Golcar overcame survival rivals Broad Oak in a tense local derby to reduce the gap to six points with two games to go. They remained joined at the hip with Armitage Bridge who also snatched a precious win over Kirkburton as Almondbury Wesleyans who lost at Moorlands remain in their crosshairs. Thongsbridge hammered the day's largest total as two players amassed big centuries at Barkisland and Delph turned the table on its head by defeating Premiership champions Hoylandswaine. There were wins for Skelmanthorpe, who almost assured their Premiership status with a win at Scholes and Honley who pushed aside freefalling Shepley.
Ryan Adams (pictured above) celebrated a crucial all-round performance with a vital win for Golcar away at Colne Valley neighbours Broad Oak. A tetchy, low-scoring affair saw young Australian Adams, opening the batting, reach 41 before a Broad Oak fightback put them back in control. Spinners Dan Taylor (3-53) and Ben Lowden (5-19) had a firm grip on the visitors who were bowled out for a benign-looking 122. However Oak, well in control on 63-3, suffered a catastrophic collapse to let the gate open for Golcar who battled hard to regain advantage. Adams claimed 4-16 and Steve Whitwam enjoyed an equally impressive return of 4-24 as self-doubt started to creep through Oak’s batting. Opener Dom Finn hung around gamely and was the final wicket to fall on 46, bowled by Adams, but Broad Oak fell agonisingly short of a second bonus point on 106ao.
Chris Dennison (pictured above) and Jaycub Curtling helped haul Armitage Bridge closer to top-flight survival with a solid victory at home to Kirkburton. Dennison (49) and Curtling (48) both just missed out on half-centuries but neither would care much given their eventual win leaving them six points from safety. Alex Blagborough also chipped in with 29 as Bridge set 206-9 from a reduced 40 overs match. ‘Burton openers Andrew Smith and Jonny Butterfield both hit thirties as the visitors tentatively embarked on the chase but they were kept in check by skipper Curtling who took 3-47. Dennison (2-2) was unleashed to help mop up the tail as Kirkburton were dismissed for 165.
Nadim Hussain (pictured above) took six wickets to snub Almondbury Wesleyan who may yet again go down on a record points tally after their loss away at Moorlands. Wesleyans went down on 64 points in 2019 and two teams will go down this season on an even loftier total with Bryn Jenkins' side hoping they’re not one of them. Shoukat Ali’s 59 was the bedrock of Moorlands’ 190ao, made through vital lower-order inputs of Eddie Walmsley (34) and Declan Jackson (24). The visitors’ opener Matthew West batted through the whole innings for 55no but he was unable to prevent his team from suffering a damaging loss. Hussain (6-22) was a persistent thorn as Moorlands asserted control and the visitors were eventually castled for 147, albeit gaining a potentially precious bonus point. They have two home matches left and one win will suffice.
T20 specialists Delph & Dobcross made a mockery of their league placings by dismantling Premiership champions Hoylandswaine. Delph’s frail batting was unusually robust as they thrived in a shorter 30 over match with overseas man Nayyar Abbas (pictured above) standing out with 96 from 65 balls. Delph’s cause was helped by the absences of Swaine’s deadly opening bowling pair Junaid Khan and Muhammad Azzharullah but they played with freedom having already been relegated the week before. The visitors reached a meaty 221-6 but with Hoylandswaine fresh from a huge total the week before, needed to be on their guard in the reply. Asif Iqbal was removed on 49 and crucially, dangerous former Delph player Arron Lilley was dismissed for just 2. Abbas (5-38) then ran through the middle order to bowl out Hoylandswaine for 147 and earn Delph a morale-boosting victory.
A 265 run second wicket partnership saw rampant visitors Thongsbridge cruise to victory at Barkisland and maintained their impressive end of season form. Ben Raven-Hill and Pragam Sharma (pictured above) both hammered colossal centuries in a run-filled match as Thongsbridge set 350-7. Opening bat Raven-Hill enjoyed his biggest score of the season with 139 from 134 balls (21 fours, 2 sixes) and Sharma, a clear candidate for overseas and all-rounder of the season, hit his biggest score of 154 to close in on 1,000 league runs for the season. His 138-ball innings contained 24 fours and 3 sixes to dominate the Barkisland bowlers. Eight Thongsbridge bowlers earned a run out as Barkisland clawed back some respectability. Current skipper Ben Heritage made 70no and next season’s captain Jake Finch (44) as Barkisland replied with 283-9.
Skelmanthorpe virtually assured themselves of a seat in the top flight next season with a win at Scholes. Yaasir Imtiaz top scored for the home side with 40 but Scholes’ 102ao was underwhelming as Skelmanthorpe bowlers Dev Pradhan (5-25) and Paul Cummins (4-26) controlled the innings. The visitors dramatically subsided from 32-1 to 70-8 thanks to Imtiaz’ 6-34 as Scholes threw the match back into the balance despite Jack Newby’s 31. Adam Rammell (16no, pictured above) and Sam Tyas (24no) held their nerve to land a precious win which propels them to seven points from the drop zone.
The Honley top four batsmen all made hay to put away visitors Shepley at Far End Lane. Simon Kelly (51) and Lewis Evans (91, pictured above) put on 79 runs for the first wicket, piled on by Timmy Taylor’s 39 and Eddie Wilson’s 42. Danny Glover’s five wickets for Shepley made little impression on the run flow as Honley set a large 253ao. Honley’s Jeremy Hackett (3-22) and Lewis Kenworthy (3-35) shared six wickets as Shepley were easily defeated leaving them with a bit of work left to avoid surprisingly being caught in the relegation mire. They were eventually dismissed for just 83 and uncomfortably sit seven points from the drop zone.
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