Premier Division leaders Triangle return to winning ways against Shelf Northowram HT

Five of its batsmen made significant scores with Gary Rodger (58), Tom Watson (44), Jack Gledhill (41 not out), Taylor Swaine (41) and Kurtis Whippey (39) all recovering form in a total of 247-8. Full credit to SNHT as it made a valiant attempt to chase down the target.

Skipper Daniel Cole hit 89 runs, closely followed by the 87 runs from the blade of Razwan Saghir. Cole batted for 133 balls and was last out with the score just those few runs short at 234-7. SNHT have matches against lowly Bradshaw and Sowerby Bridge yet to play so maybe, just maybe.

As for Triangle, now 17 points clear at the top, the title is theirs to lose Copley also struggled for runs in its home match against Booth with only Gavin Whipp (31) reaching 30 runs and it then collapsed from 101-4 to 128 all out as Pat Thomas (4-18) took his wickets in only 24 balls.

Not to be outgunned the hosts simply blew Booth away for 70 all out, a team clearly still suffering a hangover after its Parish Cup Final defeat. Not only that but this second loss in eight days gives it a mountain to climb to catch the leaders.

Copley’s Ian Hartley was the bowler who did most of the damage with a 6-29 return.

Warley, maybe surprisingly, inserted Mytholmroyd on its visit to Moderna Way and the home team responded with 213-9. Opener Matthew Scholefield (55) top-scored and, after a mid-order slump caused by Milton Greenwood (4-54), the tail wagged considerably adding 107 runs from a score of 106-6. Warley’s batsmen were soon in trouble at 35-5 but it recovered some respectability with James Whitworth (32) and then Zeeshan Iqbal (43) taking the score to 167 all out, Jack Earle taking 4-31.

The Royd’s rise up the table continues and it now sits in second place but it will need a couple of slip-ups from Triangle even to have an outside chance of the title.

SBCI, in early season trouble, continued its recent recovery, winning by 20 runs, whilst adding to visiting Bradshaw’s opposite problem as it drops down the table. The home team was also put into bat and scored 211-4 in a hard to accumulate 45 overs. Thomas Wood (114) hit an excellent and patient century with Chris Dalby (47 not out) adding impetus with his run-a ball cameo.

Bradshaw was always behind the clock despite a fine knock from Jonathan Lister (81) but he was run out chasing the final runs as the innings closed on 191-8.

At Illingworth St Mary’s the hosts were in all sorts of trouble at the start of its innings against Sowerby Bridge as it incredibly lost its first five wickets for just 8 runs! Ben Robertshaw (50) instigated a recovery but no other batsman stayed long enough to really assist and when he was out the tail did not wag – 107 all out.

Sam Mellor was the pick of the Bridge bowling with 4-29. However those Bridge batting frailties surfaced again, despite switching its batting order, and it was in disarray managing only 87 all out in 35.1 overs as the wickets were shared between five bowlers.

Blackley also made a dreadful start to its innings at Lindley Road as Thornton reduced it to 12-4 in the first 14 overs. Opener Ibbi Mir, after seeing four partners quickly disappear, opted to grind out an innings taking 104 balls for his 39 runs and helped by Sam Hesmondhalgh (17) they added 69 runs. However once they were out there was a repeat of the early quick fall of wickets to 91 all out, four Thornton bowlers sharing the spoils. The visitors did not find it easy in reply, as Hesmondhalgh took 4-26, but unsurprisingly Josh Hutchinson (42 not out) completed the win at 97-6 after the score had touched 77-6.

The relegation battle is almost certain to go the wire so, with current points in brackets, perm any two from SNHT (81), Sowerby Bridge (100), Blackley (105) and Bradshaw (107).

The last day of the season sees a mini-competition between the four!

