Preview of games on 7 & 8 May

 

Joint leaders Appleby Frodingham make the trip to face Whitley Hall at Baxter Field, where they won comfortably last year; however, the home side will want to put last week’s reverse at Tickhill quickly behind them. The other unbeaten side, Wakefield Thornes, are at home to Treeton, who have lost their last two games now, and for whom Field Lane is not a happy hunting ground. Cleethorpes’ wins in their last two games have moved them up to joint third, and they are at home to Whiston, who have lost their last two, for a repeat of a game won comfortably by Cleethorpes in the Championship at the end of last season. Barnsley will want a repeat of last season’s win when they face joint-third Tickhill at home; whilst the two clubs who gained their first wins last week, Doncaster Town and Elsecar, face each other at Town Fields, in a game that the home side won last year. Sheffield Collegiate, with just one win out of three, will hope to improve that record at home to Cawthorne, over whom they did the double in their first league encounters last season. 

 

 

There are two potentially very good games at the top of the Championship Division, where the unbeaten join leaders Aston Hall and Hallam, visit the sides in fifth, Houghton Main, and third, Sprotbrough, respectively. The corresponding game at Middlecliffe Lane was lost to the weather last year, and it will be a good test of whether the visitors can make a sustained promotion challenge. Sprotbrough are much improved on last year and their tussle with Hallam will be interesting. Promoted Shiregreen have won two out of three, and face inconsistent Wath in another intriguing game. Wickersley and Green Moor meet at Northfield Road both needing a win to get back on track; Barnsley 2nds will hope to replicate last week’s runfest at Conisbrough, and Sheffield Collegiate 2nds go to Rockingham, where they lost last year. 

 

 

In Division 1, Darfield and Whitley Hall 2nds both played out tense victories last weekend and they face each other this time around at Darfield hoping to put pressure on the early leaders. Joint leaders Doncaster Town 2nds were runaway winners at home to Warmsworth, and they travel to Sheffield Collegiate 3rds in what promises to be an interesting game. Level on points with Doncaster are Sheffield United, who host Coal Aston looking to keep up their 100% record. Elsewhere, South Kirkby host Upper Haugh and Oughtibridge travel to Rotherham Town, whilst Warmsworth look for their first points of the season at home to Wakefield Thornes 2nds. 

 

 

The two teams to have won all their games to date, Norton Woodseats and Wickersley Old Village 2nds, and both face away fixtures in Division 2 this weekend. The former travel to Aston Hall 2nds while Wickersley go to the Castle Ground to play Monk Bretton. Caribbean are yet to register a point at the bottom of the table but play a Hallam 2nds side just a place above them. Hatfield Town hammered Hallam last time out in probably the performance of the day, and their next fixture comes at Thorpe Hesley & High Green. In the other games, fourth-placed Treeton 2nds play host to Norton Oakes while third-placed Ackworth are away at Penistone. 

 

 

There’s an early top of the table clash in Division 3 this weekend, in which either Elsecar 2nds or Parkhead will have their 100% start to the campaign ended at the Al-Murad Stadium. There are no teams without a win in the division, but Worsbrough Bridge currently sit bottom by two points, and play host to Thorncliffe & Wentworth just above them. The biggest win last weekend went to third-placed Tickhill 2nds, and they will look to carry that momentum into their fixture at home to Sprotbrough 2nds. Elsewhere, lowly Oughtibridge 2nds host Kexborough, Bradfield Village Fellowship in fourth travel to Wath 2nds and Whiston Parish Church 2nds play Frecheville Community. 

 

 

Sheffield Collegiate 4ths and Millhouses Works currently top Division 4, but both play against teams who are fresh from victories last weekend. To make it tougher both games come away from home with Collegiate at third-placed Handsworth and Millhouses at Whiston Forge. Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds produced an impressive batting display to chase a sizeable target at Silkstone United for their first win last week, and they host winless Shiregreen 2nds. Bottom club Silkstone travel to fifth-placed Cawthorne 2nds. To complete the fixtures, Higham host Maltby Miners Welfare and lowly Rockingham Colliery 2nds are away at Stocksbridge in fourth. 

 

 

Rotherham Town 2nds and Hallam 3rds face double headers this weekend in Division 5. They play second-placed Upper Haugh 2nds and Mexborough Athletic respectively on Saturday, before meeting each other on Sunday in their game-in-hand. Hallam will see their first game as a crucial one as they play the only other team in the division without a point on their home patch. There are currently three teams yet to drop points with two of them going head-to-head in an potentially exciting encounter at Wombwell Main where Doncaster Town 3rds are the visitors. In the other fixtures, Coal Aston are at home to Fishlake, Norton Oakes 2nds host Conisbrough 2nds and Sheffield University Staff play Darfield 2nds. 

 

 

No team maintains a 100% record in Division 6, with Wickersley Old Village 3rds currently top by two points; they host Handsworth 2nds, who also have two wins to their name. The only team without a victory so far this season are Caribbean 2nds who have a fixture at home to second-placed Thorpe Hesley & High Green 2nds. Barnsley Woolley Miners 4ths were blown away by Wickersley last weekend, but play a Green Moor 2nds side who were also well beaten by Thorpe Hesley. Finally, Bradfield Village Fellowship 2nds will host Penistone 2nds and Whitley Hall 3rds are away at Sprotbrough 3rds. 

 

 

There is a top against bottom encounter in Division 7, where Ackworth 2nds, who are yet to drop points, play at home to Thorncliffe and Wentworth 2nds, who are yet to pick up any. Monk Bretton 2nds, however, are currently propping up the table after some cancellations and will hope for an upturn in fortunes at seventh club Harley. Higham 2nds currently top the table on net run rate, andf their game is away at Millhouses Works 2nds, who are sixth. Elsewhere, Frecheville Community 2nds will host Brookhouse and Eden Grove Parklands will travel to Mexborough Athletic 2nds. 

 

 

Only Doncaster Town 4ths have won all their games in Division 8, but they remain third having played a game less than Houghton Main 2nds and Dearne above them. In what may prove to be an important game at the end of the season, the latter two sides play each other at Dearne, who currently sit top by two points. Town’s game comes at home to Rockingham Colliery 3rds, and they will hope to capitalise as a team above them will drop points. Elsewhere, there was a huge win for Silkstone United 2nds in their previous fixture, they will hope to carry on the good form at home to Stocksbridge 2nds, who also won convincingly. The other games of the day feature Scholes at Fishlake 2nds and fourth-placed Hatfield Town 2nds against bottom club Wath 3rds. 

 

 

Whiston Forge and Wombwell Main 2nd teams currently top Division 9 with three wins from three. Both face away fixtures this weekend, playing against Brookhouse 2nds and Kexborough 2nds respectively. Brookhouse are still without a victory, although have picked up three sets of bonus points. The only team below them are Sheffield United 3rds, who travel to Adwick-le-Street looking to kickstart their season. The weekend’s other fixtures see lowly Eden Grove Parklands 2nds entertaining Hampole & Skelbrooke in fourth and Upper Haugh 3rds travelling Rockingham Colliery 4ths, both in mid-table. 

 

 

In the cup competitions, Elsecar host Cleethorpes in the Viking Cricket Cup, where the visitors will hope to repeat their League win of a fortnight ago. There are also three ties in the first round of the Billy Oates Memorial Cup, at Adwick-le-Street, where Wath 3rds are the opposition; Rockingham, whose 3rd team face Upper Haugh 3rds, and Wombwell, where the 2nd XI play Stockbridge 2nds.