Round-up of league games played on 2 & 3 September

 

Our congratulations go to the new YCSPL Premier Division champions Sheffield Collegiate, who secured their well-deserved title with a 56-run win at Treeton; their first Premier League title since Ed McKenna’s side won the Yorkshire League in 2001. Congratulations too to Cawthorne, Ackworth, Warmsworth, Monk Bretton, Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds, Hatfield Town 2nds, Upper Haugh 3rds and Elsecar 3rds, who have all won their divisional titles. 

 

Sheffield Collegiate won the title by eight points from Tickhill, after finishing their season with what in the end was a comfortable win over Treeton at Washfield Lane. After they had elected to bat first, Jack Timby (73), Shaaiq Choudhry (54) and Henry Eldred (44) took the visitors to 216-6; Ben Birtles, with four wickets, being the most successful bowler for the hosts. It was a target that looked in Treeton’s reach whilst Viraj Bhosale (33) and Sam Drury (51) were adding 62 for the third wicket, but Henry Eldred dismissed both in a 6-40 spell, after which there was only late resistance from former Collegiate bowler Will Street, and the hosts were bowled out for 160. Tickhill finished runners-up for a second successive year, after a 65-run win over Doncaster Town at Alderson Drive. Jim Morgan’s unbeaten 106 off 114 balls was the backbone of the hosts 238-8 after they were put in to bat by the visitors. Joe Gallagher (59) top-scored in Town’s reply, whilst Josh Court, Imran Khan and Adi Sreedharan took three wickets apiece. Barnsley Woolley Miners are third in the final table after ending their season with a dramatic tie against Elsecar at Shaw Lane. In his last game for the club before emigrating to Australia, skipper Beck Frostick put the visitors in to bat, and his bowlers restricted them to 162-9, Ali Jahangir taking 5-59. In their reply, the hosts were 84-8 before Boeta Beukes (42) and Harvey Round (33) added 74 for the ninth-wicket, Round falling to the last ball of the game with just one run wanted for victory, whilst the evergreen Jason Meadows took 5-39 for Elsecar. Champions in the previous two years, Appleby Frodingham finished in fourth place after a comfortable win over Lincolnshire rivals Cleethorpes, who are safely anchored in mid-table. After deciding to bat first at Chichester Road, keeper Drew Silvester (64), Jordan Neil (58) and Kieran Lindley (51 not out) took the visitors to 233-3. 4-40 from Matthew Harris and 4-55 from Lindley then helped Frodingham to bowl their hosts out for 159, despite 41 from Brumby Hall old boy Jordan Cook. Joe Billings (109 off 106 balls) was the main contributor to Wakefield Thornes’ 279-8 after they elected to bat first against bottom club Hallam at Field Lane, Edward Burch taking four wickets for the visitors. Six bowlers then shared the wickets as Hallam were bowled out for 82. Aston Hall had to beat Whitley Hall at Green Lane in order to stand a chance of avoiding relegation, but fell to a four-wicket defeat that, in the end, meant little after Elsecar had gained eight points for their tied game. Mainak Ray (61) held the hosts’ upper order together after they had elected to bat, before Josh Coulson and Rob Ward added an unbeaten 44 for the ninth wicket to take them to 193-8. When Andrew Pickering (67) was out at 128-5, the hosts looked to have a chance, but Callum Bethel, with 49 not out off 32 balls, saw his side home with nine overs to spare. 

 

Cawthorne were confirmed as the division’s champions after an 81-run win over Barnsley Woolley Miners 2nds at Dark Lane. Liam Wiles (62) and keeper Thom Macrow (49 off 43 balls) were the main contributors to the hosts’ 166 all out, the latter mainly responsible for lifting them from 116-9, whilst Max Heseltine finished with 5-53 for the visitors. Ryan Gibson then took 5-25 as Barnsley were all out for 85 in reply. Wickersley Old Village are back in second place, and hold a four-point advantage over Shiregreen as the two clubs go into their last weekend showdown at Hatfield House Lane, after a four-wicket win over relegated Conisbrough at Park Road. After electing to bat first, Dawud Hafejee (43) and Danyaal Latif (46) helped the hosts reach 231-7, but a 131-run fifth-wicket partnership between skipper Gareth Purshouse (66) and Ben Simpson (64) helped the visitors to a last-over win. Shiregreen kept themselves in contention with a 77-run win over Doncaster Town 2nds at Town Fields. Arsalan Mir (59) and skipper Aslam Hayat (61) helped the visitors post 222-5, before Ibrahim Safi’s 5-30 helped bowl the hosts out for 145, despite 61 from Robert Grace at the top of the order. Houghton Main’s promotion chances ended when they slipped to a narrow defeat against Sheffield Collegiate 2nds at Abbeydale. Having elected to bat first, the visitors were all out for 107, Ben Fielding taking 5-17. Vikas Dixit’s 6-38 caused a wobble as the hosts collapsed from 86-4, but it was not enough to stop them sneaking home with one wicket to spare. In a crucial game at the bottom of the table, Wath ensured their own safety from relegation and relegated Darfield, thanks to their six-wicket in the battle between the two sides at Moor Road. Rob Barlow took 6-11 and Alex Roebuck 4-50 after the visitors had elected to bat first, bowling them out for just 87. The hosts then wrapped up the win in the 18th over, Harrison Knowles leading the way with 34 off 25 balls. Finally, in a game with only pride at stake at Church Fields, Harsha Rajapaksha (50) and Sam Bowden (52) rescued Whiston Parish Church from 24-3 to post 203-9 against Sprotbrough. A measured 45 from Rocco Cook then laid the foundation for the visitors’ one-wicket win with one ball to spare. 

