Upper Hopton’s all-round display sinks reigning champions
Many matches in the ENCO Halifax Cricket League were affected by rain last weekend but promoted Upper Hopton produced a sparkling performance to defeat champions Thornton by 67 runs in their Premier Division encounter.
Hopton posted a target of 205-9 thanks to Harry Scott (56), Lewis Edmund (40) and Jordan Bloom (37) and the champions, yet to fire on all cylinders this season, were easily dismissed for 138 all out as tight Hopton bowling was led by Charlie Gallagher's 13-2-23-4.
Booth had hosts Clayton back in the pavilion for only 75 all out, Moazzam Ayub cleaning up with figures of 4.2-2-8-4. In reply, the leaders lost four wickets and needed 21 overs to achieve 76-4 to maintain their unbeaten record for the season.
Triangle struggled at Oxenhope and were bowled out for only 116 as Liam Witney led the home attack with 4-34.
However, Oxenhope failed to cope with the Triangle duo of Jordan Marshall (5-50) and Christian Silkstone (4-26), who turned the tables on the second placed team and dismissing them for 103.
SBCI suffered a similar fate as they were skittled for only 97 by hosts Illingworth St Mary's. Only Rhys Newman (32) showed any real battling quality as Jamie Moorhouse took 4-27.
The hosts' batting problems reared their head again at 67-6 but they scrambled home at 99-7 in the 34th over. It could be argued that if SBCI's Lewis Firth had not used up his allocation of overs, at 14-8-23-5, the result may have been different.
The low scoring continued at Shelf Northowram HT, who bowled out Warley & Elland for only 115 runs. Had it not been for a belligerent 39 runs from tail-ender Mitchell Reader it would have been much worse as he helped to advance the score from a desperate 59-8. Harry Talbot (4-20) claimed four of the first five wickets to fall.
Chris Metcalf entered the reply at 50-6 and promptly hammered 56 runs in 39 balls to take the hosts over the line at 117-6.
Copley were in trouble at The Arches, losing their first five wickets for only 44 runs to Bradshaw. The recovery came from Alex Rowles (43), Will Rushton (30) and Shoaib Hassan (23 not out) as they closed on 158-9.
At 124-4, Bradshaw's reply looked to be on course for victory but wickets began to fall quickly, including the run out of top scorer Shazad Hassan (53).
A final scramble for runs resulted in a third run out of the innings, off the last ball, and at 158 all out the match was tied; the first of the season.
In the First Division, Cullingworth posted 149 all out against Blackley, with Michael Dennison (41) and Sam Hesmondhalgh (5-44) featuring.
It proved 46 runs too many as the Blackley response, having reached 73-1, imploded as the remaining nine wickets fell for a meagre 30 runs to 103 all out, Elliot Robinson claiming 5-31 in 12 overs.
Leaders Sowerby St Peter's entertained Mytholmroyd and scored 195 all out in 44.4 overs. Harry Clarke (51) and Ryan Brook (48) top scored with, Royd's Spencer Harris claiming 6-47 from 8.4 overs.
Royd could only muster 108 all out in reply with opener Tom Earle ninth out with 61 runs of the total. Jack Leonard took 4-15.
Stones put hosts Great Horton PC into bat and they reached 183-7, with eight batters reaching double-figure scores, led by Matthew Jordan (48).
Stones tried six bowlers but the day belonged to Jordan, who followed up his runs with 5-39, as only Connor Friend (49) made any real impression and the Stone reply fell 42 runs short at 145 all out.
Greetland opted to field at Oakworth and ran up against Powell power. James hit 83 runs and Bradley 40 as the hosts scored 183-9, with H Aziz taking 4-49.
Greetland were progressing well at 89-3 but when Muhammad Asif (56) departed the innings fell to pieces, due in the main to Jack Davison who recorded figures of 5.3-0-12-6 as the visitors collapsed to 116 all out.
At Walton Street, second-placed Luddendenfoot posted the highest score in the division, hitting 207-9 against bottom of the table Sowerby Bridge.
Thomas Hosker (63) and Jacob Whitehouse (51) top-scored with Ali Rizwan (4-62) putting in a 14 over stint.
Number 10 bat Ben Orchard added some respectability to the Bridge scoreline with a battling 46 not out but the innings closing on 123 all out. Hosker added to his runs with a career best return of 7-49.
Second Division leaders Queensbury retained top spot, and their 100 per-cent record, with a hard fought two-wicket victory at Old Town.
Town posted 214 all out with Shakir Malik top-scoring with 55 runs and Gareth Walker taking 4-67.
After the departure of opener Scott Pearson (61) with the score at 100-2, Queensbury slumped to 124-7 but Walker came to the rescue with a fine 85 to claim a narrow win at 218-8 in the 43rd over. Jahangir Khan took 4-40.
Asad Asif (49) and Zaheer Abbas (40) led Bridgeholme to 247 all out in their home match against Stainland.
The visitors relied on Sahil Rana (55), Amol Singh (44) and Tom Jenkins (25) but fell short on 180 all out, Mehrab Tufail (4-39) the pick of the home bowlers.
Anees Rawat scored a career best 110 not out and dominated a Mount innings of 262-7 in their home clash with Augustinians. Mahmad Kayat chipped in with 43 runs as the highest total of the day was recorded.
Adnan Mushtaq (55) and Muhammad Faisal (44) shone in the reply of 163 all out, Ismail Mayat's 4-76 helping to achieve a 99-run win.
Outlane wrapped up a seven-wicket home win over Leymoor after only 57.4 overs.
The visitors limped to 128 all out, with Finley Townsend taking 5-23, before David Townsend (48) and Anurag Bhope (39) led Outlane to maximum points at 131-3.
Bradley & Colnebridge lost by eight wickets after scoring 125 all out at Southowram, who had Dean Crossley (61 not out) and Sohail Sajjad (31) in form in their winning reply of 126-2.
The third round draws for the knockout competitions have been made. Briggs Priestley Parish Cup: Booth v SBCI, Mount v Oxenhope, Shelf Northowram HT v Illingworth St Mary's and Thornton v Copley. Orox Crossley Shield: Blackley v Booth, Copley v SBCI, Illingworth St Mary's v Sowerby St Peter's and Stones v Bradshaw. Ties to be played on Sunday, June 22 (1pm).