In the First Division second-placed Great Horton PC rattled up the biggest score of the day with 297-4, at home to Low Moor HT. There was a brilliant double century opening partnership of 204 runs by Jonny Phillips (140) and Ricky Hassall (74) that saw the seven Trinity bowlers used visibly wilting. Even after Phillips, whose 140 runs eclipsed his previous best by 92 runs, lost his wicket at 246-2 another 51 runs were added in quick time. The Trinity, clearly rattled by the onslaught, was soon struggling with its reply at 12-3 and had it not been for a brave effort from Mark Stokes (73) the eventual score of 128 all out would have been considerable less.

Clayton made light work of winning at Mount after bowling its hosts out for 106 runs. Paul Gelder took 5-23 in the Mount innings and then Connor Ambler (51 not out) and Chris Ramsden (47) ensured a maximum points return at 107-1.

Oxenhope chose to bat first on its visit to Luddendenfoot and posted an all out score of 175. Joshua Fleetwood (52) top-scored, as Ryan Allen took 4-61. The Foot, in the three-club promotion race, stayed on course with a four-wicket win as Jacob Whitehouse (43) led the reply with back-up efforts from three other batsmen taking the score to a winning 176-6. Will Rankin’s effort of 4-66 some consolation for Oxenhope.

Upper Hopton could only manage 93 all out on its trip to leaders Sowerby St Peter’s as four home bowlers shared the wickets that required 38.5 overs. The home team also found runs hard to accumulate and it needed a careful 34 not out, in 60 balls, from Ryan Brook to see his team over the line at 94-6.

In the Second Division the performance of the day came at Bridgeholme. This writer, having seen the first class ground preparations for himself on Friday, could hardly believe the Saturday live score at 2:22pm – Bridgeholme 36 all out in 12 overs. Quite simply Greetland’s duo of Waqas Ali (6-2-11-6) and Zafar Khan (6-1-21-3) took the hosts batting apart, amazingly eight being clean bowled! Only one player reached double figures and the last man was run out. Needless to say the leaders had no problem in taking maximum points at 40-2 from a match that lasted only 22.1 overs. Greetland now require only 17 points to achieve promotion from its remaining four matches.

As Bradley & Colnebridge cannot be promoted, due to only having only one team in the League, Queensbury still hold hopes of promotion - but it is making very heavy weather of it. It bowled Augustinians out for only 89 runs at Woodhouse Gardens where Usman Ali (43) contributed nearly half of the hosts’ runs. The remaining ten batsmen never really came to terms with the visitors’ attack as Joshua Dougall took 4-12. But that promotion for the visitors took another jolt as the league’s then bottom team produced another shock winning by 14 runs. Khurram Shazad (4-11) and Imram Khan (4-19) were the destroyers as only two batsmen reached double figures in an all out 75 runs.

The out of action Southowram would have been pleased when hearing the result, as it is now only three points behind technically second Queensbury, with a game in hand.

Iqrar Hussain was the star of the match at Bradley & Colnebridge as he scored a career best 150 runs in only 137 balls against Cullingworth. Shahraiz Khan chipped in with 47 runs as the home tean ran up a score of 262-6. Jack Rogers scored 51 runs in the visitors reply but no other batsman topped 20 and with B&C skipper Khalid Khan taking 6-24 the innings soon closed at 128 all out.

Old Town’s Abdul Rauf (4-19) and Jahinger Khan (4-23) surprised the Outlane batsmen at Boston Hill as the visitors could only manage 92 all out, as no batsmen reached 20 runs. At 56-8 in reply the chances of a Town win looked bleak but skipper Khan hit 3x4s and 5x6s in a belligerent 24 balls to score 44 not out and, with his fifth six, guided his team home at 97-8, Jonathan Krishnapillai’s 5-49 in vain.

At Stones, Leymoor elected to bat first and with the main contributions coming from Glen Barnard (56) and Richard Jones (42) it scored 181-9 in its 45 overs, William Thickett taking 5-55. The Stones reply was led by Ethan Mosey (69) together with four other batsmen who all scored in the twenties. Only 32 overs were needed to score a winning 183-4.