Senior Section round-up 14 August - Part I

 

Darfield v Aston Hall 2 (cancelled due to Covid – match null & void) 

 

 

Green Moor enjoyed a timely return to form as they beat Upper Haugh to keep hold of their promotion place. After being put into bat by their visitors, the score they posted was just about par at 198-9. It was, however, much more than what they would have expected when they were reduced to 100-8, with credit going to the home side’s tailenders. Their two top scorers were ten and eleven as James Christopherson and Joseph White added an unbeaten 56 to put them in a position that had seemed impossible earlier. It was massively frustrating for the Upper Haugh bowlings, who performed so well for much of the innings. That frustration, unfortunately, did not dissipate for the away side, as they soon found themselves 42-4 in the second innings. Afterwards, Naveed Shah gave them some hope with a 65 from just 58 balls, but after he was removed the result seemed a formality for Green Moor in what was a collectively good bowling performance. 

 

Green Moor 198-9 (50) James Christopherson 32*, Joseph White 33*, Tom Bolland 3-34, Alex Keeton 3-44 

Upper Haugh 154 (39.2) Naved Shah 65, Jake Rodgers 3-25 

 

 

Shiregreen demolished Hallam 2nds with a comprehensive all-round performance to keep their stranglehold on top spot. After electing to bat on their home ground, the league leaders posted an imposing 224-9, mostly thanks to some valuable runs from their lower-middle order. Reeling slightly at 70-4, scores of 30 from Shohaib Khaliq and Naseer Nahaim, sandwiching an excellent 56 from Kamran Khan accelerated their side above 200. It was a bitterly disappointing innings for the Hallam bowlers in their battle to move out of the relegation places, as they would have felt they had a real chance of bowling their hosts out cheaply. Muhammed Naseem made sure that things went from bad to worse in the second innings as his 6-19, backed up by 3-20 from Abdul Latif, removed the Crimicar side for just 50 runs in 23.2 overs. 

 

Shiregreen 224-9 (50) Shohaib Khaliq 30, Kamran Khan 56, Naseer Nahaim 30, Jay Singh 3-52 

Hallam 2 50 (23.2) Abdul Latif 3-20, Muhammad Naseem 6-19 

 

 

The battle between the top three for the two promotion places continued, as Rotherham Town produced a thrilling run chase to beat South Kirkby and keep up their pressure in third. Playing at the Old Mill Ground, the home side batted first and were bowled out for 189, a total they thought they could defend. A lot of the credit went to Jake Rimmington, as his 75 was by far and away the best score of the innings. There were also plaudits for Town bowlers Mohammed Khan, who took 5-62, and Saleem Karim, who picked up 4-40. The consensus was that the away side needed a good batting display to chase down the total, and they just about produced the goods. In the end, they had a lot to thank Dhruv Shahi for as his unbeaten 81 off 99 balls was undoubtedly the match-winning innings. With wickets falling at the other end, he carried on at nearly a run a ball as he took his team over the line with just two wickets remaining. It was a performance to remember, and perhaps one that could be very important in the final Division 1 standings. 

 

South Kirkby C 189 (45.4) Jake Rimmington 75, Jacob Peacock 32, Saleem Karim 4-40, Mohammed Khan 5-62 

Rotherham T 192-8 (49.4) Dhruv Shahi 81*, Ricky Crompton 3-43 

 

 

Whitley Hall 2nds produced a quite amazing batting performance to brush aside Treeton 2nds and leave them lingering just above the drop zone. After winning the toss and electing to bat, the away side lost only one wicket as they compiled 274 runs. After the removal of opener Elliott Ashton by Ridwaan Daya, Jack Riley and Sam Chatterton went to town, both making their way to unbeaten hundreds in an unbroken second-wicket stand of 228. The two of them played differing roles as Riley anchored, scoring 115 off 157 balls, while Chatterton plundered 143 from just 110 balls to take their team to what was an unassailable target. Chatterton, however, could not have been content with his first innings efforts as both he and Alistair Riddle took four wickets, to bowl Treeton out in 31.4 overs and 126 runs short of their target. 

