Premier Division round-up for 21 May

The last remaining 100% record in the Premier Division fell at Shaw Lane yesterday, when hitherto winless Barnsley Woolley Miners beat leaders Wakefield Thornes in an enthralling encounter. After electing to bat first, Barnsley reached 152-1, thanks to a 94-run second-wicket stand between Jon Trower and Oliver Bennett. Although wickets fell regularly after that, with Imran Mahboob the chief destroyer, the home side still managed to post a very competititive 240-9. Thornes’ innings started disastrously at 5-3, two wickets falling to Beck Frostick, but the visitors recovered through a 65-run fourth wicket stand between Joe Billings and Matt Jordan. Jordan then added 68 for the sixth wicket with the highly-talented young Jawad Akhtar (53 off 59 balls) to take their side to 162-5, and after both were dismissed by Frostick, Mahboob’s 35 off 23 balls kept Thornes hopes alive until Bennett weighed in with the two last wickets. Thornes remain top, and Barnsley second bottom – but the win got the Griffins’ season going, and ensured that they were not cast adrift as others around them also won. 

 

Barnsley WM 240-9 (50) Jake Weatherald 35, Jon Trower 64, Oliver Bennett 60, Matty Taylor 3-46, Imran Mahboob 6-68 

Wakefield Thornes 228 (50) Joe Billings 46, Matt Jordan 53, Jawad Akhtar 53, Imran Mahboob 35, Beck Frostick 5-74, Oliver Jackson 3-32 

 

Appleby Frodingham quickly put last week’s defeat behind them, recording a 19-run win over Cawthorne at Brumby Hall. After being put in to bat by the visitors, a patient 75-run third-wicket stand between Jordan Neil and Kieran Lindley was the backbone of their innings, with Taruwar Kohli’s economical spell (1-32 in 12 overs) keeping the brakes on the scoring. Cawthorne reached 110-2 in reply, after Liam Wiles had shared half-century stands with Kohli and Nick Owen. After Wiles and Owen had fallen to Jack Harrison, Archie Greaves took over and a Cawthorne win looked on the cards until a collapse, sparked by two wickets from Neil, saw the last four wickets fall for one run. The Steelmen are now just two points behind Wakefield Thornes, in second place, whilst Cawthorne slip one place to tenth. 

 

Appleby Frodingham 209-5 (50) Jordan Neil 59, Kieran Lindley 40 

Cawthorne 190 (47.3) Liam Wiles 53, Nick Owen 33, Archie Greaves 44, Jordan Neil 3-28, Jack Harrison 3-58 

 

Whitley Hall leapfrogged Cleethorpes to move into joint-fourth after a tense encounter at Baxter Field. The visitors elected to bat first, but did not find run scoring easy, particularly against James Brown (1-14 in seven) and Neil Longhurst (1-18 in nine). Dan Waldron snapped up the first four wickets on his way to his first five-wicket haul of the season. Only Sameera Sadamal offered any prolonged resistance against the home attack until Sam Baker came in at number nine to graft his way to 39 off 66 balls. Cleethorpes’ 164 looked around thirty runs short, particularly when Longhurst and Brown had added 68 for the fourth wicket to take the home side to 112-3. Five wickets then fell for 19 runs – three to Tom Rollinson to give him his best bowling figures – which gave the visitors a glimmer of hope. But Matt Godden and Biswick Kapala then came together in an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 35 to see Whitley home. 

 

Cleethorpes 164 (50) Sameera Sadamal 42, Sam Baker 39, Dan Waldron 5-46 

Whitley Hall 166-8 (48.5) Neil Longhurst 60, Sameera Sadamal 3-37, Tom Rollinson 3-25 

 

In second place at the start of the day, Tickhill suffered just their second defeat of the season, this at the hands of bottom club Whiston Parish Church. After being put in to bat, the home side grafted their way to 183, despite the efforts of leading wicket-taker Tian Koekemoer, who finished with 6-46 in his 15 overs. Andrew Tomlinson set the example with a patient 42 at the top of the order, but only Joe Norbury and Lewis Pike of the other batsmen passed 20. But 183 was more than enough on the day, and after Aamir Jasmal had dispatched both openers early on, only Jim Morgan and Koekemoer himself provided much resistance for the visitors. Joe Norbury took the last four wickets to leave Koekemoer high and dry with Tickhill 44 runs short. Tickhill slip a place to third, but it was an invaluable win for Whiston, on a day when three of the bottom four at the start of play all won. 

 

Whiston PC 183 (50) Andrew Tomlinson 42, Tian Koekemoer 6-46 

Tickhill 139 (39.2) Jim Morgan 41, Tian Koekemoer 42*, Aamir Jamal 3-50, Tom Bolland 3-18, Joe Norbury 4-30 

 

Doncaster Town’s recent winning run ended at Abbeydale, where they were put in to bat by Sheffield Collegiate. After Henry Eldred’s two early wickets, the visitors’ innings was dominated by Umar Amin, whilst wickets fell regularly at the other end. Amin scored 83 before being seventh out at 169, whilst Matt Tyas, with 5-29 in 13.2 overs, recorded his best figures at this level. Collegiate were then steered to victory by a patient 122-run second-wicket stand between George Bartlett and Shaaiq Choudhury. Collegiate are now joint fourth with Whitley Hall, whilst remain in mid-table. 

 

Doncaster T 184 (45.2) Umar Amin 83, Henry Eldred 3-51, Matt Tyas 5-29 

Sheffield Collegiate 185-4 (47.2) George Bartlett 66, Shaaiq Choudhry 73* 

 

Treeton’s decision to bat first at the Al Murad Stadium did not really pay off. Only when Dave Rodgers and Sam Drury were together in a third wicket stand of 40 did they look like taking control, but from 71-2 they subsided to 100-8, with four wickets from Muhammed Ilyas. Some defiance from the last three batsmen then helped the visitors to reach 146, but there were still eight unused overs after Jack Shutt had taken the last two wickets. Two wickets each from Vinnie Ogden and Charlie Bourne had Elsecar wobbling at 65-4, but Ian Swallow joined Bilal Anjam, and together they added 83 in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand to see their side home in relative comfort. Elsecar have narrowed the gap between them and Treeton, in eight place, to four points. 

 

Treeton 146 (41.4) Dave Rodgers 31, Sam Drury 30, Muhammed Ilyas 4-20, Jack Shutt 4-51 

Elsecar 148-4 (37.4) Bilal Anjam 60*, Ian Swallow 31* 

 

Full scorecards