 

It was top against bottom at the Boot & Shoe ground, where Luke Townsend (5-31) and Dale Longfield (4-46) bowled relegated Green Moor out for 126. Ackworth were 64-4 in reply, but Daniel Malyan-Walker (39 not out off 27 balls) ensured that there were no further alarms as the champions coasted home by six wickets in the 24th over. Rockingham Colliery hold pole position in the race to join Ackworth in the Championship after a very comfortable win over Wakefield Thornes 2nds at Hoyland Common. Jonathan Scott (40) helped rescue the visitors from 9-3, before Jawad Akhtar (6-29) bowled them out for 121. Benjamin Dalton (68 not out) then steered the hosts to a nine-wicket win in the 30th over, sharing in an unbroken second wicket-stand of 101 with Jory Bannister. Rockingham’s main challengers for second place, Oughtibridge War Memorial, were beaten by Wickersley Old Village 2nds at Northfield Lane. After electing to bat, the visitors reached 195-8, thanks to a brisk unbeaten 31 from Tuffail Dar at the end of the innings, after Oughtibridge had earlier failed to capitalise on Hasaru Chaamikara’s 41 at number three. Connor Snelgrove took 4-42 for the hosts, who then struggled in their reply, James Butler top-scoring with 50 as they passed their target with one wicket and eight balls to spare. Chaamikara took 3-20 in 12 overs in a fine all-round performance. Aston Hall 2nds dropped out of promotion contention following a heavy loss at Baxter Field, where Whitley Hall 2nds posted 206-8 after electing to bat, Douglas Muzawasi hitting 44 and William Turner 41 not out, whilst Zayn Wasim was the pick of the visitors’ attack with 4-49. Skipper Yousaf Ali’s 44 was then the only significant contribution in Aston’s 76 all out as Tim Smith returned 5-29. Bilal Hanif’s 125, supported by Orminder Singh’s 82, enabled Rotherham Town to post 253-9 against Sheffield United, whose relegation worries worsened as they were bowled out for 223 in reply, despite 49 from Izuru Jayacody and 74 from Danuka Hettiarachichi. Coal Aston retained their slim hopes of avoiding the drop with a seven-wicket win over mid-table Upper Haugh at Stonelow. Oscar Oborn-Corby took 5-23 as the visitors were bowled out for 109 after electing to bat first. Daniel Hemingway made 44 as the hosts reached their target in the 31st over. 

 

A fine win for Penistone over champions Warmsworth at Common Lane took them out of the bottom three. Opener Tom Reid’s 92 set the visitors on their way to 214-7, before Chris Walmsley and Matt Scholey chipped in with three wickets each as the hosts were bowled out for 150, despite skipper Rhys Mann’s unbeaten 63. Bottom club Norton Woodseats kept their survival hopes alive by beating promoted Tickhill 2nds at Matthews Lane. Andrew Scott took 6-40 as the visitors were bowled out for 106, and Woodseats then fought back from 26-4 to win by four wickets with ten overs to spare. Elsecar 2nds will be promoted if they win at Abbeydale next week, after a hard-fought win over Norton Oakes at the Al-Murad. Elliott Evans took 5-23 as the visitors were bowled out for 94, but the hosts then struggled against Callum East (5-54) as they lost seven wickets in reaching their target in 19 overs. If Elsecar slip up, Hallam 2nds are still in the hunt after beating Sheffield Collegiate 3rds at Crimicar. Keeper Jack Unwin (57) provided the backbone for the hosts’ 172, before being dismissed by Nick Gaywood (3-21). Gaywood then made 32 at the top of the order, but the rest of the visitors’ batting faltered against Noah Murphy (4-45) and James Fletcher (3-21), and they were all out for 126. Hatfield Town are safe in mid-table and worsened Treeton 2nds' relegation worries by beating them soundly at Carr Side Lane. David Barrett top-scored with 67 for the hosts in their 189 all out, Michael Hunter taking 4-58 for the visitors, before Andrew Decent (6-30) and James Winstanley (3-13) bowled Treeton out for 81 in reply. Finally, in a mid-table clash, Thorpe Hesley & High Green were well-beaten at Parkhead, where the hosts made 204 after being put in to bat, keeper Louis Marven scoring 69 to help them recover from 28-5. Harry Pollard (6-30) and Roy Rensburg (3-31) then bowled the visitors out for 69. 

