Senior Section round-up for 10 & 11 September

 

Darfield sealed the Division 1 championship despite their game against Warmsworth falling victim to the weather. Their nearest challengers, Doncaster Town 2nds, were unable to take advantage, succumbing to a three-wicket defeat against Whitley Hall 2nds at Baxter Field. Richard Taylor took 4-31 for the home side as Doncaster slipped to 93-9, only 35 from Warren Graca at number nine sparing them further embarrassment. The home side were 7-3, but Chris Verity (37 not out) saw them home with six overs to spare. The Town Fields side can still celebrate promotion, but the weather prevented Warmsworth from avoiding a second-successive relegation, as they were unable to take advantage of Coal Aston’s 49-run defeat away to Rotherham Town and remained in the bottom three. The only other game to beat the weather was at Upper Haugh, where Oughtibridge War Memorial completed their second half of the season recovery with an eight-wicket win, which enabled them to finish seventh in the table. 

 

 

Ackworth were already Division 2 champions, but were unable to finish the season on a high when they lost by six wickets to runners-up Wickersley Old Village 2nds at Northfield Lane. Skipper Luke Townsend, batting at ten, made an unbeaten 39 to take the visitors to 149 after being 115-9, but Liam Heathcote (44 not out) saw the home side to a straightforward win in the 26th over. Aston Hall 2nds leapfrogged Hallam 2nds into the third promotion spot with a seven-wicket win over their nearest rivals at Green Lane. Henry Renshaw took 5-21 as the visitors were bowled out for 110, before Robert Ross (43 not out) steered his side home in just the 19th over. Treeton 2nds started the day with promotion hopes but were beaten at home by Thorpe Hesley & High Green, who thereby leapfrogged Caribbean Sports out of the relegation places. Jack Myers (4-59) helped bowl the home side out for 154 and Iain MacDonald’s unbeaten 61 saw Thorpe Hesley to a priceless win. Caribbean could have saved themselves but their 69-run defeat at Peniston not only denied them any points, but damaged their net run rate to the extent that whilst both they and Thorpe Hesley finished level on points, the latter’s run rate was better by 0.03. The games at Monk Bretton and Norton Oakes were abandoned without a ball bowled. 

 

 

With Elsecar 2nds already confirmed as champions and Tickhill 2nds already promoted, the battle at the top was between Parkhead and Wath 2nds for the remaining promotion spot. Both won, so Parkhead retained their six-point advantage with a 30-run win over Kexborough at Bence Lane, where, despite being all out for 104 when they batted first, with Tom Lees taking 7-29, they bowled the home side out for 74 (Harry Pollard 4-11). Wath’s four-wicket win over Frecheville Community came in vain. At the other end of the table, Thorncliffe & Wentworth, second from bottom at start of play, pulled off a shock win over second-placed Tickhill 2nds at Alderson Drive. James Brown (4-24) helped them bowl the home side out for 112, before an unbeaten 42 off 44 balls from skipper Jack Pearson took the visitors to a five-wicket win with eight overs to spare, despite Joel Martin’s 4-19. Sadly for Thorncliffe, the win did not save them from relegation, the four points gained by Bradfield Village Fellowship from their abandoned game against Sprotbrough 2nds being enough to preserve their status in the division. Elsewhere, champions Elsecar 2nds beat Worsbrough Bridge by four wickets and Oughtibridge War Memorial 2nds beat Whiston Parish Church 2nds by five wickets. 

 

 

The big match in Division 4 was the third against fourth battle between and Handsworth Junior SC and Cawthorne 2nds at Oliver’s Mount. Cawthorne confirmed their promotion in third place with an 88-run win; having made 167-9, with skipper Ryan Bagshaw hitting 48, they then bowled the home side out for 79, Ryan Gibson and Gareth Kilburn taking three wickets each. Elsewhere, Millhouses Works leapfrogged Stocksbridge to claim the divisional championship with a 118-run home win over bottom side Maltby Miners Welfare. Forties from Eisa Hussain and Noah Ellis took Millhouses to 214, and they then used ten bowlers as the visitors were dismissed for 96. Stocksbridge could have claimed the championship with a win over Barnsley Wooley Miners 3rds at Woolley, but Alex Gough took 6-23 as they were bowled out for 119, and then completed a top all-round performance with an unbeaten 60 as Barnsley romped home by five wickets in the 32nd over. Elsewhere, Silkstone United finished their season on a high with a 45-run win over the side who finished immediately above them, Higham; relegated Whiston Forge beat Rockingham Colliery 2nds by 50 runs; and Sheffield Collegiate 4ths beat relegated Shiregreen 2nds by 18 runs. 

