Senior Section round-up for 16 & 17 July

 

Both Doncaster Town 2nds and Darfield took the chance to move further ahead in the Division 1 promotion places as third-placed Upper Haugh had the weekend off. League leaders Town won comfortably away to bottom side Warmsworth by seven wickets; chasing 124, Jack Zuurbier’s 38 not out saw them over the line. Darfield’s victory at home to Coal Aston should have been straightforward, but they were made to sweat as they chased just 91 with only four wickets to spare. Saman Khursheed did the damage with the ball in the first innings, taking 6-32, backed up by 4-19 from Idris Khan. 

 

Coal Aston’s loss saw them drop into the relegation zone, as Oughtibridge War Memorial thrashed Sheffield Collegiate 3rds by 117 runs at Abbeydale. The visitors hammered 285-4 after electing to bat, with Chaamikara Hewage hitting 95 and Richard Everitt 52. They then bowled Collegiate out for 168 with Arslan Tariq and Hewage, who capped a fine performance, taking four wickets each. Sheffield United and Whitley Hall 2nds hit the 100-point mark with respective home and away wins. United’s came against Wakefield Thornes 2nds, where they successfully chased 153 with six wickets remaining, thanks to Isuru Jayakody’s 63 at the top of the order. Whitley Hall’s chase was even more impressive, as they reached the 203 they were set by South Kirkby with eight wickets left. Nick Percival had scored 61 not out for the home side before Sam Chatterton and William Turner hit unbeaten scores of 109 and 68 respectively as the visitors cruised home. 

 

There are eight points between Dancaster and Darfield, but a further 28 to Upper Haugh in third – albeit that the latter now have a game in hand. Oughtibridge are now two points clear of the relegation places, currently occupied by Coal Aston, Collegiate and Warmsworth. 

 

 

Strugglers Caribbean Sports pulled off a huge chase to beat third-placed Treeton 2nds at Washfield Lane. The visitors were set 267 to win after Will Cooper and James Hobson had scored 66 and 62 respectively. In reply, Caribbean were 174-4 before an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 93 between Andrew Jackson (62 not out) and Hussnain Hussain (75 not out from just 31 balls) saw them home with four overs and six wickets to spare. Treeton’s loss opened the door for Ackworth and Wickersley Old Village 2nds to move further clear in the top three. Ackworth’s win came by 46 runs at Aston Hall 2nds, where Luke Townsend’s 74 took them to 157, before Shingi Mazakadza and Dale Longfield took five wickets each to seal the win. Wickersley’s win was tighter, as they won at Penistone by 14 runs after posting 199 – Liam Heathcote scoring 103 with Matt Scholey’s 5-76 coming in vain; Jonathan Allan (3-45) and Brady Saunders (4-35) then bowled the visitors to victory. 

 

At the other end of the table, it was a good weekend for the teams in the relegation zone; as well as Caribbean, Monk Bretton and Thorpe Hesley & High Green also claimed victories. Monk Bretton’s came by 40 runs at home to Norton Oakes, after Daniel Taylor had led then to 176-8 with 89; Ashley Clayton then claimed four victims as the visitors were bowled out for 136. Thorpe Hesley & High Green’s win was similarly straightforward; they won by six wickets chasing 121 at home to Norton Woodseats, despite Jordan Hanson’s 6-28 for Woodseats. Elsewhere, there was a 120-run win for Hatfield Town away at Hallam 2nds; Luke Cockburn scored 71 not out as the visitors posted 217-6, before James Winstanley and Arron Horsfield took four wickets each to bowl the hosts out for just 97. 

 

Ackworth lead with 148, twenty clear of Wickersley, then Treeton and Aston Hall are neck and neck – Treeton edging third at present due to their earlier win over Aston Hall. Despite their wins, Caribbean, Monk Bretton and Thorpe Hesley still occupy the relegation places with a gap of 26 points between Caribbean in tenth and safety. 

 

 

Division 3 leaders Elsecar 2nds made it 14 wins from 14 as they beat Sprotbrough 2nds by 91 runs at the Al-Murad. Chris Pedler hit 80 as they reached 236-9 after choosing to bat, before removing the away side for 145 with six bowlers taking wickets. Second-placed Tickhill 2nds’ latest win was very similar; at home to Bradfield Village Fellowship by 90 runs. They scored 238-8 batting first, with James Eaton hitting 101, backed up by 66 from Pete Mawdsley, before bowling out the visitors for 148. Just outside the promotion places, there were simple wins for Parkhead and Wath 2nds thanks to two strong bowling displays. Parkhead bowled their hosts, Whiston Parish Church 2nds, out for 94, with James Speck taking 5-11, before reaching their target with seven wickets to spare. Wath won by nine wickets at home to Kexborough, who were all out for just 96, Mark Barlow being the star man with 7-29. 

