Mount chasing title double

So far, in their fairly brief Halifax League existence, Mount have pretty much knocked the ball out of the park.

The seconds shot past first base with promotion in the club’s debut season in 2017 and both senior sides could go up as champions this term.

The firsts, who found their feet with a fifth-place finish last term, head to Luddenden Foot tomorrow for a top-of-the-table match.

They have a handsome 12-point lead at the top of Division Two and have high hopes of retaining that ahead of a home run-in against Old Town and Greetland.

The seconds are already assured promotion again and tomorrow’s home game against Shelf Northowram Hedge Top has the look of a title decider about it.

Mount have been playing catch-up against Hedge Top since the first weekend of the season, when their game was cancelled and their current rivals gained a 10-point advantage.

The Staincliffe side have got the gap down to five points, aided by two wins against tomorrow’s visitors, and they will be looking to get their noses in front tomorrow with just one more set of fixture to follow in this division.

Mount’s first team success is based on a powerful batting line-up with Mahmad Gheewala a real diamond. He has almost 1,000 runs in the bag this summer.

But Gheewala is no pinch-hitter according to club spokesman Abdul Ravat, one of the more experienced players in the seconds.

“He is not flash but very solid and very consistent.”

Ravat said joining the Halifax League and having to make a presentation at a league meeting had been a daunting experience for the club .

“On the whole we are really enjoying our experience in the Halifax League. We did a lot of work prior to joining and we would like to think we bring something unique to the league,” he said.

Mount are certainly very different to the vast majority of cricket clubs as they try to use sport to unite communities and people of different faiths.

They have a huge junior set-up, spearheaded by 12 qualified coaches, and their annual presentation evening early next year is likely to have an audience of 800 and attract representatives of the ECB and Yorkshire.

Mount have played against a team from the Vatican at Headingley and were the first club from overseas to play in Saudi Arabia in 2014. At the end of this season they will be taking a mixed party of 35 to 40 people for a playing-trip to Corfu.

By then they will hope to have two pieces of Halifax League silverware safely in the locker.

HALIFAX Sunday League clubs should return to action this weekend after a lengthy break due to bad weather and the Crossley Shield final.

Points - Division One (played 11): Northowram Fields 168, Almondbury W 155, Mytholmroyd 151, Norden 141, Barkisland 124, Copley 122, Blackley 83, Lightcliffe 70.

Division Two (played 11): Triangle 185, SBCI 133, Rastrick 131, Sowerby Bridge 130, Thornton 121, Illingworth SM 98, Ludd Foot 94, Bridgeholme 61.

Division Three (played 15): Great Horton Park Chapel 223, Birkby Rose Hill 217, Shelf Northowram Hedge Top 214, Booth 196, Buttershaw St Paul’s 191, Bradshaw 176, Slaithwaite 143, Outlane 127, Stones 122, Queensbury 94.