Championship Division round-up - 31 July

 

League-leaders Cleethorpes cruised to a comprehensive home victory over Warmsworth by 134 runs. Callum Carter top-scored with 71, holding together the first half of the innings in which Warmsworth had some comfort from four wickets (three for Lewis Brown) for 139. But whatever hope there was, was dashed by a partnership of 71 by Max Taylor (50*) and James Osmond (48), so that Cleethorpes were able to reach 225-5 by the end of the innings. Limar Pierce (29) and Liam Marshall led Warmsworth to 36 before things began to disintegrate. Lee Charlton took three early wickets and Sameera Sadamal gobbled up the tail, with 5-17 in ten overs. Richard Marshall completed a trying day of injury, having conceded nearly seven runs an over while bowling and having to retire after one ball at the end, leaving Warmsworth nine down but all out for 91. 

 

Cleethorpes 225-5 (50) Callum Carter 71, Max Taylor 50*, James Osmond 48, Lewis Brown 3-52 

Warmsworth 91 (33) Lee Charlton 3-47, Sameera Sadamal 5-17 

 

 

Second-placed Whiston had a fairly similar day at home to Sprotbrough. Aamir Jamal, who has had a fairly quiet period with the bat in recent weeks, burst back to life with 110 in 72 balls (ten 4s, six 6s), putting on 155 with young Harry Paver (62), and this followed an opening stand of 91 between Andy Tomlinson (who made 57 of them) and Gareth Davis. Overall Whiston scored 309-9, then bowled Sprotbrough out for 98, of which Ash Ward made 31 not out and Harry Paver completed a fine personal day with 4-28 from ten. At one stage they were 13-5. So Whiston stay on course for promotion but Sprotbrough slide the other way, into the bottom two and needing a re-boot to get themselves to safety. 

 

Whiston PC 309-9 (50) Andrew Tomlinson 57, Harry Paver 62, Aamir Jamal110 

Sprotbrough 98 (37.5) Ash Ward 31*, Joe Norbury 3-20, Harry Paver 4-28 

 

 

Sadly, Houghton Main were unable to win their quarter final of the ECB National Village Cup on Sunday but deserve congratulations for reaching the final stages again – they were losing finalists at Lords in 2019. On Saturday, with thoughts elsewhere, they were still able to complete a rather nervous victory over Conisbrough to keep them up with the Championship leaders. Conisbrough were 49-6, thanks to a four wicket (all LBW) spell by Michael Bates, but pulled themselves round with 20s from Josh Whittaker, Scott Lowe and Buddhika Sanjeewa, ending on 148-9. Bates took 4-24 in fifteen, Imran Khan 3-29 from the same. Houghton then set off with confidence, with Luke Ogden and Connor Fisher putting on 64 together and taking the score to 114-2 – nearly over? Hassan Bin Shahab and Scott Lowe had other ideas. They took eight wickets between them and when Luke Ogden was out for a crucial 69, Houghton still needed 4 to win. When Jake Hardcastle was out three balls later, they were nine down and in imminent danger of defeat! But the game ended in anti-climax with two wides and a no ball and Houghton had won but Conisbrough deserve huge credit for their come-back, which also garnered them enough bowling points to away from the relegation zone (if not by much). 

 

Conisbrough 148-9 (50) Imran Khan 3-29, Michael Bates 4-24 

Houghton Main 149-9 (39.4) Luke Ogden 69, Scott Lowe 3-31, Hassan Bin Shahab 5-40 

 

 

The bowlers were on top at Aston, where Collegiate struggled to put a score together. Matt Tyas made 34 and Michael Goodchild 23, but it wasn’t easy against a determined Aston Hall attack, led by Josh Coulson with 4-22 from nine. Collegiate stuttered to 144-8, but then bowled with equal skill. 16-year old Tate Miller was exceptional with 5-39 from 14 and Ben Fielding, in his element, with 3-12. Aston had their chances. A good partnership of 60 between Ali Ahmed (33) and Nathan Ward (35) took them to 81-3 but they got no further than 120 all out, leaving both clubs in the top six but without much prospect of catching the leaders. 

 

Sheffield C 2 144-8 (50) Matt Tyas 34, Josh Coulson 4-22 

Aston Hall 120 (40.4) Ali Ahmed 33, Nathan Ward 35, Tate Miller 5-39, Ben Fielding 3-12 

 

 

Wath are on a roll and steaming over everyone in their path. On Saturday it was Rockingham, but the Rock had no answer to the roll of Jack Whitlam who took 5-38 in thirteen or Alex Roebuck, 3-36 in fifteen. Apart from Harry Grindle (16), Steve Taylor (23) and Ryan Mann (21), no-one made double figures. In fact it took a partnership of 43 between Taylor and Mann to haul them from 48-8 to a slightly more respectable 100 all out. They even carried on their positivity into dismissing two Wath batsmen (including run machine Bradley Williams) for 0, but by then the steam was restored to the roller and James Barnard (51*) and Ainsley Swallow (44*) just rolled and rolled for fifteen overs at more than a run a ball, until the Rock was crushed flat and Wath had 102-2 and an eight wicket win. They are now fifth and Rockingham seventh in the table. 

 

Rockingham C 100 (38) Alex Roebuck 3-36, Jack Whitlam 5-38 

Wath 102-2 (15.2) James Barnard 51*, Ainsley Swallow 44* 

 

 

Oughtibridge have also been on a roll, but it’s not easy going uphill. They came to a stop last week and this week, after pushing as hard as they could against Barnsley, simply ran out of steam. Barnsley made 158-9. Sam Patel took 4-30, including the top two Barnsley batsmen, Haider Jahangir (53) and Zak Jahangir (37) who between them shepherded their team through the innings. Hamzah Ilyas (48) and Ashley Naseby (38) then set out to do the same for Oughtibridge, but apart from 18 for opener Zobair Khaliq, no-one else made more than five and though Ilyas and Naseby got them to 116-4 (in sight of their target), in another 16 runs they were all out, with Steve Honeyman taking 3-35 and Haider Jahangir 3-33. The win lifts Barnsley out of the relegation zone but drops Oughtibridge further into it, now 20 points below the surface, staring up at Sprotbrough (72), Barnsley (74), Conisbrough (76) and Warmsworth (78) who have six more games to try to pull themselves away from joining them. 

 

Barnsley WM 2 158-9 (50) Zak Jahangir 37, Haider Jahangir 53, Sam Patel 4-30 

Oughtibridge WM 132 (46.5) Hamzah Ilyas 48, Ashley Naseby 38, Steven Honeyman 3-35, Haider Jahangir 3-33