Premier Division round up for 27 August and Bank Holiday preview

Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Treeton went on to complete a league double over leaders Appleby Frodingham in a relatively low-scoring game at Washfield Road. The bowlers were largely in charge, and the only partnership of 50 or more in the game came when Treeton’s second-wicket pair of Dave Rodgers and Viraj Bhosale added 55 to take the home side to 79-1. Three wickets each from Matt Harris and Jordan Neil, plus a couple each from the returning Joe Baker and the ever-reliable Kieran Lindley restricted the home side to 179. It might not have looked an insurmountable score on paper, but, with two early wickets from Vinnie Ogden, the visitors were soon 23-3. At 74-4 a recovery looked on, but Lindley was then lbw to Liam Johnson for 21, and the last six wickets fell for just 52; Ogden the chief destroyer with 5-33. Treeton’s Premier Division safety is now assured, whilst the title is still Appleby Frodingham’s to lose – but they must wait a bit longer yet. 

 

Treeton 179 (47) Dave Rodgers 31, Matt Harris 3-36, Jordan Neil 3-39 

Appleby Frodingham 126 (43.1) Vinnie Ogden 5-33 

 

Tickhill increased the pressure on the leaders, narrowing the gap between them to ten points with two games to play with a convincing win over Elsecar at the Al-Murad Stadium. Having won the toss and asked the home side to bat first, there were a couple of early wickets for Paddy Turner as the home side slipped to 22-2. Bilal Ajam then top-scored with 43 and Kasheef Naveed helped him effect a partial recovery, but from 82-3 they fell to 128-7. Joe Denby led late resistance, but a score of 170-9 looked well within Tickhill’s compass. Ross Diver got them off to a positive start before being run out by Anjam, but Jim Morgan and Connor Fisher added 51 for the third wicket to ensure that there would be no collapse. After Morgan fell to Moin Ashraf, Jordan Lowe came in to hit an unbeaten 51 off 40 balls and take Tickhill home with plenty of overs and wickets to spare. Tickhill can only keep winning and hope the leaders will slip up again, whilst Elsecar drop into the bottom two again. 

 

Elsecar 170-9 (50) Bilal Anjam 43, Joe Denby 35*, Paddy Turner 3-34, Alex Rowland 3-44 

Tickhill 176-3 (36) Ross Diver 38, Connor Fisher 52*, Jordan Lowe 51* 

 

At Field Lane, Wakefield Thornes stretched their winning run to five, and are now within 16 points of the leaders. After Sheffield Collegiate had won the toss and elected to bat, they relied on George Bartlett to hold the early order together as wickets fell regularly at the other end, Matty Taylor taking three as the visitors slipped to 79-4. After Bartlett was caught off Joshua Hen-Boisen to make it 114-5, Sam Hunt and Dan Priestley came together to add 73 for the sixth wicket. Orminder Singh bowled Priestley for the first of his three wickets but Hunt (72 not out off 53 balls) kept going, and with the help of skipper Josh Varley at number ten (21 off 13 balls) took Collegiate to a testing 238-9. In reply, Thornes were looking in good shape at 81-1, but Varley then took two wickets at the same score, and Matt Jordan came in to join Joe Billings. These two swung the game firmly Thornes’ way with a stand of 101, and although they both fell at 182, Taylor, helped by handy contributions from the lower order, saw his side home with two overs and three wickets to spare. It would require a complete end-of-season collapse by the leaders, and another defeat for Tickhill, for Thornes to win the league, but they can only keep going and see what happens. Collegiate are now in an unaccustomed position in the bottom half of the table, and need one moire win to be absolutely safe.  

 

Sheffield Coll 238-9 (50) George Bartlett 61, Sam Hunt 72*, Matty Taylor 4-66, Orminder Singh 3-54 

Wakefield T 240-7 (48) James Wolfenden 31, Joe Billings 76, Matt Jordan 44, Josh Varley 4-48 

 

There was a crucial win for Cleethorpes at home to Doncaster Town after the home side had asked their visitors to bat first. Two early wickets for Harry Costello and one for Tom Rollinson had Town in trouble at 38-3, but the experienced Andrew Parkin-Coates held firm to prevent a complete collapse. Unfortunately for the visitors, no-one else reached 20, and when Parkin-Coates was seventh out for 70, there were only 137 on the board. A total of 160 looked under par, but the home side were under pressure for the win, and when James Dobson took two early wickets it was 30-2, and nerves were jangling. But experienced skipper Bill Kirby added 64 with Sameera Sadamal, and, when he was out, Ian Mansfield came in to help Sadamal finish the job with over six overs and seven wickets in hand. Neither side are completely assured of safety yet, but one win each from their last two games will suffice. 

