Preview of games on 23/24 April

 

 

 

Two of last week’s winners, Wakefield Thornes and Tickhill, meet in what looks like an intriguing game at Field Lane, with the added spice of Joe Billings playing against his former club after his century on debut for Thornes at Elsecar last week. Barnsley and Cawthorne, both looking to get off the mark after losing last week, are at home to two sides that got off to a winning start last week, Whitley Hall and Treeton respectively, and two hard-fought games can be expected. Promoted Whiston Parish will need to be at their best when they travel to play Sheffield Collegiate at Abbeydale, but they have a real match-winner in Aamir Jamal, and cannot be written off. 

 

Doncaster Town were well-beaten at Tickhill last Saturday, and will need a big improvement when champions Appleby Frodingham visit Town Fields; and Cleethorpes, after their narrow loss against Treeton last week, will need their top order to fire if they are to get off the mark against an always dangerous Elsecar side determined to put last week’s disappointment against Thornes behind them. 

 

 

Both Hallam and Collegiate 2nds got their campaigns off to winning starts last week and now face each other in a local derby at Crimicar, the home side having the extra incentive of getting some early momentum in their bid to make a quick return to the Premier Division. Fellow relegated side Wickersley, who had a narrow win at Wath last week, will have the same motivation against a Shiregreen side that lost in disappointing fashion against Sprotbrough, but will know that they cannot afford to gift the opposition 45 extras again. Sprotbrough themselves have the chance to make it two out of two against Barnsley 2nds, who will need to find more support in the batting department for skipper Nathan Swift. 

 

Aston Hall will want to build on the momentum gained last week when they travel to play a Conisbrough side that will want to get their season up-and-running. There is an intriguing game at Middlecliffe Lane, where pre-season favourites Houghton Main take on the talented, if unpredictable, Wath side. Finally, the other promoted side, Green Moor, will seek to build on an encouraging showing against Houghton Main last week when they visit a Rockingham side that were well-beaten at Aston Hall last week. 

 

 

Early Division 1 pacesetters, Wakefield Thornes 2nds, will be looking to build on their emphatic win last weekend as they travel to Rotherham Town. The team they overcame, Sheffield Collegiate 3rds, need to improve, with another tough game at home to Coal Aston on the cards. Both South Kirkby and Doncaster Town 2nds won handsomely last time out and face off this weekend in what could be an interesting encounter. Elsewhere, Darfield host Upper Haugh, Sheffield United travel to Warmsworth and Whitley Hall 2nds entertain Oughtibridge. 

 

 

Monk Bretton prop up Division 2 after the first round of fixtures and will need a much stronger performance at home to Norton Woodseats, who won comfortably last week. Thorpe Hesley & High Green enjoyed an impressive start to the season last weekend and face a Hallam 2nds side who failed to defend 180 in their last outing. Early table-toppers Ackworth travel to Norton Oakes looking to build their early-season momentum; while Aston Hall 2nds host Caribbean Sports, Hatfield Town travel to Penistone and Treeton 2nds are at home to Wickersley Old Village 2nds in the weekend’s other fixtures. 

 

 

Oughtibridge and Wath 2nd teams made up the Division’s top two in the first round of fixtures and both have home games this weekend, against Bradfield Village Fellowship and Parkhead respectively. Elsecar 2nds and Frecheville Community will be looking for more runs this time out after their low-scoring fixture last weekend, with Elsecar hosting Thorncliffe & Wentworth and Frecheville travelling to Tickhill 2nds. Sprotbrough 2nds will be keen to climb off the bottom with a win at Kexborough with the other fixtures of the day seeing second bottom Worsbrough Bridge travelling to Whiston Parish Church 2nds and Wath 2nds hosting Parkhead. 

