The Premiership witnessed a weekend of upsets as reigning champions Moorlands were stunned by Skelmanthorpe thanks to Kian Schwartz's heroics. Newly promoted Golcar and Delph got their campaigns off to winning starts against Barkisland and Shepley respectively. Scholes capitalised on Almondbury Wesleyans batting collapse to claim victory, while Kirkburton fell short chasing a low target at Broad Oak. The drama continued as Hoylandswaine and Honley's match was abandoned due to a damaged pitch, setting the stage for an unpredictable and thrilling Premiership season.
In a surprising twist at Lidgett Lane, Skelmanthorpe stunned reigning champions Moorlands. Despite missing some key players, Skelmanthorpe produced a dominant performance with both bat and ball to unsettle the visitors. Their bowling attack, spearheaded by Prayesh Kumar Singh (3-23) and Faisal Usman (3-26, above), restricted the mighty Moorlands to a light 117ao total. Opener Marcus Walmsley top-scored with 32 for the away side before Kian Schwartz then took centre stage with a brilliant 84-run knock off just 68 balls, propelling Skelmanthorpe to a comfortable 7-wicket victory with 22 overs to spare.
A tense and tightly contested match at Huddersfield Road saw Delph and Dobcross edge out Shepley in a compelling encounter. Delph recovered from a precarious position at 126-8 thanks to a defiant 52-run knock from former Shepley player Arman Hussain (above). Spinner Musa Ahmed caused havoc in the middle order, picking up 5-60 to restrict Delph to 178 all out. Shepley's chase was spearheaded by overseas player Sahaj Chama's anchoring 56 and a belligerent 50 from Wayne Hughes. However, it was captain Nathan Jones who swung the match decisively in Delph's favour by coming on to remove Chama during a stunning 4-6 bowling spell. The change of momentum pulled up Shepley who ultimately finished 151 all out, securing a narrow 27-run victory for Delph.
A dramatic collapse by Barkisland handed Golcar a thrilling victory from the cusp of defeat. Chasing a target of 179-9 set by Golcar, with Jacob Mulhall's crucial 43 (above) being the top contribution, Barkisland looked well on their way at 140-5. Nico Georgiou Nicola's dedicated 61 seemed to have set them up for a comfortable win. However, a devastating spell of spin bowling from veteran Steve Whitwam completely turned the tide. Whitwam ripped through the Barkisland batting order, finishing with figures of 5-55 and was supported by Jack McNamara's 3-22. Barkisland capitulated for 159 runs, handing Golcar a thrilling 20-run victory.
Almondbury Wesleyan were comprehensively outplayed by a powerful Scholes at Kaye Lane. Despite a promising start with their bowlers, Mohammad Nabeel (4-31) and overseas star Pragam Sharma (4-26) dismantled Scholes for just 155 runs. However, Wesleyans’ own batting frailties were ruthlessly exposed by spin in the reply. They collapsed from a relatively comfortable 68-3 to a meagre 74 all out, with Yaasir Imtiaz (above) ripping through the middle order with a devastating 6-24 spell as Scholes secured an emphatic 81-run victory.
A low-scoring encounter unfolded at Broad Oak as bowlers dominated play. Jack Byrne's impressive 6-33 performance set up what appeared to be a routine win for Kirkburton after dismissing Broad Oak for just 128 runs. Vinura Dulsara top-scored for the hosts with a battling 30. However, Kirkburton were unable to capitalise as they suffered a startling collapse to 75 all out. Adam France (above) and Rustin Langford shared six wickets between them, while Liam Moran and Dulsara picked up two wickets apiece to seal a convincing 53-run win for Oak, their first of the season.