 

Doncaster T 160 (48.5) Andrew Parkin-Coates 70, Sameera Sadamal 4-47 

Cleethorpes 163-3 (43.4) Bill Kirby 41, Sameera Sadamal 56*, Ian Mansfield 34*, James Dobson 3-32 

 

A massive win for Cawthorne over their local rivals Barnsley Woolley Miners means that their Premier Division safety is now in their own hands. They asked their visitors to bat first at Dark Lane, and despite the usual positive start from skipper Beck Frostick, Barnsley lost wickets regularly and half the side were back in the pavilion for 84. But Ali Jahangir chose the moment to make his maiden century, an unbeaten 116 off 106 balls, and with Owen Smith added 80 for the sixth wicket and 52 for the ninth with Matty Clegg. With four wickets for Taruwar Kohli and three for Ahmed Matloob, to take him to within one of his 50 for the season, Barnsley were bowled out for 233 with one ball of their 50 overs remaining. Cawthorne needed a good start, and Michael Jepps and Nick Owen put on 58 for the first wicket before both being lbw to Ollie Jackson. Last week’s hero Kade Fletcher made only 10, and at 97-3 the game could have gone either way. But Kohli (92 not out off 93 balls) and skipper Liam Wiles came together in an unbroken stand of 139 to take their side to victory with seven wickets and nine balls to spare. 

 

Barnsley WM 233 (49.5) Beck Frostick 36, Ali Jahangir 116*, Taruwar Kohli 4-51, Ahmed Matloob 3-57 

Cawthorne 236-3 (48.4) Michael Jepps 34, Taruwar Kohli 92*, Liam Wiles 67* 

 

Despite being relegated, this was a more spirited performance from Whiston Parish Church after they had been put in to bat by visitors Whitley Hall. A couple of early Dan Waldron wickets reduced them to 26-2, and they were 87-5 when Lewis Pike (51 off 39 balls) and Kazim Hassan came together to add 69 for the sixth wicket. Three wickets then fell for two runs, two to James Brown, before an unbeaten 21 from Jack Moran took the home side to 186. A couple of early wickets from Tom Bolland had Whitley in trouble, and they were 38-4 before Tim Smith and James Brown started a recovery with a stand of 42. Dan Waldron helped Smith add another 40 before the latter fell to Joe Norbury at 120-6, and the game was still in the balance. But Matt Gooden then helped Waldron to add 52 for the seventh wicket, Whitley got home with three wickets and nine balls to spare, and any lingering relegation fears were banished. 

 

Whiston PC 186 (46.5) Lewis Pike 51, Dan Waldron 4-37 

Whitley Hall 187-7 (48.3) Tim Smith 52, Dan Waldron 48* 

 

Full scorecards 

 

League table & leading averages 

 

 

There are several key games that will have a big bearing on the final outcome at the top and bottom of the table. At the top, leaders Appleby Frodingham, who have lost two of their last three, go to Field Lane to take on in-form Wakefield Thornes. A win for the latter would open the way for Tickhill to take over at the top, if they can beat Cleethorpes at Chichester Road in a game that is equally important for the home side as they bid to secure their Premier Division safety – they could also have a huge influence on the outcome of the title, as they also play Appleby Frodingham in their last game. At the other end of the table, there is a massive game at Dark Lane, where Elsecar are the visitors. With the teams separated by only two points in tenth and eleventh places, the outcome will not be decisive, but the winners will get an enormous boost as they head into the final weekend. Elsewhere, Doncaster Town and Sheffield Collegiate will both be seeking the wins that would guarantee their Premier Division safety, at home to Whitley Hall and Barnsley Woolley Miners respectively – both safe in mid-table. Finally, Whiston Parish Church and Treeton will play out a local derby for pride at Church Fields.