Round-up of games played on 6 May

Whilst the weather allowed a start to be made in all but eight of the 60 scheduled Saturday games, 41 out of those 52 had to be abandoned as rain swept across our area. If last season was one of the best on record, this must be one of the worst starts to a season. At least the Play-Cricket malfunctions seemed to have been overcome, and it was possible to keep track of what play was taking place. 

 

 

Last week Tickhill were thwarted by the weather whilst Wakefield Thornes picked up a win – this time it was the other way round, and the two clubs are locked on 32 points, eight clear of the rest. Tickhill elected to field first at Alderson Drive, where Imran Khan led the assault on Aston Hall’s batting with 6-20. The visitors were all out for 53 and Tickhill raced to a ten-wicket win in less than five overs, James Stuart hitting an unbeaten 30 off 13 balls. The game at Chichester Road also beat the weather, visitors Whitley Hall making 177-8 after being asked to bat first by Cleethorpes. A seventh-wicket stand of 64 between James Brown (30) and Dan Waldron (31) rescued the visitors from 96-6. In Cleethorpes’ reply, only Bill Kirby (36) at the top of the order showed prolonged resistance, and the wickets were shared by six bowlers as the home side fell 57 short. Wakefield Thornes were asked to bat first by Barnsley Woolley Miners at Shaw Lane, and were 181-7 in the 45th over when the rain came and prevented an interesting finish. Shubham Sharma top-scored with 40 for the visitors, whilst Ali Jahangir took 3-29 for Barnsley. An interesting finish also looked likely at Town Fields, where Doncaster Town won the toss and bowled Treeton out for 94, James Dobson continuing his fine early-season form with 5-17. But three early wickets for Charlie Bourne ensured that the home side would not have everything their own way in their reply, and they were 39-4 when rain prevented further play. Bilal Anjam was unbeaten on 57 in Elsecar’s 162-6, after they were asked to bat first by Appleby Frodingham at the Al-Murad, when play ended with seven overs of the first innings left. Finally, just 37 overs were possible at Crimicar, where Sheffield Collegiate, after being put in to bat by Hallam, were 129-5, with Shaaiq Choudhry unbeaten on 42. 

 

 

A devastating six-wicket spell by opening bowler Arsalan Mir had Darfield back in the pavilion in less than 20 overs, after they had elected to bat first against Shiregreen at School Lane. The visitors duly wrapped up a nine-wicket win in the 12th over. Before the start of play, Doncaster Town 2nds were level with Darfield at the top of the table, but they were bowled out by Houghton Main for 127 after being asked to bat first at Middlecliffe Lane, Usman Khan taking three wickets in his opening spell before rain prevented any play in the second innings. It was a similar story elsewhere; Conisbrough made 201-8 in 40 overs after being put in by Barnsley Woolley Miners 2nds, Dawud Hafejee hitting an unbeaten 46 ,whilst Boeta Beukes took 4-54 for the visitors; Sheffield Collegiate 2nds were struggling on 94-7 in the 39th over after being asked to bat first by Cawthorne at Abbeydale, where Methushan Thilina and Liam Wiles took three wickets each; Wickersley Old Village had made 131-7 off 45 overs at Melton Road after being asked to bat first by Sprotbrough, for whom Ashley Langdale took 3-52, whilst Isaac Spencer-Jones top-scored with 37 for the visitors; and Wath were 120-4 in the 39th over after being put in to bat by Whiston Parish Church at Church Fields, where opener Mark Barnard was 51 not out, and Harsha Rajapaksha had taken 3-29. 

 

 

The dreadful weather cannot halt Ackworth, who won their fourth game of the season in succession to lead Division 1 by 16 points. After being put in to bat by Rotherham Town at Clifton Lane, they had reached 181-5 in the 38th over when skipper Luke Townsend was out for 94. He immediately declared the innings closed, and followed up with 5-22 in 14 overs, as he and Dale Langfield (5-17) bowled the home side out for 65. Coal Aston are in joint second place after a seven-wicket win over Sheffield United at Bawtry Road. After they had asked United to bat first, Daniel Hemingway took 5-13 for the visitors as they bowled the home side out for 42, and they scored the required runs inside ten overs. Oughtibridge War Memorial are level with Coal Aston in second, but were struggling on 118-7 in the 42nd over against Aston Hall 2nds at Green Lane after being asked to bat first. There were three wickets each for Henry Renshaw and Yousaf Ali, but their efforts were in vain as no further play was possible. Opener Nicholas England hit an unbeaten 108 off 128 balls for Wakefield Thornes 2nds against Green Moor at Field Lane. Having decided to bat first, the home side reached 185-5 and had the visitors on 29-2 when the rain came. Elsewhere, Harry Grindle (62) and Benjamin Dalton (80 not out) put on 144 for the first wicket as Rockingham Colliery reached 201-3 in 40 overs against Whitley Hall 2nds at Baxter Field after being asked to bat first, Liam Bacon taking all three wickets for the home side; and Wickersley Old Village 2nds reached 115-3 in 37 overs after electing to bat first at home to Upper Haugh, where Liam Heathcote and Jack Eggleston had added 80 for the fourth wicket with unbeaten thirties when the game was abandoned. 

