Three teams share the top spot in the Cedar Court Conference with Lepton Highlanders, Emley Clarence and Hoylandswaine 2XI all having things their own way to continue their perfect starts to the season. Abdullah & Rehan Khan were the double act that brought down Denby Dale for Lepton. Emley’s bowlers turned it on against Cumberworth United and Hoylandswaine 2XI turned a worrying position round to end Linthwaite’s winning record. Upperthong and Hall Bower both bounced back from last weeks losses and Almondbury are still searching for a win following a hammering at home to Birkby Rose Hill.
Promotion Aim For Lepton As They Down Denby Dale
Abdullah and Rehan Khan were in the wickets and runs for Lepton as they recorded their third consecutive victory without breaking sweat. Denby Dale were dazed by the sucker punch that Abdallah Khan (5-34) delivered as they took first knock at home to Lepton Highlanders. Matty Rammell (40) put in the best performance for the hosts who made 147ao. Rehan Khan (75no) shored up the reply, batting from start to finish as the visitors responded with 150-3 to share one of the pole positions.
Swaine Seconds Swing Things Around At Linthwaite
Two of Hoylandswaine 2XI’s most senior players swung the match around as last season’s top Conference outfit consigned Linthwaite to their first loss of the campaign. Luke Potter (44) and Ranjith Bandula-Don (43no) helped dig their team out of a compromised position at 6-2 and then 71-5 before they went on to set 228-9 from the first innings. Linthwaite responded with 149ao in their 79 run defeat.
Emley & Cumberworth Are Poles Apart After Close Game
Emley Clarence and Cumberworth United occupy opposite ends of the table but this clash suggested otherwise as Emley impressively hung on defending a 121ao first innings total. Cumberworth may have sensed their luck had changed after a fine first innings bowling performance put a winning target in range but events took a decidedly worse turn during the reply. The hosts’ wheels spectacularly fell off thanks to Emley’s double-pronged bowling attack as Mohammed Nabeel (5-45) and Mirza Mobeen (5-39) blitzed Cumberworth who fell from 42-2 to 43-7. They recovered momentarily until the same bowlers cruelly snuffed out the threat to leave Cumberworth winless after three matches. Emley move up to joint top.
Birkby’s Nazar Adds To Almondbury’s Agony
Sarfraz Hussan (54) scored a second successive half-century as Birkby Rose Hill piled up the runs at Almondbury. It was Hussain’s teammate Haris Nazar (80) that significantly turned up the heat as the visitors blasted their way to an unassailable 281-3 on the way to an overwhelming victory. Muhammad Munsaf (4-22) continued the discomfort as Almondbury faced another weekend without a win by hobbling to 145ao. Birkby went from strength to strength with their second win on the bounce.
Fifty Avoidances Are Costly For Kirkheaton In Bower Defeat
Kirkheaton could look to two batsmen narrowly missing out on half-centuries as one of the contributing factors in their downfall away at Hall Bower. On route to 205-9, Harry Walker (48) and Chey Gardiner were both dismissed just sort of their landmark scores as Hall Bower bowler Harry Bissett (4-80) carefully primed the trap. Alex Crane (52) and Hammad Ul Hassan (55) demonstrated how it needed to be done as they set up an intriguing win. Tom Atkinson’s six wickets for the visitors turned out to be in vain as Hall Bower timed their chase with acute precision finishing with 207-7 on the penultimate ball.
Mirfield’s Sluggish Start Rumbles On At Upperthong
Mirfield are one of four teams yet to register a victory in the Conference as they made a hash of knocking off Upperthong’s steady 164-5 total. The home side had to tread carefully when they lost two early wickets at 12-2. Will Kilner (58) and Tom Mighall (52) diligently went about resetting their innings in the face of Mirfield’s frustrated bowling attack. Jack Brook sealed a second success of the campaign taking four wickets as Mirfield’s reply was ended on 134ao.
