By Jamie Harrison, media manager, Huddersfield Cricket League
Dominic Finn’s unbeaten 90 helped Broad Oak put a poor run stretching back to the start of May firmly behind them with a confidence-boosting home win against title hopefuls Moorlands.
Mirfield Parish Cavaliers, having gone through an equally troubling period themselves, prevailed with a brash display against Shepley.
Hoylandswaine brushed Delph & Dobcross aside as they and Thongsbridge, who narrowly saw off Barkisland, stormed away at the top of the table.
Golcar and Kirkburton corrected recent disappointments by getting one over in-form teams and Scholes’ unbeaten run now stretches to five matches by overcoming bottom team Slaithwaite.
Finntastic Oak Fire Back In Triumph over Moorlands
Dominic Finn showed why he’s worth his weight in gold for Broad Oak after his cool and committed batting performance gave Moorlands a bloody nose and revived his own team’s recent flagging fortunes.
The battle-hardened former Elland opener, now in his sixth season at the Linthwaite-based side, grafted an unbeaten 90 to deny visiting Moorlands who lost more ground on the two teams above them.
Their 179-8 first innings total was built around Shoukat Ali’s second 50+ score of the season with Oak bowlers Alistair Snowden and Dan Taylor sharing six wickets. But it was Finn’s masterly strokes with the bat that frustrated Eddie Walmsley’s team who are still in contention for silverware on three fronts.
Harvey Anderson (30) and Tom McCreadie (24no) were free to add crucial contributions as Broad Oak eased home on 182-4 with six balls left. The win moves Broad Oak up two places to tenth whilst Moorlands remain in third place.
Swaine’s Ghani Knocks Delph For Six
Hoylandswaine pace man Adnan Ghani knocked the stuffing out of Delph & Dobcross with a fierce bowling barrage by clinically exploiting the gentle slope on the home side’s ground and taking the opening six wickets.
Delph’s more inexperienced batsmen surrendered tamely under the duress of Ghani’s pace and variation in a second innings reply of 59ao that was finished in 13 overs. Earlier,
Delph made an impressive start with an energetic bowling performance themselves. The visitors’ big guns misfired, forcing them into a recovery after slumping to 85-5.
Ben Potter (91) and the ageless Ranjith Bandula Don (38) slammed a rapid 78 runs to revive Swaine who made 232-9 despite the efforts of Umer Yaqoob (3-46) and stand-in skipper Nathan Jones (3-67). Hoylandswaine’s win keeps them within touch of leaders Thongsbridge, while Delph slip closer towards the bottom two.
Thongsbridge Blip Put Right In Barkisland Win
Leaders Thongsbridge hurdled past another stiff test as visiting Barkisland pushed them close.
Ben Balmforth’s impressive season continued with him taking three wickets to move to second in the Premiership bowling table with 28 wickets.
Barkisland skipper Ben Heritage (58) was central to his team’s efforts after he posted his first half-century in the league this season as they went on to make 191-7.
Thongsbridge gave a good illustration of how they’re working in unison with all seven batsmen making double-figure totals. Kai Greig (49no) achieved the most success as he put on 52 runs with Balmforth (32).
13 runs were then required from the final two overs and skipper Alex Kemp (18no) made the run-in easier by taking ten runs from the penultimate six balls and then running a trio of singles in the final over to claim a seventh win of the season.
Golcar Spinners Inflict First Home Defeat On Bridge
Steve Whitwam and Jack McNamara spun Golcar to success over Armitage Bridge who fell to the first home league defeat of the season.
Whitwam (4-22) and McNamara (3-20) – who have 54 wickets between them this season – seized the initiative after Jay Cyrus (2-22) had delivered a blow by removing both Armitage Bridge’s openers. Bevan Coveley (31) and former skipper Paul Hamer (26) provided the only resistance in their 99ao total. Whitwam (35) and James Howson (34) put the game more-or-less to bed with a 73-run opening stand before Golcar then lost five wickets for 15 runs thanks to Joshua Taylor’s four wickets.
The visitors went on to claim victory with 100-5 after 18 overs.
Parish’s Fighting Qualities See Off Shepley
Mirfield Parish Cavaliers are up for the fight at the bottom of the table as they pulled Shepley closer to the bottom two with their second victory of the season.
Nick Sharp hammered a belligerent half-century as Parish overhauled Shepley’s 162ao in brisk fashion. The visitors, already suffering from losing Tom Chadwick for several weeks to a broken foot, looked off the pace as once again they were harassed with the ball. Greg Wood (32), George Booth (28) and overseas Numan Akbar (44no) showed promise but it was a familiar sorry tale as Parish’s Nazar Hussain (3-38) and Dan Broadbent (3-49) pestered to great effect.
Former Lightcliffe man Shan Devraj (42) carefully put the building blocks in place for the theatrics before Sharp (52no) and Broadbent (37) lit up proceedings with 17 boundaries between them as Parish replied with 163-5.
Carrington Clatters Honley As Kirkburton Bounce Back
Ben Carrington helped Kirkburton bounce back from their disappointing defeat at Slaithwaite in the previous match by completing an emphatic win at home to Honley.
Carrington carved a well-worked 65 from 93 balls as he paved the way for the lower order to finish what he started. Tom Burkinshaw (39) and Jonny Smith (26no) obliged as they flayed Honley’s bowling attack towards the end of their 200-7 total.
Simon Kelly (56) added to his healthy output for the season by hitting his 6th half-century. However, Kelly’s endeavours were in vain as the visitors collapsed abjectly.
After Andrew Smith (3-40) had earlier removed Kelly along with in-form captain Timmy Taylor, John Keeling (4-26) needed no invitations to run through Honley’s tail as they capsized from 121-5 to 126ao.
Back To Drawing Board For Slaithwaite As Superior Scholes Succeed Again
Slaithwaite fell to a comprehensive defeat after the corner was turned in their last match as they came distinctly second-best at rejuvenated Scholes.
The triumvirate of Brooks Brothers claimed eight of the ten wickets that fell as the visitors hobbled to 151ao. Tom Brook (2-29) took two of the first three before Josh (3-28) and Louis (3-49) asserted their control aside a defiant 38 by opener Wajid Hussain.
Scholes captain Bradley Birkhead (64no) scored his 462nd run in all competitions with his third half century to send his team on to a fuss-free victory. Tom Brook (48) added the gloss finish as Scholes comfortably replied with 154-5.