 

Whitley Hall 2 274-1 (50) Jack Riley 115*, Sam Chatterton 143* 

Treeton 2 159 (31.4) Will Cooper 77, Alistair Riddle 4-28, Sam Chatterton 4-36 

 

 

Sheffield United pulled off a massive win against a good side in Wakefield Thornes 2nds, to move themselves to within touching distance of escaping the relegation zone. It was the home side who won the toss at Field Lane and chose to bat, but they fell short of an imposing total as they were bowled out for 164. Even that was a score that seemed unlikely when they were 43-5, but Adrian Thomson and James Cuthbertson (31 off 25 balls) took Thornes to a half-defendable total. But an imperious United batting display saw them win with eight wickets, as Mohammed Altaf Khan scored76 off 68 before his opening partner, Isuru Jayakody, took his side to the win with a responsible unbeaten half-century. 

 

Wakefield T 2 164 (47.3) Adrian Thomson 56, James Cuthbertson 31, Luqman Asad 4-31 

Sheffield U 165-2 (27.5) Isuru Jayakody 54*, Mohammad Altaf Khan 76 

 

 

 

Second-placed Coal Aston took full advantage of the leaders’ slip-up when they crushed Frecheville by eight wickets. Only Max Dexter and Michael Donson, who came together at 25-3 and put on 56 for the fourth wicket, provided any real resistance in a below-par 145 all out. Daniel Hemingway continued his fine form this season taking 3-32. The home side’s openers Lawrence Browes and Jack Hall then put on 94 for the first wicket to put their side within sight of a comprehensive win. 

 

Frecheville C 145 (37.2) Mat Dexter 34, Michael Donson 43, Daniel Hemingway 3-32 

Coal Aston 149-2 (20) Lawrence Browes 74*, Jack Hall 43 

 

 

Elsecar 2nds’ struggles continued as Norton Woodseats completed a 53-run victory at the Al-Murad. After the visitors had won the toss and slumped to 83-7, with the experienced Jason Meadows taking three wickets, it had looked very different for Elsecar. But Thomas Eyre and Aamir Ashfaque, who hit 60 from 56 balls, added 141 for the eighth wicket to turn the game on its’ head. Facing a target of 225, Elsecar never managed the partnership they needed to seriously threaten, and extras (34) were the top scorers in their innings. Once again, Woodseats’ Ashfaque contributed a match-winning performance with four wickets to help bowl the home side out for 171. 

 

Norton Woodseats 224-8 (50) Thomas Eyre 81*, Aamir Ashfaque 60 

Elsecar 2 171 (38.4) Aamir Ashfaque 4-33 

 

 

The promotion race is now heating up as fourth-placed Sheffield Collegiate 3rds narrowed the gap on third-placed Monk Bretton in a highly exciting encounter. A second-wicket stand of 122 between Adrian Meadows and Tom Hancock got Collegiate off to a great start, and Lawrie Brennan, with 56 off 33 balls capitalised later on. A 98-run opening partnership between Corey Roebuck and Lewis Skelly got Bretton well on their way in reply, but Lawrie Brennan took three vital middle-order wickets to leave them 116-5. A superb unbeaten 74 from Jordan Clayton pushed his side closer to the total, but despite support from Kyle Armitage they fell six runs short . 

 

Sheffield C 3 245-6 (50) Adrian Meadows 70, Tom Hancock 62, Lawrie Brennan 56 

Monk Bretton 239-7 (50) Corey Roebuck 44, Lewis Skelly 55, Jordan Clayton 74*, Kyle Armitage 33, Lawrie Brennan 3-53 

 

 

The shock of the weekend came as Norton Oakes squeezed past leaders Doncaster 2nds by 14 runs. After bowling out Oakes for 122, thanks to six wickets from James Deans, the visitors must have thought they were in for a comfortable victory. The home side had been 49-7, but a fine 58 off 63 balls from Jack Dickinson took them into three figures. Oakes’ opening bowlers Ted Hutchings and Reuben Bagge made inroads straightaway in the reply, dismissing the two openers for ducks and reducing Doncaster to 38-7. Charlie Graham (29) and James Deans (22) helped them reach three figures but the damage had been done and the leaders were bowled out for 108. The win did Oakes’ survival prospects no harm at all and they are one place above the relgation zone. 

 

Norton Oakes 122 (38.4) Jack Dickinson 58, James Deans 6-33 

Doncaster T 2 108 (38.1) Ted Hutchings 4-29, Reuben Bagge 3-29 

 

 

Wickersley Old Village 2nds were shocked by second-bottom Thorncliffe, who completed a 14-run victory for their fifth win of the season. After they won the toss and elected to bat, home openers Darren Schofield and Jacob Grubb put on 57 for the first wicket, but after that, only skipper Jack Pearson offered any sustained resistance against Jack Eggleston and James O’Connell. Replying to a modest target, Wickersley were reduced to 32-5, thanks to a fine opening spell from James Brown. Danny Harrison (26) led some resistance, taking them to 125-8, but when he was dismissed by Charlie Schofield, the end came quickly. 