 

Harrison Hayes’s 101 off 109 balls helped champions Monk Bretton to recover from 78-4 to reach 210-6 against relegation-threatened Sprotbrough 2nds at Melton Road. There were then three wickets each for Steven Honeyman and Ryan Howarth as the hosts were dismissed for 176, despite Robbie Graves 42 off 45 balls at number eight. Promotion for Wath 2nds is confirmed after their 59-run win over Bradfield Village Fellowship at the Sands. James Shepherd took 5-37 as the visitors were dismissed for 138, but this proved more than enough when Harrison Roebuck (5-31) and Sam Whitlam (4-20) shot the hosts out for 80. After beating Caribbean Sports at Park Road, Worsbrough Bridge will be promoted if they beat their closest rivals Oughtibridge next week. Mark Williamson (71 not out) led the hosts to 209-6 before Liam Levitt (4-60) and Liam Hague (3-58) helped them bowl their visitors out for 154. Oughtibridge War Memorial 2nds are still in with a chance after beating next-to-bottom Kexborough at Waterside Gardens. Sher Khan’s unbeaten 40 lifted the hosts from 54-7 to 136, Thangarajah Jerushan taking 4-33, before Dilshan Sukumar took 6-30 to help bowl the visitors out for 83. Frecheville Community did their survival hopes a power of good by beating relegated Stockbridge at the Hobson Bowl. David Ratcliffe (66) and skipper Adam Buckle (40) were the main run-getters as the hosts reached 184-8, before Neil Ramsden (5-37) and Adam Buckle (4-32) bowled the visitors out for 87. Finally, Cawthorne 2nds registered a six-wicket win over Millhouses Works at Millhouses Park, both sides being safely ensconced in mid-table. After bowling their hosts out for 144, the visitors were indebted to Harry Sullivan (40) and Luke Aitken (51), who added 93 for their third wicket, and set up victory with eight overs to spare. 

 

Champions Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds had a crushing win over Higham at Woolley, where Mark Kenny (62) and Anthony Godley (44) helped them to 233-9. Gareth Kilburn took four wickets for the visitors, who were then bowled out for 88, Alex Gough taking 5-18. Thorncliffe & Wentworth remain on course for promotion after their comfortable win at home to Whiston Parish Church 2nds. Thirties from Darren Schofield and James Brown helped them to 170 all out, Ryan Alahakon taking 4-23 for the visitors, who were then bowled out for 101 in reply. Doncaster Town 3rds’ promotion prospects are in their own hands after a hard-earned win over bottom club Barnby Dun at Glass Park. George Atkinson top-scored for the hosts as they were bowled out for 149 after choosing to bat first. Alfie Peirson’s 40 held the visitors top order together as they stumbled to 109-7 in their reply, before Archie Peirson and skipper Christian Dobson saw their side home with three wickets and eight balls to spare. If Doncaster slip up next week, Wombwell Main are still in with a chance of promotion, following their four-wicket win over Handsworth Junior SC at Oliver’s Mount. Richard Wilkinson took 3-10 as the hosts were bowled out for 99 after being put in to bat, and Thomas Goldsby-West was unbeaten on 40 when the visitors passed their target with four wickets and one over to go, despite the efforts of Mirza Ali (4-39). Silkstone United are still in the relegation places after losing to Upper Haugh 2nds at Wentworth Road. Ayden Dawson took 5-15 as the visitors were bowled out for 103, and Steve Reynolds was unbeaten on 56 (off 42 balls) when the visitors raced to victory with eight wickets and 30 overs to spare. On Sunday, with both sides battling to keep out of the relegation zone, Rockingham Colliery 2nds leapfrogged their hosts Sheffield Collegiate 4ths. After they had chosen to bat first, Ben Jackson scored 53 out of Collegiate’s 107 all out and Andy Shore took 5-35 for the visitors. Lawrie Brennan then took 4-23 in 13 overs, but that was not enough to stop Rockingham reaching their target with four wickets and five overs to spare. 

