninth out to Piers Fisher as Copley collapsed to 74 all out, four Bradshaw bowlers sharing the wickets with Fisher recording figures of 1.5-1-3-3.

Bradshaw opener Hans Randhawa made a brave attempt to beat the darkening skies as he crashed 21 not out in 13 balls but was foiled with the score at 23-0 when the umpires had no alternative but to stop play.

Warley was asked to bat first at Blackley and had progressed to 120-5 when play was halted.

Of the five wickets to fall Liam Senior (4-46) claimed the first four but then, at 49-4, No 6 batsman James Whitworth (48 not out) stopped the rot and he was unlucky not to reach his half-century as the driving rain could even be heard on the tarmac of the nearby M62.

It was a similar story at Moderna Way where Mytholmroyd was inserted by visiting Sowerby Bridge and looked in lots of trouble at 94-7 as Sam Mellor (3-42) and Tom Belfield (3-60) removed the top order.

However Matthew Scholefield (62 not out) and Henry Lamper (28 not out) smashed a 60-ball unbeaten eighth-wicket partnership of 87 runs, only curtailed by the weather after 34.3 overs.

At lowly Shelf Northowram HT the home team would have been very pleased with its progress against Booth at 90-2, after only 18 overs, the only downside being the incoming weather that ended further progress.

An intriguing note about the innings was that Booth had already conceded 20 extras, with just 70 runs from the bat.

At SBCI exactly the same number of 18 overs had been bowled when its match against Illingworth St Mary’s was stopped. As at SNHT the home team was well satisfied with the score of 74-0 as Lewis Firth (37 not out off 55 balls) and Thomas Wood (35 not out off 53 balls), almost exactly matched each other run by run. Sadly like, all the others, that signalled the end of the day.

In the First Divison not one match got away to a start as all the grounds were unfit at Clayton (v Upper Hopton), Great Horton PC (v Low Moor HT) and Luddendenfoot (v Mount).

Queensbury was one of only two grounds where play commenced in the Second Division and that match only lasted 11 overs with Outlane at 36-1.

At Cullingworth 24 overs were possible and Stones was perhaps not unhappy when the umpires abandoned proceedings as its score stood at 84-8.

Play at Bradley & Colnebridge (v Greetland) and Southowram v Leymoor never looked likely to start.

Premier Division:

Warley 122-5 v *Blackley - match abandoned rain: pts 4-4. *Copley 74, Bradshaw 23-0 - match abandoned rain: pts 3-6 (played at Stainland). *Mytholmroyd 181-7 v Sowerby Bridge - match abandoned rain: pts 6-5.*Shelf Northowram HT 90-2 v Booth - match abandoned rain: pts 3-3. *SBCI 74-0 v Illingworth St Marys - match abandoned rain: pts 3-3. *Thornton 183-9 v Triangle - match abandoned rain: pts 6-5

First Division:

*Clayton v Upper Hopton - no play ground unfit: pts 3-3. *Great Horton PC v Low Moor HT - no play ground unfit: pts 3-3. *Luddendenfoot v Mount - no play ground unfit: pts 3-3.

Second Division:

*Bradley & Colnebridge v Greetland - no play ground unfit: pts 3-3. *Cullingworth v Stones 84-8 - match abandoned rain: pts 3-3. Outlane 36-1 v *Queensbury - match abandoned rain: pts 3-3. *Southowram v Leymoor - no play ground unfit: pts 3-3.