 

At the opposite end of the table, Oughtibridge War Memorial 2nds lifted themselves off the bottom with a 60-run win at home to Thorncliffe & Wentworth. Adil Nasim, Dilshan Luxman Sukumar and Marcus Bailey all passed fifty as the hosts scored 256-6 after electing to bat. The visitors were then restricted to 196-9 thanks to 5-50 from Sukumar, who produced a fine all-round display. Just above them, Worsbrough Bridge lifted themselves out of the drop zone with a single wicket win at home to Frecheville Community. Chasing 155, Alec Grange top-scored with 50 before Liam Levitt’s unbeaten 29 saw them over the line. 

 

Elsecar, Tickhill and Parkhead occupy the promotion places, with a six-point gap to Wath in fourth; Oughtibridge and Worsbrough Bridge are next and neck at the other end-of the table. Oughtbridge just keeping out of the bottom three by virtue of the results between the two sides. 

 

 

Third-placed Cawthorne 2nds lost ground in the Division 4 promotion race when they lost by 20 runs at home to Rockingham Colliery 2nds. Ryan Mann scored 55 for the visitors, who set their hosts 160 to win before bowling them out for 139. In second place, Stocksbridge made hard work of a small target when they won by a single wicket at home to Sheffield Collegiate 4ths. Jack Newton and Andrew Hibbert took four wickets each as the visitors were bowled out for just 93, but Jim Lomas’ 7-17 for Collegiate in the second innings made it difficult for Stocksbridge. League leaders Millhouses Works’ victory at Higham was far more straightforward; they won by six wickets chasing 189. George Deegan scored 58 for the hosts, but Rameez Ebrahim Ahomed’s 122 not out from 84 balls helped them make light work of the target. 

 

At the other end of the table, Shiregreen 2nds pulled themselves out of the relegation zone after an excellent chase at Whiston Forge. Steve Cowles had scored 108 not out for the home side, backed up by fifties from Kristian Lee Green and John Wagstaff, as they set their visitors 263 to win. In reply, Ihtisham Mohammed’s 100 at the top of the order set the tone, with Nazam Mohammed contributing 50, and the target was reached in the final over with five wickets to spare. Elsewhere, there were home wins for Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds and Handsworth Junior SC. Barnsley’s came at home to Silkstone United, where they chased 190 with three wickets in hand. Handsworth comfortably defended 220 to win by 83 runs at home to Maltby; Qasim Banaris top-scored with 87 for the home side, backed up by 65 from Waqas Ali. 

 

Millhouses now lead by 12 from Stocksbridge, with Cawthorne a further 14 behind – the latter being eight points ahead of Higham in fourth; Silkstone, Whiston Forge and Maltby occupy the bottom three places, and Shiregreen are now two points clear of the relegation zone. 

 

 

There were wins for the top three in Division 5, whilst Fishlake lost ground in fourth place. League leaders Wombwell Main beat Conisbrough 2nds at home when they chased down 124 with four wickets to spare – Thomas Goldsby-West being unbeaten on 59 at the end. Second-placed Doncaster Town 3rds successfully defended 191 away to Coal Aston 2nds to claim victory by 19 runs. The win came courtesy of a crucial tenth-wicket partnership of 43 between Christian Dobson and Nathan Gunn. Upper Haugh 2nds’ win was the most comfortable as they beat strugglers Mexborough Athletic by 65 runs after posting 181-9. 

 

At the opposite end of the table, Sheffield University Staff moved 12 points clear of the relegation places with an 18-run win at home to Fishlake. The hosts might have feared the worst when they were bowled out for 101 after choosing to bat, but they proceeded to bowl the fourth-placed side out for just 83. Both Hallam 3rds and Norton Oakes 2nds lost ground after defeats – Hallam’s against Darfield where they were all out for 131 and lost by six wickets, with Arsalan Khalid scoring 54 not out. Norton Oakes lost at home to Rotherham Town after they were skittled for 81, Saleem Karim taking 4-10, and then visitors passed their target with four wickets to spare. 

 

Wombwell and Doncaster occupy the promotion places, with Upper Haugh eight points adrift in third; Hallam are now 12 points adrift of the University Staff in ninth, and they share the relegation places with Norton Oakes and Mexborough. 

 

 

Division 6 leaders Sheffield United 2nds suffered just their third loss of the season when they were beaten by two wickets away to strugglers Caribbean Sports 2nds. Chasing 180, Basharat Ali scored 73 not out to help the home side recover from 49-5 to record a thrilling win. Below them, both Penistone 2nds and Thorpe Hesley & High Green 2nds took advantage to close the gap. Second-placed Penistone’s victory came at Sprotbrough 3rds by five wickets, after they bowled their hosts out for just 79 in the first innings. Thorpe Hesley & High Green beat Green Moor 2nds by 28 runs, despite being bowled out for 145 in the first innings. Callum Gray took 4-23 for the visitors as Green Moor were then all out for 117. 

