A strong bowling performance from Upperthong’s Henry Frankland and Tom Charlesworth secured an important win at home to Mirfield as their side pulled closer to safety in the Conference. Frankland picked up 4-8 in a chastening eleven over spell which contained eight maidens. Charlesworth was almost as economical with 4-7 from five overs. The visitors were blitzed for just 59, with Upperthong taking just eleven overs to reply with 65-3.
Elsewhere, Linthwaite captain Raheel Akhtar took 4-40 on the way to defeating visiting Hall Bower who were bowled out for 159 chasing Linthwaite’s 164-9. Marsden’s Parth Naik needs just two wickets to equal his haul for the whole of last season. He claimed his fifth five-wicket return as Thurstonland were skittled by the leaders for 110. Marsden’s chase wasn’t straight-forward, but they got home by five wickets with Steve Butters Jnr (28) top-scoring.
Adeel Baig single-handedly destroyed Elland who were dismissed for 70 by Hoylandswaine Twos. Baig netted 7-14 before Jack Seddon (46) almost knocked the entire target off on his own Cumberworth lost for the second straight match at home to Emley Clarence thanks to Adam Taylor’s efforts, taking 4-22 with the ball and holding firm with the bat. Emley huffed and puffed replying to 101, reaching 102-8 as Taylor finished the job with a stoic 65no (Iqrar Amjad was closest to him with 11!). Kirkheaton’s Tom Atkinson nabbed 4-23 with Edgerton & Dalton coming distinctly second best, bowled out for 110. Shoaib Rehman added to his two wickets with Kirkheaton’s top score of 47 in an eight wicket victory.
Alliance top dogs Skelmanthorpe were subdued at Golcar after Joe Falconio claimed season’s best figures of 4-16. The ‘Shat Bangers’ were castled for 148 chasing Golcar’s 156. Adam Dollive picked up four wickets for the visitors. Denby Dale 1XI cut the gap to two points with a seven wicket win at home to bottom-placed Honley. Mirza Tehseen waltzed off with 6-40 to ground Honley for 150. Malindu Maduranga hit an unbeaten 78 in the reply. Connor Parr and George Brady both collected three wickets at Delph & Dobcross as Armitage Bridge won convincingly. Parr scored 48no in their low-scoring reply of 108-3. Thongsbridge put more daylight between them and bottom place with an impressive success away at Barkisland who were dismissed for 82 chasing the visitors’ 150-7. Zeshan Begum was the standout with 7-43. Almondbury 1XI were left snubbed at home to Kirkburton 2XI in a thriller. Bilal Ahmad hit 56 for the hosts as they fizzled out on 182-6 chasing ‘Burton’s 186-5 where Tom Lockhart scored 50.
Ant Thorpe was on point for the Moorlands juggernaut who crushed Shepley who were bowled out for 100 in Alliance Two. Jake Hewitt claimed 5-10 and Thorpe’s run-a-ball 71 completed the victory. Almondbury Wesleyan look good to join them as they maintained their 12 point gap to third with a decisive win at home to Linthwaite where Jack Ghee scored 63. Dan Payne added 50 in the Wes’s 253-7 before Aman Ullah, batting at ten, enjoyed a half-century for the visitors. At the bottom of the table, Cumberworth’s Ashley Littlewood made 52 but couldn’t help his side go down at Broad Oak after setting 135-6. Josh Winnard hammered 72no as Oak replied with 138-3.
Alliance Three leaders Birkby Rose Hill just about remained on course for promotion but they inched home by six runs at Holmbridge 1XI. The evergreen Ian Whiteley bagged 4-27 as Birkby were bowled out for 176. Zaheer Ahmed made 31 and then took two wickets as the hosts were dismissed for 170. Rock-bottom Denby Dale celebrated their second win of the season away at Elland with Keenan Davies-Mosley hitting 72 and taking two wickets in a win that went to the wire. Denby Dale got over the line with five balls remaining.
Rastrick clumsily toppled out of the top two in Alliance Four following a loss at home to Flockton 1XI. Muhammad Shazhad hit 88no with a supportive 52 from Sagar Naher as Flockton set 212-3. Nathan Shaw scored 52 for Rastrick who responded with 164-7. The lead now goes to Mirfield whose Tom Firth picked up 3-20 against Cartworth Moor; all out for 89. Mirfield replied with 71-1. Almondbury, in second, barely broke sweat at Thurstonland, by bowling them out for 109 with Ali Raza Afzal taking 3-24. Keeper Sajad Aslam hit an unbeaten 65 in their 111-1 reply.