 

Promoted Conisbrough 2nds put a nail in Penistone 2nds’ relegation coffin with a six-wicket win at Queen Street, after Liam Stainforth (6-24) had helped bowl the hosts out for 116. 55 from keeper Ben Scott at the top of the order then laid the foundation for the visitors win. Jonathan Freeman (55), Nathan Rao (41), Thomas Wills (40) and Seb Wainwright (55 not out) all made hay whilst the sun shone as they boosted Hallam 3rds' promotion push by helping post 277-7 against Thorpe Hesley & High Green 2nds at Smithywood Road. Thomas Arnold took 5-71 for the hosts, who were then bundled out for 82 in reply, Wainwright returning figures of 4.1-2-2-5. Shiregreen 2nds are also on course for promotion after Akhtar Khan (47), skipper Nazam Mohammed (58 not out) and Khurram Shahzad (51) led them to 213-4 against Whiston Forge at Hatfield House Lane. Three wickets each for Ali Muslim and Muhammad Sarfraz then helped them bowl their visitors out for 157. Still in the promotion hunt in fourth place with two games to play, Maltby Miners Welfare kept up the pressure with a big win over Coal Aston 2nds at Muglet Lane. Keeper Callum Fuller (66) and Soham Gate (48) helped the hosts post 204-9, despite Josh Vandrill’s 4-34, before four bowlers shared the wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 83. Despite their narrow win over visitors Fishlake, Darfield 2nds are now out of the promotion picture, and defeat also severely dented the chances of their visitors. Richard Copley carried his bat for an unbeaten 73 out of 119 all out after the Fishlake had chosen to bat first, Evan Todd taking 5-23. The hosts did not find it easy against their visitors’ four-man attack, but they got home with two wickets to spare. On Sunday, a battle of the two relegated clubs, Sheffield United 2nds and Penistone 2nds, at Bawtry Road resulted in a comfortable win for the visitors. Charlie Tippett (4-39) helped the visitors bowl their hosts out for 113, before skipper Sam Lee (44) and Robert Armitage (52 not out) put on 82 for the first wicket to lay the foundation for a nine-wicket win in the 26th over. 

 

Promotion for Sheffield University Staff was confirmed after a six-wicket win over Higham 2nds at Warminster Road. Waqas Tanveer (4-7 in six overs), Liam Gray (3-6) and Siddharth Patwardhan (3-12) bowled the visitors out for 34, and despite losing four wickets, the hosts claimed victory in the 11th over. Second-placed Ackworth 2nds gained 12 points when bottom club Green Moor 2nds conceded, and Wickersley Old Village 3rds maintained their promotion push in third place with a comprehensive win over Norton Oakes 2nds at Oakes Park. Matthew Whitford (65) and Brooklyn Whitmill (72 not out) helped the visitors compile 235-4, and Alfie Berry took 3-33 as the hosts were bowled out for 154. Whitley Hall 3rds are just four points outside the top three, and kept themselves in contention with a clearcut win over Mexborough Athletic 2nds at Wentworth. Put in to bat, Whitley reached 167 all out, Josh Singleton top-scoring with 40, whilst the wickets were shared by five bowlers. Three wickets each from Alistair Riddle, Charlie Wragg and Richard Taylor then saw the visitors bowled out for 82. Brookhouse’s survival prospects now look bleak after losing narrowly to Bradfield Village Fellowship 2nds at Rose Lane. Jasneet Gulati made 48 out of the hosts’ 106 after they had decided to bat first, Noah Jackson taking 6-18 for the visitors, who were 66-8 in reply before Jackson and Ewan Fearnley saw them home with two wickets and ten overs to spare, despite Thomas Green’s 4-37. On Sunday, Handsworth Junior SC 2nds moved further away from the relegation zone after a five-wicket win against Norton Oakes at Oakes Park. Opener Dan Morley hit 59 as Oakes were all out for 158, before openers Iftequar Mohammed (45) and Waqar Hussain (42) gave the visitors a fine start to their successful chase. 

