SBCI miss out on second spot in final weekend of season
It was a rather frustrating finish to the ENCO Halifax Cricket League season as rain and unfit pitches resulted in a reduced programme in the final weekend of matches.
One of the first contests to be called off was at Booth, where Premier Division champions Thornton ended their successful season staring out of the dressing room window.
Upper Hopton were the first team to complete the season on the field of play, requiring fewer than 28 overs to despatch visitors Triangle, who posted 125 all out in only 15.1 overs, George Wightman taking 4-20 and Charlie Wightman returning 3-26.
Hopton only required four batters to reach a winning 127-2.
Bradshaw posted 156 all out at Copley, with skipper Michael Crowther (54) top scoring.
Oliver Brooks (57) led the home team's response and, despite Johnny Lister taking 4-30, the winning runs came in the 37th over at 157-8.
With Oxenhope's match at Sowerby St Peter's cancelled, the chance to take the runners-up spot fell to SBCI but they failed by just two runs in their home fixture with Illingworth St Mary's.
The contest was reduced to 28 overs and the visitors compiled 132-5, with Isaac Thompson (52) and William Thickett (4-55) featuring.
SBCI opener James Summerscales hit 55 not out, but wickets tumbled and in the last over, Jack Hargreaves took a wicket and conceded only one run, as SBCI fell two runs short at 130-6.
Luddendenfoot batted first at home to Shelf Northowram HT and scored 201, James Stott top-scoring with 46.
Already-relegated Foot replied with a winning 204-8 as Zafar Khan (46) and Aayan Khan (41) topped the scoring, Thomas Hosker taking 4-30.
Blackley lifted the First Division championship trophy without a ball been bowled at Greetland.
They closed with a 12 points gap at the top, with their hosts joining them in the upper tier, with their three points securing promotion, by just a single point, over third placed Mytholmroyd.
The Royd won with ease at Low Moor HT, to claim maximum points, but they will be looking back with regret at last week's home loss to Greetland.
At the Trinity Oval, Royd bowled out Moor for only 80 runs in the 27th over.
In the visitors' reply Matthew Scholefield hit 65 not out in 26 balls, as they won in quick time in the sixth over with 85-1.
Unfortunately, that one point difference meant they will have to do it all again next season in the same division.
Mount entertained Clayton and won their mid-table clash after scoring 169 all out, with Ashfafali Abed (51) and Javed Patel (44) earning the majority of the runs.
Clayton slipped to 38-5 before skipper Martin Nicholson (59) led a recovery, assisted by Jack Wakeling (24).
However, Nicholson was stumped with the score at 157-9 and that ended the resistance as they fell to 158 all out.
The other two matches in the division at Great Horton PC (v Southowram) and Oakworth (v Warley & Elland) did not start with Cullingworth having the free date.
All the matches in the Second Division were completed albeit with some rain interruptions.
Stones won promotion to the First Division, after beating Sowerby Bridge at home by five wickets.
The Bridge batted first and posted 106 all out as Harrison Johnson took 4-27.
After a rain break, the winning target was reduced to 100, from 25 overs, and the hosts had no problem getting over the line, and into the tier above, with 101-5 in the 20th over.
Bridgeholme's outside chance of promotion evaporated at Leymoor where the home team won by 57 runs, after the visitors' target score was reduced to 173.
The hosts batted first and posted 187 all out as Eddie Raw (56) top scored.
The rain interruption made little difference to the result as Jack Earnshaw (6-31) and Lewis Maynard (4-48) were on fine form, cleaning up in less than 20 overs as Bridgeholme fell to 116 all out.
Champions Queensbury finished on a winning note, easily accounting for hosts Stainland by 80 runs.
Sajid Mahmood (60) led the scoring as the table toppers posted 179 all out.
The home team could only manage 99 all out, unable to cope with the bowling of Gareth Walker (6-47) and Jahangir Khan (4-50) who shared all ten wickets, thus ending Stainland's very disappointing season.
Outlane closed the season with a comprehensive 10-wicket home win over Augustinians.
Bowlers Asfaq Patel (4-15) and Adam Davies (4-42) featured, taking most of the wickets in the visitors’ 113 all out.
Jonathan Krishnapillai (65 not out) and Jordan Croft (52 not out) were undefeated in Outlane's winning 118-0.
Bradley & Colnebridge defeated visiting Old Town by a massive 190 runs.
The Town's decision to bowl backfired as home skipper Saeed Mohammed (67) and Muhammad Faiz (63) led the way in a 266 all out total. Credit to Omur Ali who persevered for 4-56.
When the Town batted, Kamran Khan was on top form as he took 7-35 in 11.1 overs, the visitors being 76 all out in the 23rd over.