Will Hinchliffe (pictured above) landed a killer blow onto Thongsbridge as Golcar ended their 150th season in style to finish in third place in the Premiership. Jack McNamara’s team were in irresistible form in front of their own spectators to round off an excellent campaign based around a formidable home record. Long-serving opening bowler Hinchliffe (4-30) provided the fulcrum of a devastating first innings’ bowling performance, with fellow opener Jay Cyrus (3-9) and the evergreen Steve Whitwam (2-18) both chipping in to down the visitors, who led the division up until July. They were never likely to salvage much from 42-8 and they eventually limped along to 88ao thanks to skipper Alex Kemp’s battling 35. Golcar’s reply centred around James Howson’s 44 with Ben Raven-Hill taking 3-15 as the hosts completed an easy victory on 91-3.
Luke Hargreaves (pictured above) signed off on a remarkable first team career at Delph & Dobcross by helping them romp to a 105 run win at home to Scholes. The dedicated one-club man has built a reputation as one of the league’s most destructive lower-order hitters but he was invited to open the batting on this occasion with Scholes respectfully offering a guard of honour. Warm applause then accompanied the 42-year old when he was eventually run out 86 balls later after he racked up his third largest batting total for the club with a well-made 73. Harry Partington (72) carved an impressive innings as the pair put on 122 runs for the third wicket in Delph’s 241-7 total. Tom Brook made 79 in Scholes’ 136ao which only served to delay the inevitable as Delph completed back-to-back victories for the first time in the season.
Cup kings Moorlands ended their season on a damp note by succumbing to slow bowlers Lewis Kenworthy (pictured above) and Simon Kelly. The visitors had earlier restricted Honley to 160ao where Timmy Taylor (27) top scored and Siraj Sajid (4-38) claimed most of the wickets for Moorlands. James Rawlinson (36) put in another dogged display on the same venue as his match winning performance during the Sykes Cup final but Eddie Walmsley’s men meekly subsided to 116 as left-armer Kenworthy (5-36) and Honley stalwart Kelly (4-20) dominated.
Charlie Roebuck (pictured above) fired his third century of the season as Broad Oak hammered Shepley by ten wickets at Marsh Lane. Roebuck (100no) and Sean Mee (38no) enjoyed an unbeaten opening partnership as the visitors made light work of the host’s 146ao total for whom opener Dan Wood (33) top-scored. Jack Hargreaves (4-25) and Dan Taylor (3-18) had earlier exposed Shepley’s brittleness as Oak ended the season in mid-table with four wins from four.
Champions Hoylandswaine unearthed no surprises at home to bottom side Mirfield Parish Cavaliers as they homed in on a five wicket win. Leicestershire’s Arron Lilley (pictured above) took 6-48 opening the bowling against the side that had defeated them in the reverse fixture in May. Jon Hellings (34) offered some resistance in Parish’s 123ao before Sarjinder Pal Singh (40no) completed Swaine’s 18th win of the season with a 126-5 reply.
Spinner John Keeling (pictured above) has his eye firmly on the Premiership bowling prize as he once again shone with the ball as Kirkburton overcame Armitage Bridge. The visitors’ 136ao was held together by Andrew Smith’s 50 despite Bridge’s Aussie spinner Joshua Smith (8-31) earning his best matchday figures in his debut season. However Kirkburton’s Keeling (5-30) enjoyed his fourth five wicket haul in the last six matches as he finished the season with 67 wickets, topping the provisional rankings with an average of 12.07. Smith also weighed in with 3-20 as Armitage Bridge were dismissed for 94. The Match Secretary will confirm the individual winners this week once his final analysis has been completed.
Barkisland openers Ben Heritage and Matty Weston (pictured above) put second-bottom Slaithwaite to the sword at Hill Top. Heritage (70) and Weston (62) put on 94 runs for the first wicket as the visitors made 228ao batting first with Sohail Butt taking 4-74 for the home side. Cameron Van Rensburg’s 7-44 was chiefly responsible for Slaithwaite’s downfall who were bowled out for 89 in reply.
