Walker century hurts Barkisland

Cricket - Barkisland v Almondbury. Barkisland Bowler Darren Robinson.

Darren Robinson’s side reduced Wesleyans to 55-5 but No 7 Fred Walker hit an unbeaten 105 for the visitors, sharing stands of 63 with Chris Stott (31) and 121 with Jonathan Hoyle (42) as the total climbed to 243-7.

Jamie Summerscales and Jake Finch both made a half-century for Barkisland before departing but lacked support and at 124-8 Barkisland looked out of it.

No 10 Matthew Steers mounted a late counter-attack with 39 not out off 31 balls and last man Jamie Sykes (10 no) had helped take the total to 219 before Sykes was run out.

Barkisland slipped to third, one place in front of Rastrick who won by 17 runs at Slaithwaite.

Opener Ovais Hussain top scored with 61 in a solid batting effort from the Round Hill men which took them to 241-9.

Skipper Jacob Waterson added four victims behind the stumps to his earlier 31 not out as the home side were dismissed for 224, the final wicket falling to the penultimate ball of the 50th over.

Jack Pearson took 3-36 after overseas slow ball Asif Afridi had ramped up the pressure on the home batsmen with 3-24 off 15 overs.

Elland were bowled out for 98 against Skelmanthorpe and lost by three wickets.

Lightcliffe’s barren run in the Bradford League continued with a 13-run defeat at Methley.

The home side made 245-8 against a depleted visiting attack, opener Marcus Walmsley (50), Adam Patel (40) and Grant Soames (37) scoring the bulk of the runs.

A 95-run opening stand between Alex Stead (73) and Mark Gill (32) gave the visitors hope. Gill and Yassir Abbas departed in quick succession but it was the running out of the prolific Stead with the total on 124 which really hurt the visitors.

Jonathan Wilson (46no) and Suleman Khan (33) took Lightcliffe close with Wilson’s runs coming off on 29 balls but the asking rate had climbed too high.

Lightcliffe are ninth in the Premier and Northowram Fields occupy the same position in Championship 2 after they too suffered a narrow away loss, at Birstall.

Ajantha Weerappuli has produced his best form for Northowram on his return from a broken finger, his 68 yesterday being his third decent score in a row.

Skipper John Lister hit 54 and although Ryan Gray took 5-58, Northowram posted a useful 269-8.

However, Rishy Limbechaya hit an unbeaten 96 to steer Birstall to success with three wickets and four balls to spare.