Moorlands placed a hand firmly on the Byrom Shield after their bowlers pummelled Almondbury Wesleyans with a hattrick from Nadim Hussain capping an outstanding win. Closest rival Skelmanthorpe lost more ground when the weather prevented them from a finish at Thongsbridge with the gap increasing further. Honley’s anxious relegation battle may go down to the wire after they lost again at Barkisland. Broad Oak saw off Scholes to put them in good shape ahead of their Sykes Cup final showdown with Moorlands. Elsewhere, Kirkburton overcame Shepley in a shortened match and Hoylandswaine heaped more pressure on bottom side Mirfield Parish Cavaliers despite a spirited bowling display by the strugglers.
Seam bowlers Jon Rudge (above) and Nadim Hussain put Moorlands tantalisingly close to their first ever Premiership title after blowing away Almondbury Wesleyans. The Mirfield club could lift the Byrom Shield as soon as next weekend with their gap at the top increasing to 17 points after the weather thwarted nearest rivals Skelmanthorpe. Marcus Walmsley’s studious 58 anchored the Moorlands innings with James Rawlinson adding 32 and Amogh Bhatkal making 38. Matthew Henshaw removed both and finished with 5-90 as they battled back to be set 192-9. Rudge continued his fine debut season at the Memorial ground by taking 4-38 but it was Nadim Hussain who took the glory in this match by scything through Wesleyans' middle order taking a hattrick. Hussain finished with 3-17 as Wesleyans lost their final four wickets for 11 runs to finish 125ao.
Jack Newby’s unbeaten 95 went to waste as second-placed Skelmanthorpe were beaten by the weather at lowly Thongsbridge. Kai Greig (above) impressed on his return to his former stomping ground as he added 62 to Newby’s efforts with Skelmanthorpe setting 213-5 from 30 overs. However no further play was possible which puts the title almost out of reach for Skelmanthorpe.
Honley’s relegation fears deepened after they finished on the wrong end of two brilliant Barkisland batting displays. Eddie Wilson cracked a fine century for Honley, his first of the season, which helped set a decent 207-8 from 38 overs. Honley’s problems are coming with the ball and they were bullied once again by Matty Weston who added an unbeaten 91 to his 147 scored earlier in the season in the reverse fixture. Alongside Yorkshire county prospect Weston was Harry Finch (above) who hammered his first ever first team hundred with a 94-ball 100no. Barkisland claimed victory with three balls left by replying with 215-1. The defeat leaves Honley just four points above Thongsbridge in the relegation zone.
DLS handed Broad Oak a victory to send them into the Sykes Cup final in buoyant mood after they saw off Scholes by 11 runs. Dominic Finn’s 60 (above) gave his side something to bat round with Sean Mee making 37 in their 183-7 with Josh Brook and Yaasar Imtiaz picking up two wickets each for Scholes. Bradley Birkhead hit a half century opening the batting for the visitors but were undone by Dan Taylor (4-45) and teenage spin prodigy Om Behera who took 3-36.
An eye-catching 4-48 from Mirfield Parish’s Brayden Brehaut wasn’t enough to unseat Hoylandswaine who won comfortably against the bottom club despite being dismissed for 204. Duncan Brown top-scored for Swaine with 42 and there were useful contributions from Asif Iqbal (39) and captain Chris Holliday (34). The fragility of Mirfield Parish’s batting has been the core reason why they have been unable to match their peers and even though the saw off the danger from opening bowlers Umer Yaqoob and Muhammad Azharullah, they found Max Morley (above) a trickier proposition. The former Honley spinner bagged 6-36; his biggest return of the season to send the visitors tumbling to 105ao. Wiucketkeeper Adam Spendelow made the most with 26 and the gap to safety has increased to 12 points.
Kirkburton did the double over near neighbours Shepley after Jack Byrne’s five wicket haul scuppered them at Marsh Lane. Opener George Booth, who this week was Byrne’s teammate in the league’s U21 side that faced the MCC, fared well but missed a half-century after Byrne (above) castled him on 46. The Kirkburton bowler went on to take 5-37 as Shepley made 139-6 in a shortened match. It took Burton 27 overs and a couple of standout innings from Roscoe Tahttil (56no) and Jonny Butterfield (42) to claim the win.