 

 

Millhouses Works were the ones to set the pace on the opening weekend in Division 4, with their next fixture coming in the shape of a trip to Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds. Stocksbridge sit second in the standings and host Cawthorne 2nds, who beat Barnsley last time out. Shiregreen 2nds sit bottom of the early standings with a game at home to Maltby Miners Welfare on the horizon. Maltby and Whiston Forge played out an extraordinary, tied game last time out, with the latter hoping for a much more solid batting display at home to Sheffield Collegiate 4ths. Higham host Rockingham Colliery 2nds and Silkstone United travel to Handsworth in the other games in the division. 

 

 

Several Division 5 teams will be looking for improved batting displays this weekend after some emphatic collapses in the previous round of fixtures. Norton Oakes 2nds were bowled out for just 58 in their second innings, and have a trip to Upper Haugh 2nds. Neither Sheffield University Staff nor Mexborough Athletic made it past 100 in their encounter, and they face Rotherham Town and Coal Aston 2nds respectively. Wombwell Main, the division’s first table-toppers, host Fishlake, while Hallam 3rds host Conisbrough 2nds and Darfield 2nds travel to Doncaster Town 3rds in the weekend’s other encounters. 

 

 

Whitley Hall 3rds won emphatically at home to Bradfield Village Fellowship 2nds to top the early Division 6 table and will look to carry that into their next fixture as they travel to Wickersley Old Village 3rds. Both Handsworth 2nds and Caribbean 2nds were well beaten in their last fixtures and face off this weekend at Caribbean hoping for an early upturn in form. Elsewhere, Green Moor 2nds host Penistone 2nds, Barnsley Woolley Miners 4ths travel to Sheffield United 2nds and Bradfield Village Fellowship 2nds entertain Sprotbrough 3rds. 

 

 

Higham and Warmsworth 2nd teams set the pace in Division 7 last weekend, with both playing away fixtures this time out. Ackworth 2nds and Frecheville Community 2nds are their respective hosts. Thorncliffe and Wentworth 2nds were bowled out for just 17 last time out and will need drastic improvement when Brookhouse come to town. Mexborough 2nds were also bowled out very cheaply, posting just 28 in their first innings against Higham 2nds, and they host Monk Bretton 2nds this time around. Millhouses Works 2nds host Harley in the weekend’s other fixture. 

 

 

Division 8 was topped by Houghton Main 2nds last weekend, with Worsbrough Bridge 2nds sitting just behind. The latter host Wath 3rds with Houghton Main 2nds not having a fixture. Dearne’s fixture at Scholes was cancelled last weekend, with both teams hoping to kickstart their seasons against Rockingham Colliery 3rds and Hatfield Town 2nds respectively. The other game in the division sees Fishlake 2nds play host to Doncaster Town 4ths. 

 

 

Hampole & Skelbrooke and Adwick-Le-Street set the pace last weekend in Division 9 and face off this time around at Adwick Park in what promises to be an exciting early season fixture. Eden Grove Parklands 2nds were bowled out for just 31 last time out and currently sit bottom of the table with a home game against Whiston Forge 2nds offering an opportunity to kickstart their season. Brookhouse 2nds and Kexborough 2nds were both bowled out below 100 but with differing results in their previous fixtures, they play each other hoping for more output from their batting departments. Upper Haugh 3rds and Wombwell Main 2nds play in Saturday’s other game, with Rockingham Colliery 4ths hosting Sheffield United 3rds on Sunday. 

 

 

Sunday also sees seven games in the Presidents Trophy, for Division 3 to 5 teams. One Division 3 side, Parkhead, are in action, at home to Rockingham 2nds of Division 4; and there are two all-Division 4 clashes, at Shiregreen, where Whiston Forge visit, and at Cawthorne, where Cawthorne 2nds play last year’s finalists Barnsley WM 3rds. Fourth division Rockingham 2nds play away to fifth division Upper Haugh 2nds, and at fourth division Stocksbridge, the visitors are Division 5 Doncaster Town 3rds. There are two all-Division 5 ties – Darfield 2nds against Wombell and Conisbrough 2nds against Hallam 3rds.