 

 

Only one result was possible in Division 2, this at Warmsworth, where the home side asked Norton Oakes to bat first and bowled them out for 66, with Lewis Brown taking 4-15 and Bruce Jaftha 5-15. Warmsworth then lost three wickets in scoring the required runs in the eleventh over. Hatfield Town posted 177-9 after being asked to bat first by Elsecar 2nds at Carr Side Lane. Ellis Pattison (39) and Luke Cockburn (46) top-scored for the home side, whilst Jason Meadows (4-48) was the pick of the visitors’ attack. The visitors were 10-1 in reply when rain ended play for the day. Thorpe Hesley & High Green bowled Penistone out for 102 after putting them in to bat at Smithywood Road – Hafeez Ali (3-10) and Garvin Serieux (4-31) doing most of the damage – but rain prevented the home side starting their reply. Norton Woodseats were also asked to bat first by Treeton 2nds at Washfield Lane, and were 103-8 off 30 overs when play was abandoned, Hamzah Shah top-scoring with 40. The games between Parkhead and Hallam 2nds, and Sheffield Collegiate 3rds and Tickhill 2nds, were both abandoned without a ball bowled. 

 

 

Only one game beat the weather in Division 3, whilst none of the others reached their second innings. In the one game that was completed, at Worsbrough Bridge, the home side put Sprotbrough 2nds in to bat and bowled them out for 31 in the 16th over, with Liam Levitt taking 4-15 and James Kennedy 5-16, before knocking off the required runs without loss of wicket in the fifth over. A potentially interesting clash at Moor Road between the top two sides in the early season table was abandoned with Stocksbridge on 70-3 in the 33rd over, having been put in to bat by Wath 2nds, with visiting skipper Jack Newton unbeaten on 32. Caribbean Sports were put in to bat at the Common by visitors Frecheville Community and were bowled out for 51, with three wickets each for Todd Saxelby and Adam Buckle; Kexborough were asked to bat first by Cawthorne 2nds at Dark Lane and were bowled out for 110, Callum McCarthy taking 6-34; Millhouses Works put visitors Bradfield Village Fellowship in to bat and had them in trouble at 59-7 in the 23rd over, with Joe Morgan taking 3-17; and Monk Bretton put Oughtibridge War Memorial 2nds in to bat at Waterside Gardens, where the home side were 82-3 in the 27th over, Adil Nasim having scored 42. 

 

 

Division 4 fared worst of all, with one game, Rockingham Colliery 2nds against Doncaster Town 3rds, cancelled and the other five all abandoned. The early leaders, Whiston Parish Church 2nds, came closest to getting a result, at Higham, where they bowled the home side out for 84 after putting them in to bat, Jack Moran taking 5-20, and were 37-1 off 21 balls when the game was abandoned. The game at Wombwell Main also got into the second innings, where the home side were 14-1 in reply to visitors Barnby Dun’s 121 all out. There were three wickets each for Ben Reeves, Tom Peck and Richard Wilkinson after the home side elected to bowl first. Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds elected to bowl first and restricted Silkstone United to 127-7 in 40 overs at Silkstone Common, Rob Wade (39) and Will Clegg (34) having put on 80 for the first wicket and Callum Bailey taken 4-29, and the visitors were 1-0 after two overs before the game was abandoned. Finally, Sheffield Collegiate 4ths were put in to bat by Upper Haugh 2nds at Wentworth Road, and were 81-2 after 31 overs. 

 

 

In Division 5 all six games started, but none finished, with Fishlake feeling the most frustrated after bowling out Sheffield United 2nds for 79 at Pinfold Lane, and reaching 56-3 off 16 overs before rain washed out play. There were three wickets each for Frederick Stevens and Richard Copley after the home side had elected to bowl first. Conisbrough 2nds were well on top at Stonelow after they decided to bowl first and Craig Jackson had taken three wickets to reduce Coal Aston 2nds to 31-5 off 15 overs, before play was abandoned. Darfield 2nds were also asked to bat first at Maltby Miners Welfare and were struggling at 115-8 off 35 overs when the rain came. The game at Hatfield House Lane was reduced to 25 overs per side in an effort to beat the elements, and Shiregreen 2nds reached 88-6 after being asked to bat first by Thorpe Hesley & High Green 2nds, for whom Travis Bacchus took 4-23. The visitors were 14-1 off six overs when the game was abandoned. Finally, Whiston Forge were 146-6 in the 28th over at Guilthwaite Hill after being asked to bat first by Rotherham Town 2nds. When play was abandoned, Kristian Lee-Green was unbeaten on 72 and Mark Traquair on 36; earlier Anshal Ahmed had taken 3-24 for the visitors. 