 

Thorncliffe 140 (41.4) Jack Pearson 45, Jack Eggleston 5-37, James O’Connell 3-29 

Wickersley OV 2 126 (30.2) Charlie Schofield 3-28, James Brown 5-34 

 

Worsbrough Bridge v Thorpe Hesley & High Green (cancelled due to Covid – match null & void) 

 

 

 

Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds scraped through a low-scoring encounter at home to Maltby Miners Welfare ,to put themselves in with a good chance of moving out of the drop zone. After electing to field, the hosts will have been over the moon with their bowling display, removing their visitors for just 88. Paul Pendle was the only mainstay for Maltby as his 43 (50) helped them avoid embarrassment, while William Chapman was the standout bowler with 5-15. The second innings was not the walk in the park it should have been however, as the home side lost seven wickets on their way to victory. Chapman, again, played a crucial hand as his 25 (59) provided the anchor that was needed to make it over the line. 

 

Maltby MW 88 (39.2) Paul Pendle 43, William Chapman 5-15 

Barnsley WM 3 89-7 (34.1) Peter Brewster 3-22 

 

 

Penistone won away at Kexborough to remain top of the table, as the hosts slipped further away from the promotion places. The home side won the toss and batted, but struggled to find partnerships and were bowled out for 158. In the end, Joseph Bullock’s 68 (94) was the only real score of substance from the home side; he watched seven batsmen fall at the other end, and was last out at 154. Christopher Walmsley did the business for the visitors with 5-46, as three out of the four bowlers took wickets. Penistone, after the early loss of James Sen, made fairly light work of the target as Walmsley capped off a brilliant display with his team’s top score of 54 (58). Five wickets were to fall before the victory was ensured, but the result never really seemed to be in doubt. 

 

Kexborough 158 (45.4) Joseph Bullock 68, Chistopher Walmsley 5-46 

Penistone 159-5 (43.1) Tom Reid 44, Christopher Walmsley 54, Neil Hinchliffe 4-41 

 

 

Sprotbrough 2nds swept aside strugglers Rockingham Colliery 2nds to keep alive their hopes of promotion. After choosing to bat on their home ground, Division 3’s bottom side will have been bitterly disappointed to be bowled out for just 87. Only Jamie Prescott made any sort of score, with 33, as all four Sprotbrough bowlers took wickets. Of them all, Tim Braithwaite stood out with his 4-20, taking him to 33 wickets for the season. The chase was a formality for the league leaders, as only two wickets fell on their way to all nine points. 33 was once again the top score, from Callum Marsh, before Dean Williamson and George Thompson took them serenely over the line. 

 

Rockingham C 2 87 (37.2) Jamie Prescott 33, Tim Braithwaite 4-20, Adam Kaye 3-8 

Sprotbrough 2 92-2 (15.3) Callum Marsh 33 

 

 

Wath 2nds’ win away to Silkstone United kept up their outside chance of promotion and they now sit in fourth. After United’s decision to bat, it was rather a demolition job from the away side, as they dismissed their hosts for just 52. Stephen Johnson produced perhaps the display of the weekend as his 8-25 ripped through their order in a devastating 11-over spell, in tandem with Mark Wilson, who took the other two wickets. Johnson’s efforts all but won Wath the game, as scoring 53 runs was never going to be an issue, but Joel Humphries did a lot of the work with an unbesaten 31 to see them home. 

 

Silkstone U 52 (22) Stephen Johnson 8-25 

Wath 2 53-2 (11.3) Joel Humphries 31* 

 

 

Caribbean stayed in the promotion places as an excellent hundred from Andre Jackson saw them past Tickhill 2nds. Playing at Alderson Drive, the away side elected to bat after winning the toss and had a lot for which to thank Jackson, as he scored over half of their runs. Batting at the top of the order, he made his way to 103, with regular wickets falling at the other end, before being ninth out. Lee Bradshaw opened well for Tickhill on his way to a half-century but, in a similar story to the first innings, he soon ran out of partners as only two others made it to double figures, and neither of them made 20. Four out of the five Caribbean bowlers took wickets, with Muneeb Khatana’s 3-30 the best performance, and Tickhill fell well short. 