 

Champions Hatfield Town 2nds were given a good run for their money by relegation-threatened Houghton Main 2nds at Middlecliffe Lane. Keeper Gareth Stent (107 off 97 balls) and Mark Walton (45) put on 123 for the visitors’ fifth wicket as they rattled up 205-6, but after that, they encountered strong resistance from opener Matthew Tarbuck (64) and Matt Thornton (42), before Josh Platt (5-28) returned to mop up the tail as the hosts fell 14 short on 191 all out. Scholes & Harley in second have now completed their season after beating fellow promotion contenders Millhouses Works 2nds at Scholes, and can now only wait to see whether others overtake them. The visitors were restricted to 157-9, Nick Atrill top-scoring with 42, before Tom Wade (50) rescued the hosts from 63-4 and set up their four-wicket win in the 39th over. Warmsworth 2nds are currently six points behind Scholes with two games in hand, and they beat Barnsley Woolley Miners 4ths by 57 runs at Woolley. Andy Matthews (44), Kelvin Defty (62) and Liam Cotton (44 not out) helped the visitors to 225-4, and they then restricted the hosts to 168-6, skipper Adrianna Darlow and Ollie Chapman Stott top-scoring with 35 each. At the other end of the table, relegated Frecheville Community 2nds were beaten by ten wickets at home to Stocksbridge 2nds at Bracken Moor. Rowan Brearley took 4-15 as the visitors were bowled out for 56, and the hosts took just 14 overs to knock off the required runs. The other relegated side, Mexborough Athletic 2nds, were also heavily beaten, by 162 runs at home to Eden Grove Parklands. Skipper Ijaz Khan (81) led the way for the visitors as they reached 224 all out, before Tom Daykin took 6-25 as the hosts were dismissed for 62. 

 

Adwick-le-Street kept their promotion hopes very much alive with a six-wicket win over champions Upper Haugh 3rds at Adwick Park. They put their visitors in to bat and bowled them out for 120, with Christopher Jeeves taking 3-27, whilst Shaun Cristinacce top-scored with 44 for the visitors. The hosts then reached their target in 22 overs and can secure promotion if they win their last game. Doncaster Town 4ths were promoted after a straightforward win over Norton Woodseats 2nds at Finningley. Put in to bat, the visitors were all out for 92, Harry Zuurbier taking 5-10. The hosts then cantered to victory for the loss of only two wickets in the 17th over. Wombwell Main 2nds completed their league programme with a five-wicket win over mid-table Worsbrough Bridge 2nds at the Auction House Stadium. Martin Jowett-Pickering took 3-39 to help bowl the visitors out for 169, after they had elected to bat first. Andrew Millington (43) and skipper Jack Ferris (41) then put on 88 for the first wicket to see the hosts on their way, and Tom James hit an unbeaten 53 off 46 balls as they completed their win with two balls to spare. They must now wait to see whether Adwick leapfrog them in to third place by winning their last game. Despite recording a comprehensive win over relegated Thorncliffe & Wentworth 2nds at the Castle Ground, Monk Bretton 2nds’ promotion hopes were ended by Wombwell’s win. Chris Wainwright (4-14) led the way as the visitors were reduced to 28-8, before effecting a partial recovery to 74 all out. This target did not test the hosts, however, and they completed an eight-wicket win in the 14th over. Silkstone United 2nds conceded their game against Wath 3rds. On Sunday, Worsbrough Bridge 2nds bounced back from Saturday’s defeat by comprehensively beating Wath 3rds at Moor Road. The visitors posted 202-6 after electing to bat first, recovering from 42-4 thanks to keeper James Bottomley (43) and Lewis Wilkinson (70 not out). Darren Newton then took 3-20 at the hosts were bowled out for 90. 

 

Elsecar 3rds secured the Division 9 championship with a speedy win over Whiston Forge 2nds at Guilthwaite Hill. Molly Whittaker returned a very impressive 6-0-10-7 as the hosts were bowled out for 22, before Elsecar wrapped up their win in the eighth over, despite losing three wickets, in a game in which no-one reached double figures. With the promotion issues already resolved, there was only pride to play for in the other three games, and second-placed Barnby Dun 2nds slipped to defeat against Dearne at Furlong Road. Neck Petty (42) and Malcolm Day (40) were amongst the runs as Dearne reached 150, despite Simon White’s 4-28. Day then completed a fine all-round game with 4-32 to help his side to a 35-run win, despite opener Paul Dykes’s 43 for the visitors. Fishlake 2nds restricted Scholes & Harley 2nds to 129-7, Liam Coetzee taking 3-25, before keeper Paul Trimmington (48 not out) led them to a five-wicket win with 15 balls to spare. Finally, there was a narrow win for Eden Grove Parklands 2nds, who were all out for 131 against Brookhouse 2nds at Wadworth, Simon Trott (39 not out) rescuing them from 44-7. Some tight bowling then restricted the Brookhouse reply to 128-6.