Rizwan Malik stung Golcar as Denby landed a second blow of the weekend on the Colne Valley side by emerging victorious in a close match at Swallow Lane. Malik’s stubborn 45 batting at nine proved to be the difference as Denby were bowled out for 121. However the former Elland and Batley man turned the tables on the home side by taking 3-18 as Golcar’s exposed batting crumbled to 111ao in reply.
Rastrick dug deep to defend their vulnerable 136-9 total bowling by bowling out Armitage Bridge to pull off their second win of the season. Captain Jacob Waterson’s arduous half-century got a score on the board to defend as they crucially batted out their overs with Musa Ahmed and Jack Hinhcliffe taking four wickets apiece. Bridge couldn’t maintain the same level of concentration and they fell 16 runs shy on 120ao. Ahmed followed up with a 44 but they were undone by openers Shrikant Wagh (4-33) and Jordan Ghani (5-61).
Birkby Rose Hill is fast becoming a fortress after the Championship newcomers upset another visiting side in Meltham to maintain a 100% home record. They obliterated Meltham’s batting which subsided to just 44 under a withering barrage. Muhammad Munsaf claimed 3-9 before Zain Ul Abdin (3-18) and Aftab Ur Rahim (4-16) crushed the Meltham batting in a one-sided match. Opener Mohammed Hamdaan (26no) made sure of the win from Birkby’s 47-2 reply.
Holmfirth gamely attempted to hold visiting Delph at bay, still reeling from a surprise upset at Birkby 24 hours before. The home side laboured to 127ao, constantly bedevilled by spinner Nayyar Abbas who finished with 4-29. Abbas went on to build on the good start made by Anguillan Demari Prince (46) by scoring an unbeaten 47 as Delph breezed home with 131-4 to increase the gap at the top to four points.
Slaithwaite followed up their impressive derby win vs Golcar with a comprehensive 9-wicket slaying of Shelley. George Barden’s 72 helped Shelley put up a testing 211ao with skipper Ben Tyler finishing up with 4-45. However Slaithwaite replied brutally, with a superb 81no from Australian Zane Gilder anchoring their innings. Finlay Brook added 65 and star Kiwi Blair McKenzie carried his bat for 54 to get over the line in comfort.
Marlon Rodrigo’s five wicket blast brought down Clayton West who lost at Lascelles Hall. The home side finished on 118-8 with Tom Wightman top scoring. Ashley Thompson’s 37 for Clayton West wasn’t enough as they were dismissed for 114 with Rodrigo’s 5-54 complementing Wightman’s 3-39 as Hall secured their third home win of the season.