 

At the bottom, basement side Barnsley Woolley Miners 4ths lost by six wickets away to Wickersley Old Village 3rds, who reached a target of 153 with Subhaan Hussain top-scoring on 56. Bradfield Village Fellowship 2nds scraped out of the relegation zone thanks to two bonus points, despite being well beaten at home to Handsworth Junior SC 2nds. The visitors posted 207 all out, with Junaid Javaid hitting an unbeaten 50 at number nine, before the hosts closed on 159-3 with Paul Garnett 59 not out. 

 

Sheffield United and Penistone occupy the top two places, with a six-point gap to Thorpe Hesley in third; at the other end, Bradfield are two points ahead of the bottom three, Sprotbrough, Caribbean and Barnsley. 

 

 

Brookhouse kept up their 100% record at the top of Division 7 in a close-run encounter away to Mexborough Athletic 2nds, where they won by just four runs. Batting first, the leaders posted 137-6 before limiting their hosts to 133-9, thanks to Jamie Elliott’s 4-10. Second-placed Higham 2nds also picked up a win as they chased down 138 with four wickets to spare at Harley. Jamie Oliver made the top score of the game with 56 for the losers. Elsewhere, Millhouses Works 2nds and Warmsworth 2nds both hit the 100-point mark, albeit with differing fortunes. Millhouses won comfortably at home to Eden Grove Parklands, scoring 180-8 and bowling the visitors out for 142. Dan Pawley top-scored with 52 for Millhouses before Joe Endacott and Andy Belfield took four wickets each in the second innings. Warmsworth reached the milestone thanks to four bonus points in their one-wicket loss away to Frecheville Community 2nds. After electing to bat, the visitors posted 121-9, with Adam Gibson taking 4-7, before Mark Kempton scored 54 to help the hosts over the line with one wicket and four overs to spare. 

 

Brookhouse lead by eight points from Higham, Ackworth holding the third promotion spot, 14 points clear of Millhouses and Warmsworth; whilst Thorncliffe and Monk Bretton are well adrift in the bottom two, and Eden Grove are currently four points adrift of Mexborough in the third relegation place. 

 

 

There were some thumping victories in Division 8 as the top three all picked up wins. Third-placed Houghton Main’s win was the largest as they overcame Fishlake by 168 runs at Pinfold Lane. After Houghton were put into bat, Kyle Head (74) and Matt Thornton (65) took their side to 228 all out. Head then took 6-28 as their hosts were bowled out for just 60. League leaders Hatfield Town 2nds’ victory came by seven wickets at home to Stocksbridge, who dropped down to sixth. The win was all but secured in the first innings when Joshua Yemm’s 4-22 helped bowl the visitors out for just 83. Finally, second-placed Doncaster Town 4ths defended 219 by a margin of 62 runs at home to Scholes. Ramanan Raj scored 100 from 99 balls for the hosts before Glyn Booth took 5-31 to wrap-up the win. 

 

In the bottom three, Wath 3rds moved level on points with their hosts, Dearne, beating them by three wickets. Chasing 122, Patrick License top-scored with 59 in the visitors’ win. Meanwhile, Worsbrough Bridge won by six wickets away at Silkstone United 2nds to move up to fourth place. Darren Newton and Adam Reynolds took four wickets apiece to bowl the hosts out for 98, with Robert Stubbings’ 58 seeing the visitors home. 

 

Hatfield lead the table with 132 points, 16 ahead of Doncaster, and Houghton Main complete the promotion places on 104, twelve clear of Worsbrough; Dearne and Wath are currently in eighth and ninth, with the former ahead by virtue of results between the two, Scholes are four points behind them and Fishlake look doomed 38 points adrift at the bottom. 

 

 

Adwick-le-Street pulled off another important win at the top of Division 9, when they overcame third-placed Upper Haugh 3rds by 132 runs at home. Batting first, Nick Bisby hammered an unbeaten 153 runs out of 234-6, before Christopher Jeeves and Matthew Eades took four wickets each to bowl the visitors out for 102. Whiston Forge 2nds lost ground in second place when they were soundly beaten by 155 runs away to Kexborough 2nds. The hosts plundered 265-8 after electing to bat, Matthew Woods hitting 91 from 90 balls, before Andrew Greaves took 4-49 to leave the visitors on 110-8 after their 40 overs. 

 

The final game on Saturday saw Hampole & Skelbrooke win convincingly away at Brookhouse 2nds. Three bowlers took three wickets each as the hosts were bowled out for just 94, with the visitors making the target with five wickets to spare. 

 

On Sunday, there were home wins for Eden Grove Parklands 2nds and Rockingham Colliery 3rds. The former bowled their visitors, Sheffield United 3rds, out for just 84 with Mansimran Singh taking 5-19. They made hard work of the chase, however, falling to 56-6 and eventually reaching their target with a single wicket remaining. Rockingham’s win also came courtesy of a close-run chase, when they made it to their 160-run target with just two wickets in hand against Wombwell Main 2nds. 

 

Adwick-le-Street are now 18 points clear of Whiston Forge at the top, with a further eight-point to Upper Haugh in the third promotion spot, and Wombwell six points behind them. 

 

Full scorecards 

 

League tables