Slow bowlers duked it out at Hoylandswaine as Honley earned tense victory to emerge on the fringe of the title chase on an afternoon where most clubs were beaten by the weather. Moorlands made the most of their rivals' inactivity with their second 20 over victory against Delph in five days.
Honley Old Boy Morley Upstaged By Former Teammates
Honley added a further complexity to the title race by squeezing out Hoylandswaine in a match where their former spin bowler’s strong performance was overshadowed by two of their own. Max Morley took his 33rd wicket for the club he joined in the winter as his former team struggled to get out of the traps. Simon Kelly (16) and Eddie Wilson (22) started their 20 over thrash well but Morley (4-32) subdued their progress as the visitors put up 110ao batting first. Swaine’s reply quickly hit the buffers on 7-3 with youngster Charlie Taylor taking the opening two wickets. His good work didn’t go to waste, despite captain Sarjinder Pal Singh (23) and Asif Iqbal (44) steadying the ship. Honley slow bowlers Timmy Taylor and Lewis Kenworthy wrestled back control as they removed the latter at a crucial point in the innings. The pair seized the moment by running through the remaining batsmen to dismiss Hoylandswaine for 99; their lowest score of the season. Swaine lost no ground on the leaders but the six points put Honley into the title frame, ten points behind the leaders.
Moorlands Complete Second Short Format Success Over Delph
A 90-run partnership between Moorlands’ James Rawlinson and Siraj Sajid harmed Delph’s chances of surviving this season as the hosts moved closer to leaders Thongsbridge in a tight top four. In a match reduced to 20 overs, Moorlands shrugged off the loss of opener Shoukat Ali by hammering the Delph bowling attack. Rawlingson scored a brisk 59 with ten fours and Sajid added 72 to the 40 runs he scored when the sides met in the reverse fixture. Skipper Eddie Walmsley sent three sixes over the ropes in his unbeaten 34 off 12 deliveries as the hosts made 193-3. Delph opener Mosun Hussain (22) kept his side in the hunt as they got off to a bright start along with Nathan Jones (28). Three wickets in James Stansfield’s second over swiftly ended Delph’s hopes of overhauling their hefty target as they slumped to 53-4. They mitigated the loss with a bonus point with youngsters Isaac Jones (23), George Partington (15no) and Jason Leaver (17no) all contributing as Delph finished the innings on 147-8. The loss sees a six point gap to safety.
Rain-Affected
Leaders Thongsbridge’s match at home to Mirfield Parish Cavaliers fell victim to the weather with early postponements also at Scholes v Kirkburton, Barkisland v Golcar, Broad Oak v Armitage Bridge and Slaithwaite v Shepley.
