By Jamie Harrison

Almondbury Wesleyans’ Antipodean import Jed Wiggins took six wickets to consign Moorlands to a seventh defeat of the season. Two Scholes batsmen landed big blows on Skelmanthorpe and Golcar earned instant revenge on Broad Oak for their Sykes Cup quarter-final defeat by beating them six days later at Swallow Lane.

Almondbury Wesleyans v Moorlands 

Jed Wiggins claimed his best figures for Almondbury Wesleyans as he spun Moorlands to a seventh defeat of the season, one less than they suffered during their entire campaign last year. 

Wiggins claimed a brilliant 6-35 to dismantle the visitors who crashed to 142ao, with Aussie Michael McEwan (80) responsible for over half of them on a chastening day for his side. 

Wesleyans’ 142-5 reply was built around former Moorlands batsman Christopher Stott’s 42 as they romped to their fifth Premiership success.

Scholes v Skelmanthorpe 

Scholes batsmen Jack Shelley and Benji Birkhead hit the high notes for Scholes not for the first time this season as Skelmanthorpe were flattened at Lidgett Lane. 

Both men finished the first innings unbeaten with Shelley battering 154no from 118 balls and Birkhead 124no off 90 balls as they took Scholes to 343-2 with their 269-run third wicket partnership. 

All-rounder Jack Newby continued his standout season at Skelmanthorpe with a 100-ball 76 but Scholes closed off their win thanks to Yaasar Imtiaz’s 5-55 as the home team finished 214ao.

Delph & Dobcross v Hoylandswaine 

Battling Delph & Dobcross gave Hoylandswaine an uncomfortable inquisition during a fascinating top versus bottom encounter at Huddersfield Road. 

The disparity between the teams in the league table wasn’t on show here as Nathan Jones’ young side pushed Swaine all the way with a spirited performance. 

Myerscough Cricket College youngster Nathan Walker (51) grafted his first fifty for Delph and Lancashire’s Xander Selby shepherded an inexperienced tail to reach 178ao with an over left, withstanding a serious barrage by former Delph man Umer Yaqoob (3-30) and spinner Max Morley (3-37).

Two wickets in two balls by former Swaine pace bowler Adnan Ghani seemed to unsettle the champions and when Arron Lilley, a player with deep roots at Delph, was castled by Nayyar Abbas the game was blown wide open, with Hoylandswaine one run ahead on a par Duckworth-Lewis score during a short rain delay.

However, Jack Seddon stepped forward and guided Swaine to victory which strengthened their grip at the top as they sealed a three-wicket win on 181-7.

Golcar v Broad Oak

Golcar put their Sykes Cup disappointment behind them with a convincing four-wicket win at home to Broad Oak, the team that dumped them out of the cup just six days previously. 

Golcar, missing several key players, impressed with Ryan Adams (4-44) and Dan Woodhead 3-63, doing a solid job by deputising for missing opening bowlers Will Hinchliffe and Jay Cyrus. Fletcher Coutts (53) top scored for Oak in their 178ao but Jack McNamara’s half-century was more decisive in the second innings to hold together Golcar’s 181-6 reply.

Thongsbridge v Barkisland 

Richard Marshall finished just two runs short of his best ever Thongsbridge score as they comfortably saw off Barkisland at Miry Lane. 

The keeper-batsman scored 131no from 119 balls to help his side assemble 292-7, assisted by 80 from opening bat Ben Raven-Hill. Zafar Iqbal (5-50) removed the first three Barkisland batters to withdraw the sting from their reply. However Seth Oddy’s rearguard 93, batting at nine, beefed up Barkisland’s 184ao score as Thongsbridge moved up to fourth.

Shepley v Honley 

Honley moved up to second by despatching Shepley at Marsh Lane as the home side squandered a promising start. 

Shepley crashed from 94-2 to 109ao as Danny Glover’s men struggled to cope with slow bowler Simon Kelly, whose 5-22 was his best ever in his long history with the club. Timmy Taylor took 3-15 and went on to notch 54no – his sixth half-century of 2022 – as Honley bustled their way to 110-3.

Armitage Bridge v Kirkburton 

Andrew Smith exposed Armitage Bridge’s precarious batting as Kirkburton claimed a compelling victory at Riley Lane. 

Smith (4-3) finished off the visitors in a devastating six-over spell to compound Bridge’s worries after Aaron Moore (2-27) and Tom Burkinshaw (2-27) softened them up. 

Their 78ao wasn’t enough to test Kirkburton as they completed victory by seven wickets with Sam Wigglesworth scoring 24no.