Shannon shines as Bradshaw beat Thornton in Premier Division

On this occasion it was the batsmen who starred against Thornton. They rattled up 307-2 thanks to Shannon’s 155 runs, superbly supported by Matthew Crowther (62) and Jonathan Lister (67 not out), in partnerships of 133 and 151 runs respectively,

Despite having conceded 114 runs with the ball Josh Hutchinson was not fazed and produced another fine knock of 140 runs. Unfortunately it was almost a one-man effort as the remaining ten only produced a further 40 runs in a total of 190 all out as Si Collins (5-28) and Anthony Langton (4-64) took Bradshaw to joint top of the table.

Opener Josh Cooper (68) top-scored for Illingworth St Mary’s and received fine support with contributions from four other batsmen in a total of 206-9 against visiting Blackley, whose early-season blues continued. It could only muster 128 all out in reply with a top individual score of only 21 runs – those Lindley Road nets will be busy again.

Luke Brooksby helped himself to 5-29 as his team joined Bradshaw at the top.

Shelf Northowram HT had a disastrous day at Copley as it was all out for a miserly 45 runs. Only Dan Klemm (22) reached double figures as Oliver Thorpe (6-16) and Ian Hartley (3-22), plus a Will Rushton run out, had the visitors back on the sidelines in less than 22 overs, six batsmen given out lbw.

The hosts needed just 9.3 overs to complete a maximum points win.

At Booth, Warley’s 201 all out proved insufficient as the home team recovered from its opening day loss to win by seven wickets. Batting first Ben Atkinson (61) and Greg Keywood (51) were the pick of the batting for the visitors. However those performances were more than equalled in the second innings as Hashim Wajid (53) and the Laycocks, Robert (46) and Richard (41 not out), combined to record a winning 204-3.

SBCI’s No 4, Sam Hinchcliffe (88 not out), enjoyed his afternoon, where Mytholmroyd made the short trip to The Astleys, whilst Adam Fawcett chipped in with 41 runs in a total of 205-6. That proved to be the catalyst for the closest match of the day but despite Matthew Scholefield’s early 59 runs it did not look like that when the scoreboard showed 149-9. However SBCI came close to throwing a win away as Henry Lamper (29 not out) and Amjid Azam (19) took the score to 195 before Alexander Scholefield returned to have the latter stumped.

The sixth scheduled fixture of the day, between Sowerby Bridge and Triangle, was cancelled due to a player testing positive for Covid-19, health and safety paramount.

In line with the Leagu’s ruling on such matches points for the match will be determined at the end of the season on a season’s average basis.

As the First Division got away it produced a surprise at Luddendenfoot, the home team’s Jacob Whitehouse (44) leading the way, helped by four colleagues who added between 28 and 38 runs each, in a score of 220 all out versus Great Horton PC, Harris Cunningham taking 4-46. Despite skipper Adam Beesley’s 74 not out the

title favourites’ chase was always behind the clock due to some excellent tight bowling from the Royd five on show, in particular Ryan Allen (14-3-42-1) who conceded at only three runs per over, as Horton was restricted to a final score of 207-7.

At Oxenhope Ismail Mayat (43) and Zubayr Karolia (26) needed more than a little help from the remaining nine Mount batsmen but none was forthcoming as the visitors succumbed to 95 all out, Daniel Scott taking 4-14. Mayat (4-46) again needed assistance as Oxenhope replied but the Keighley team’s skipper, Lewis Hopkinson (42 not out), took the innings by the scruff of the neck at 36-3 to see a maximum points win at 100-4.

Clayton slumped to 20-4 at Sowerby St Peter’s as Jack Leonard (5-25) found early season form and despite a mini mid-innings revival it could only manage 116 all out.

Sowerby had little difficulty in starting its promotion campaign on a 12-point note with a reply of 124-2.

Two of the pre-season promotion favourites met at Upper Hopton where Low Moor HT visited, the home team registering an easy win against a disappointing Trinity.

Hopton’s early and mid-order looked particularly strong with five batsmen scoring 25 or more including Thomas Wilson (56), Jack Stephenson (43) and skipper Charlie Gallagher (43). Mark Stokes (4-64) was the pick of the Trinity bowling, in fact it was Stokes (67) who caused the only real resistance in the batting stakes for the visitors as Stephenson (4-63) and Matt Broadbent (3-22) initially reduced the top order to 37-4. Despite Stokes there was no coming back from that and the innings closed on 151 all out.

