By Jamie Harrison

A century by Will Fraine gave struggling Honley hope but it wasn’t to be as champions Hoylandswaine claimed the victory.

Cameron Todd was in form with bat and ball as Broad Oak climbed to third with a win at bottom club Thongsbridge. Leaders Moorlands hammered Shepley at Marsh Lane but Skelmanthorpe kept up the chase at the top with victory at home to Almondbury Wesleyans.

Honley v Hoylandswaine

Honley’s morale was boosted by the return of Yorkshire’s Will Fraine, but his hundred was unable to prevent them sliding to their fifth straight defeat at home to Hoylandswaine.

The home-grown Yorkshire player compiled a splendid 101-ball 124, providing the fulcrum of Honley’s 211-6 from 36 overs. Captain Danny Howard’s 24 runs – the second highest scoring batsman -such was the dominance of Fraine’s appearance and with the visitors reduced to 58-4, a first win in nine attempts looked on the cards.

With a DLS target of 235 from 50 overs put up, Swaine’s Duncan Brown (54) and Sarjinder-Pal Singh (39no) preyed on the inexperienced Honley attack. Joel Size claimed an expensive 4-79 and Hoylandswaine’s Adam Sylvester provided the coup-de-grâce with a brutal 61 scored from 33 balls to take them over the line for 236-7.

Thongsbridge v Broad Oak

Broad Oak climbed into third by comfortably defeating Thongsbridge at Miry Lane. Adam France (4-48) and Cameron Todd (3-52) were nuisances with the ball for Oak as the home side were dismissed for 163 in a match reduced to 36 overs.

Alex Kemp’s 55 demonstrated some fight but his bowlers failed to carry the same menace as the visitors’. Oak opener Dominic Finn and Todd both hit half-centuries as Oak smoothly knocked off their target for the loss of one wicket.

Skelmanthorpe v Almondbury Wesleyans

Jack Newby brought in-form Almondbury Wesleyans crashing down with a bump at title-chasing Skelmanthorpe. Newby slammed an unbeaten 122 from 93 balls which was followed up by a remorseless 87 from 49 balls by Prayash Kumar Singh as Skelmanthorpe racked up 266 from 32 overs. Wes’s Daniel Moorhouse scored a half-century which earned a point by replying with 213-9. Kian Schwartz collected 3-27 for the hosts.

Shepley v Moorlands

Premiership leaders Moorlands hammered Shepley in a swiftly completed match, finished in just 38 overs. Hosts Shepley were shot out for 84 with spinner Siraj Sajid bagging 5-9, whilst new signing (from rivals Skelmanthorpe) Tawkal Zadran took 4-31 on debut. It was never a score likely to test the rampant table-toppers and they replied with 88-2 with opener Shoukat Ali blasting 47.

Scholes v Barkisland

Improving Scholes dismantled Barkisland by ten wickets at Chapelgate with Bradley Birkhead getting into T20 ‘beast mode.’ Scholes scythed through the Barkisland ranks, dismissing them for 140, with Ben Tighe helping himself to 6-24 while Australian Charlie Mitchell (47) top scored for the visitors.

Birkhead was sent forward to open the batting, in anticipation for their upcoming T20 Semi-Final with Hoylandswaine, and quickly crashed 77 from 49 balls during a faultless reply.

Kirkburton v Mirfield Parish

Tom Burkinshaw snatched four wickets as second-bottom Mirfield Parish were harried away at Kirkburton. The seasoned opening bowler collected 4-35 and his opening partner Jack Byrne got 3-26 as Parish checked out on 126ao.

Roscoe Tahttil built on Jack Kelly’s earlier groundwork after the Aussie opener scored 37. Sri-Lankan all-rounder Tahttil hit an unbeaten 44 in a reduced-to 111-3 reply.