 

 

There was one outright result in Division 6, at Chapel Lane, where Whitley Hall 3rds bowled Green Moor 2nds out for 52 after they had elected to bat first. Alistair Riddle took 5-27 for the visitors, who scored the 53 needed in 4.1 overs with nine wickets to spare. Sheffield University Staff were in trouble at 68-9 when rain intervened after they were put in to bat by Mexborough Athletic at Norton; James Beresford led the way for the visitors with 3-19. Caribbean Sports 2nds were 152-9 in the 36th over at the Boot & Shoe Ground after being asked to bat first by Ackworth 2nds; Rajinder Kundra had taken 6-53 when rain brought proceedings to an end. Handsworth Junior SC 2nds were 78-5 after 25 overs after being put in to bat by Bradfield Village Fellowship 2nds at the Sands, with Nick Cutts having taken three wickets, when play was abandoned. The game between Norton Oakes 2nds and Brookhouse was abandoned without a ball bowled. 

 

 

As in Division 6, there was just the one outright result in Division 7, Scholes & Harley securing a 26-run win away to Stocksbridge 2nds. Thirties from Sam Lowery and Callum Sverdloff took the visitors to 147-7 after being asked to bat first, before three wickets each from Jamie Oliver and Tom Wade helped restrict the home side to 121-9. Scholes now have a four-point lead over Hatfield at the top of the early season table. Barnsley Woolley Miners 4ths were frustrated by the weather, which cost them the chance to go level with Scholes & Harley at the top; Steven Dixon had figures of 10-7-8-6 as they restricted Millhouses Works 2nds to 76-9 in 40 overs after asking them to bat first at Woolley. The home side were 49-1 off just nine overs when rain caused the game to be abandoned. Sprotbrough 3rds declared at 135-5 off 29 overs after being asked to bat first away to Mexborough Athletic 2nds. Adrian Stafford-Bennett top scored with 62 and he had good support from skipper Nigel Young (38). The home side were 41-2 off seven overs in reply, with Shakeel Hussain going well on 35 off 27 balls when the rain curtailed play. The games between Eden Grove Parklands and Warmsworth 2nds, and Frecheville Community 2nds and Houghton Main 2nds, were both abandoned without a ball bowled. 

 

 

Upper Haugh 3rds gained a seven-wicket win away to Thorncliffe and Wentworth 2nds at Clayfield Lane after asking the home side to bat first and bowling them out for 36 in the 21st over. Joe Platts (6-18) and Lucas Hawke (4-5) did the damage for the visitors, who wrapped up the win in the seventh over to take a four-point lead at the top of the division. Rockingham Colliery 3rds made 103-6 in 40 overs after being put in to bat by Worsbrough Bridge 2nds at Stainborough, Reece Woodhead hitting an unbeaten 43; and the visitors were 13-2 in the fifth over when the game was washed out. There was no play at all in the games between Adwick-le-Street and Wath 3rds, and Norton Woodseats 2nds and Wombwell Main 2nds. 

 

 

Barnby Dun 2nds are joint top of the division after a two-wicket victory at home to Eden Grove Parklands 2nds. Nick Ashton took 4-14 to help bowl the visitors out for 59 after they were asked to bat first, before the home side sneaked home with two wickets to spare, despite the efforts of Callum Freeman and Matthew Tate, who took three wickets each. Kexborough 2nds were denied the chance to move clear at the top of the table when, after visitors Fishlake 2nds decided to bat first and were all out for 41, the home side were 27-8 in 23 overs when the game was abandoned. Andrew Greaves took 4-15 in the first innings, and was unbeaten on nine, the game’s top score, when the rain came. An interesting finish was ruined, with both visiting skipper Keith Bee (4-5) and fellow opener Simon Waites (3-10) having completed their ten-over spells. At Rose Lane, Brookhouse 2nds were asked to bat first by Elsecar 3rds and reached 135-7 in their 40 overs, James Motley (43) and skipper Carl Raynes (33) top-scoring for the home side. The visitors were 57-1 in 13 overs when the game was abandoned. There was no play in the game between Scholes & Harley 2nds and Whiston Forge 2nds.