The big shock in the Second Division came at Greetland where Queensbury’s pre-season odds-on price for the title lengthened dramatically, as the home team cruised to an easy six-wicket win. The visitors’ decision to bat first will go down as one of the poorest of the season as the Alis, Waqas (5-41) and Junaid (3-14), did most of the damage with only two batsmen reaching double figures in a 101 all out total. Opener Kafar Khan (58 not out) was in no mood to squander the efforts of his bowlers, leading from the front alongside Majid Jahanger (33), and they ensured a fine 24-point maximum two match start to Greetland’s season.

Cricket returned to Bridgeholme after 586 days of inactivity, due to floods and the pandemic, at its resplendent and rejuvenated ground only to see Southowram’s Dean Crossley appreciate the surroundings most with a superb 142 not out in 102 balls. The home team had set a very respectable 217 all out with Sajjad Mahmood

(55 not out) and Hassan Mahmood (53) top scoring, five bowlers sharing the wickets. However opener Crossley hit a personal best score as he destroyed the home team’s attack, helped along by William Darby (49 not out) to win by four wickets.

Outlane recorded back-to-back wins as its brief three miles trip to Leymoor resulted in an eight-wicket victory. The home team batted first, struggling to 133 all out with only Scott Kenworthy (43) and Richard Walkden (37) causing any concerns for the Outllane attack, particularly Zeeshan Rahman (6-55). The visitors claimed maximum points in its 25th over as Lee Mellor (61 not out) and Jordon Croft (57 not out) shared in an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 103 runs.

Stones joined the traffic jam at the top of the embryonic table, winning with consummate ease for the second week in a row. On this occasion it came at home to Augustinians and in the process recording a twenty-wicket haul for just 125 runs in its two matches. The visitors were soon in trouble at 19-4 and had it not been for Muhammad Shehzad’s 34 runs the 78 all out total would have been a lot less.

Wicketkeeper Scott Sutcliffe (46 not out) steered the home team to a eight-wicket win.

The fourth century of the day came as opener Iqrar Hussain (113) set the tone for a Bradley & Colnebridge high score of 293-5, with Shahraiz Khan adding 40 runs, as Old Town wilted in the Warrenside sunshine where 44 extras did not help its cause.

Adil Shah (86) performed with aplomb in a determined effort in reply but when he was seventh out the innings quickly closed at 168 all out as B&C joined the leading pack.

Premier Division:

Warley 201 (Atkinson 61, Keywood 51), *Booth 204-3 (Hm Wajid 53, Ro Laycock 46, Ri Laycock 41no): pts 3-12. *Bradshaw 307-2 (Shannon 155, Lister 67no, Crowther 62), Thornton 193 (J Hutchinson 140, Collins 5-28, Langton 4-64): pts 12-3. Shelf Northowram HT 45 (Thorpe 6-16), *Copley 48-0: pts 0-12. *Illingworth St

Mary’s 206-9 (Cooper 68), Blackley 128 (Brooksby 5-29): pts 12-3. *Sowerby Bridge v Triangle – cancelled Covid-19: pts season-end average. *SBCI 205-6 (Hinchcliffe 88no, Fawcett 41), Mytholmroyd 195 (M Scholefield 59, Kandy 4-48): pts 12-4.

First Division:.

*Luddendenfoot 220 (Whitehouse 44, Cunningham 4-46), Great Horton PC 207-7 (Beesley 74no): pts 11-6. Mount 95 (Mayat 43, Scott 4-14), *Oxenhope 100-4 (Hopkinson 42no, Mayat 4-46): pts 1-12. Clayton 116 (Leonard 5-25), *Sowerby St Peter’s 124-2: pts 1-12. *Upper Hopton 234-8 (Wilson 56, Stephenson 43, Gallagher 43, Stokes 4-64), Low Moor HT 151 (Stokes 67, Stephenson 4-63); pts 12-4.

Second Division:

*Bradley & Colnebridge 293-5 (Hussain 113, Sz Khan 40), Old Town 168 (Shah 86): pts 12-3. *Bridgeholme 217 (S Mahmood 55no, H Mahmood 53), Southowram 219-6

( Crossley 142no, Dalby 49no): pts 4-12. Queensbury 101 (W Ali 5-41), *Greetland 102-4 (Khan 58no): pts 2-12. *Leymoor 133 (Kenworthy 43, Rahman 6-35), Outlane

136-2 (Mellor 61no, Croft 57no): pts 1-12. Augustinians 78 (Westerby 4-21), *Stones 81-2 (Sutcliffe 46no): pts 0-12.