Barkisland nudged out Almondbury Wesleyans to maintain their perfect start to the season making it three wins from three. Honley defended a low target at Broad Oak to collect their first win along with newly promoted Mirfield Parish who dampened Scholes’ fuse.
Max Didgiunaitis maintained Barkisland’s perfect start to the season and kept Almondbury Wesleyans waiting for their first win as he and Matty Weston earned their side their third win. Almondbury Wes were restricted to 213ao with skipper Bryn Jenkins top scoring with 68. The Wes will perhaps rue not batting out their full quota of overs, although young bowler Didgiunaitis’ 6-54 had his say in the matter with his best ever bowling return. Barkisland patiently negotiated their way past a 192 DLS target with Matty Weston’s cool, calculated 88no and Harry Finch’s stoic 50 featuring in a shared 113 partnership to win the match. Barkisland rounded on 195-4 to outfox Wesleyans and the weather.
Broad Oak and Honley fought out a compelling low-scoring match with each innings witnessing a notable collapse. Honley emerged as the victors but stuttered from 49-1 to 122ao in the first innings with Alex Slack (6-46) applying the requisite pressure for Oak. But they plunged down the self-destruct button themselves by letting slip a clear advantage to slide from 69-2 to 115ao. Honley pacemen Joel Size (4-43) and Sam Denton (4-26) peppered Oaks stunned batsmen to secure a first win of the season for Danny Howard’s side.
Mirfield Parish Cavaliers opened up visiting Scholes to claim their first Premiership win, just as they had in their Sykes Cup victory over them last season. The visitors were bowled out for 123 with former Acolm man Tom Olsen enjoying a five wicket haul for his new club. After rain forced a new target of 82, the top-flight new boys replied back for the loss of three wickets. Opener Nick Sharp (45) helped complete the triumph to open Parish’s account.
Moorlands and Hoylandswaine were left frustrated for a second time this season after rain scotched hopes of picking up early momentum. Classy former Stroud batsman Amogh Bhatkal chiselled a brisk 112 runs from 117 balls to please Moorlands’ crowd at home to Kirkburton. Siraj Sajid added 61 and captain Eddie Walmsley audaciously cracked an unbeaten 50 off 30 balls (including four sixes) as his side set an imposing score of 291-6. Kirkburton - who comfortably despatched Hoylandswaine a week earlier - may have felt it was game on when they moved quickly to 49-1 after just nine overs but rain curtailed any progress before DLS could get involved.
At Hoylandswaine, Skelmanthorpe crashed from 28-6 to 96ao but most likely welcomed the oncoming deluge which put paid to any further play. Last season’s leading wicket-taker Muhammad Azzharullah (4-48) and new signing Adam Sylvester (4-20), brought in from Welsh club Port Talbot, caused the damage but ultimately the points were shared.
An intriguing match was unfolding at Thongsbridge where Shepley were dismissed for 205. Oz Davidson (46) top scored for visiting Shepley and Keiran Abrams took 3-38 for the hosts but the second innings was washed out without a ball bowled.