 

Caribbean SC 194-9 (46) Andre Jackson 103*, Jimmy Johnson 3-31 

Tickhill 2 144-9 (46) Lee Bradshaw 63, Muneeb Khatana 3-30 

 

 

Oughtibridge 2nds picked up a resounding win at Whiston Parish Church 2nds to leave their opponents perched perilously above the relegation zone. Only two wickets fell in the first innings ,as the away side batted first and only one of the four batsmen to make it to the crease failed to reach 50. Waheed Bhatti was the best of them all as he scored a brilliant 103 not out, backed up by 82 from John Musgrove, and valuable contributions from Rafiullah Ahmad and Adil Nasim. The target of 297 was almost insurmountable for a team under great pressure at the bottom. It was clearly a good batting pitch, as Lewis Sansome showed at the top of the order, but wickets soon started to tumble at the other end. A devastating spell of just two overs from Nazam Mohammed saw him pick up 4-10 as the game slipped away from the home side. 

 

Oughtibridge WM 2 291-2 (45) John Musgrove 94, Waheed Bhatti 98*, Rafiullah Ahmed 51*, Adil Nasim 40 

Whiston PC 2 215-8 (46) Lewis Sansome 70, Joel Mann 3-50 

 

 

 

Hallam 3rds’ survival hopes were hugely dented when they were crushed by Cawthorne by 131 runs. After an early wicket fell, opener Spencer Wiles and Michael Burgess added 115 for the second wicket to provide a platform for a formidable score. Despite a succession of wickets at the other end, three to Thomas Wills, Burgess continued to complete a magnificent hundred, joining in an unbroken sixty-run ninth-wicket stand with Charlie Parkin. Despite 30 from visiting opener William Laycock, wickets fell regularly; Gareth Kilburn bowled one of the spells of the season, and Hallam fell well short. 

 

Cawthorne 2 250-8 (46) Spencer Wiles 69, Michael Burgess 118, Thomas Wills 3-24 

Hallam 3 119 (35.2) William Laycock 30, Gareth Kilburn 8-33 

 

 

 

Millhouses Works eased their relegation worries by surprising promotion-pushing Bradfield Village Fellowship and completing a three-wicket win. The visitors slumped to 67-5 with three wickets for Lee Stewart, and it was only a 82-run sixth-wicket stand between Stephen Abs and Liam Hauge that helped them reach 154-6. In their reply, a 66-run second-wicket stand between Tom Roper and Peter Chamberlain laid the foundations for Millhouses’ successful chase, depite Jonathan Balfour's efforts with the ball. 

 

Bradfield VF 154-6 (46) Stephen Abbs 60*, Liam Hague 45, Lee Stewart 3-21 

Millhouses W 155-7 (40.1) Tom Roper 39, Peter Chamberlain 41, Jonathan Balfour 3-14 

 

 

Parkhead showed why they look like going up as champions when they crushed bottom side Hampole & Skelbrooke by 185 runs. Opener Harry Pollard’s magnificent 129 off 120 balls was well supported by Oliver Harrison and Christian Millard, who both hit half centuries, as the home side posted a mammoth total after electing to bat first. James Speck took a couple of early wickets to make the visitors’ task even more improbable before James Roche and James Lawson put on 55 for the fifth wicket. After both were dismissed, Chris Turner took four wickets to destroy the rest of the innings and the visitors were bowled for 132. 

 

Parkhead 317-5 (46) Harry Pollard 129, Oliver Harrison 50, Christian Millard 76, Ithshaam Akram 3-75 

Hampole & Skelbrooke 132 (34.2) Chris Turner 4-14 

 

 

Mexboroughs' struggles continued as they were on the end of 109-run defeat to third-placed Sheffield Collegiate 4ths. The home side won the toss and batted first, openers Charlie Wall (25) and Daniel Longley putting on 46 for the first wicket. Elliot Boardwell then ensured that their efforts did not go to waste, with 61 off 71 balls to help Collegiate post 160-7. An excellent opening spell from Matthew Stewart destroyed the visitors’ hopes, as they slumped to 24-6, before Mark Longley took over and claimed the last four wickets to complete a resounding win. Mexborough now look in deep trouble two places off the bottom of the table. 

 

Sheffield C 4 160-7 (46) Elliot Boardwell 61 

Mexborough A 51 (23.5) Matthew Stewart 4-7, Mark Longley 4-4