 

 

The only issue to be resolved in Division 5 was whether Hallam 3rds or Sheffield University Staff would be relegated with Mexborough Athletic and Norton Oakes 2nds. Hallam won the battle, with a comprehensive nine-wicket win over bottom side Norton Oakes 2nds at Sandygate. After they restricted the visitors to 112-7 in 40 overs, Robert Frost hit an unbeaten 65 off 45 balls to take his side to victory in the 18th over. The University Staff, six points ahead at the start of play, lost their advantage as they were beaten by four wickets at home to Conisbrough 2nds. No-one reached 20 for the Staff as they were restricted to 118-8, Nathan Chadburn finishing with 4-41, and the visitors got home with eight overs to spare, with Joe Haigh unbeaten on 31. There was a very exciting finish to the mid-table clash between Fishlake and Darfield 2nds – visitors Darfield wining by one run; champions Wombwell Main bowled runners-up Upper Haugh 2nds out for 53 with Tom Peck taking 6-14, but rather struggled in their reply before getting home by five wickets; and the other promoted side, Doncaster Town 3rds, beat relegated Mexborough Athletic by five wickets in another low-scoring affair. 

 

 

The picture in Division 6 will become clearer on Thursday night when the result of Green Moor’s appeal against the decision to overturn the result of their game against Wickersley Old Village 2nds is known. Wickersley gained four points from a four-run defeat at home to Sprotbrough 3rds, which, if the appeal fails, will be enough to see them promoted in the third place. If the Green Moor appeal is successful, however, Wickersley will drop to fifth, and Peniston 2nds will be promoted. The result of the appeal is key at the other end of the table too. If Green Moor get the 12 points back, and their 12-point penalty is removed, they will be safe from relegation, and Sprotbrough 3rds will go down. Otherwise, Green Moor will be relegated with Barnsley Woolley Miners 4ths. On Saturday, Barnsley enjoyed an 80-run win away to Thorpe Hesley & High Green, Lynton Shore top-scoring with 50 out of 152-7; whilst champions Sheffield United 2nds beat Handsworth Junior SC 2nds at home by 54 runs, recovering from 70-8 to reach 159-8 thanks to skipper Faiz Hussain (64 not out). 

 

 

The only remaining issue to be resolved in Division 7 was that of the third promotion spot, where Ackworth 2nds maintained their two-point lead over Warmsworth 2nds when both sides won. Ackworth recorded a six-wicket win at home to Millhouses Works 2nds after bowling them out for 120; forties from Sam Swindin and Dave Harris then taking them to victory in the 25th over. Warmsworth’s impressive 111-run win at home to second-placed Brookhouse was in vain; Gordon Laidlaw and Andy Matthews both scoring 60s in a 116-run opening stand that was the foundation of their 201-7, before Jack Rodgers took 5-30 to bowl out the visitors for 90. Elsewhere Harley beat Mexborough Athletic 2nds by three wickets, whilst the games at Frecheville and Wentworth were abandoned without a ball bowled. 

 

 

Only pride was at stake in Division 8, but runners-up Houghton Main 2nds enjoyed a thumping 167-run win away to Worsbrough Bridge 2nds; Tahir Nawaz (45) and Mohammad Asgher (53 not out) top-scoring in their 203-7 before Adam Cutmore (6-14) and Adil Muhammad (4-7) bowled the hosts out for just 36. Elsewhere Stocksbridge 2nds beat Wath 3rds by three wickets, but the games at champions Hatfield, Dearne and Silkstone were abandoned without a ball bowled. 

 

 

Again with only pride to play for, there was a rare defeat for champions Adwick -le-Street, who were bowled out for 91 at home to Hampole & Skelbrooke, for whom Hrishit Kaushal took 4-23 and Alex Beresford scored an unbeaten 36 in vtheir four-wicket win. In contrast, runners-up Upper Haugh 3rds recorded the day’s top score, 250-8, with 70s from Shaun Cristinacce and James Atkin, in their 125-run win over third-placed Wombwell Main 2nds. Elsewhere, Kexborough 2nds beat Brookhouse 2nds by 30 runs, and Whiston Forge 2nds beat Eden Grove Parklands 2nds by three runs. On Sunday, Rockingham Colliery 4ths had a 102-run win over bottom side Sheffield United 3rds, John Armitage top-scoring with 65 in the Colliery’s 183.