Senior Section round-up for 2 & 3 July

 

Doncaster Town 2nds lost just their second game of the season to see their gap at the top of Division 1 cut to two points. Their defeat came at Rotherham Town, where the home side produced a thrilling display to chase down 202 with two wickets to spare. Jack Woodiwiss had scored 85 for the league leaders, but 74 from Muhammad Virad Mujahid led the home side over the line. Second-placed Darfield took full advantage of this result to cut the gap at the top by hammering Sheffield United by 201 runs at School Street. The home side had fallen to 56-4 in the first innings, but quickfire innings of 69 and 53 from Jonathan Parkin and Riecko Parker Cole saw them to 284 all out after deciding to bat first. It was a total that United could not get anywhere near – both Idris Khan and Saman Khursheed taking five wickets to bowl the visitors out for 83. Upper Haugh kept their promotion hopes alive in a low-scoring game at Baxter Field. Habil Malik took 5-38 to restrict Whitley Hall 2nds to 129, before thirties from Josh Heenan and Samuel Thompson led the visitors to victory with two wickets to spare. 

 

Remarkably, at the other end of the table, all the bottom three came away with twelve points. Bottom side Oughtibridge War Memorial dominated at South Kirkby, as Joel Mann’s 6-37 saw them bowl their hosts out for 91, a score the visitors then chased down with six wickets to spare. Sheffield Collegiate 3rds’ win over Wakefield Thornes 2nds at Abbeydale saw them defend a modest 123 by 36 runs, with Lawrie Brennan taking 4-21 to secure the points. Warmsworth’s win was perhaps the most impressive; they racked up 228-2 at home to Coal Aston with Rhys Mann scoring 110 and Liam Marshall 73, before removing the visitors for 176, with 5-62 from Limar Pierce. 

 

Doncaster’s lead at the top is cut to two points over Darfield, with Upper Haugh a further 26 points behind; 14 points separate the bottom three, with Coal Aston just two points above them. 

 

 

It was a relatively high-scoring weekend, Ackworth once again stamping their dominance on Division 2 with a massive total at Monk Bretton. After choosing to bat first, openers John Wood and Amitpaul Kundra hit 69 and 66 respectively, before several useful knocks saw them to 317-9. Skipper Luke Townsend’s 4-26 then helped bowl the strugglers out for 131, 186 runs short of their target. Second-placed Wickersley Old Village 2nds’ win at Norton Oakes was also emphatic, by a winning margin of 94 runs. After the visitors were put into bat, James Butler scored 76 as they posted 185; but David Mace then produced an outstanding 7-30 to bowl Oakes out for 91. Treeton 2nds lost ground in third place, as they lost at home to Hallam 2nds. The visitors scored 213 with Brad Gledhill scoring 47, before three wickets each for Nick Cooper and James Chetwood ensured that Edward Brunton’s 68 was in vain, and his side lost by 34 runs. 

 

In the relegation zone, Caribbean Sports won away at Thorpe Hesley & High Green to leapfrog their opponents and leave them bottom of the table. Andre Jackson top-scored with 49 as the visitors reached 218-9 after being put into bat, despite Mateo Boulogne’s 5-55; Hussnain Hussain then took 4-23 as the home side fell 116 runs short. Elsewhere, Tim Shaw picked up an excellent 7-15 for Aston Hall, who won by seven wickets at home to Hatfield Town; whilst Matt Scholey was the star man for Penistone with 4-10 in their seven-wicket win against Norton Woodseats. 

 

Ackworth lead Wickersley by eight points at the top, but there is then a 22-point gap to Treeton in third, the first of four clubs separated by eight points; at the other end of the table only four points separate the bottom three, and there is then 24-point gap to Hatfield in ninth. 

 

 

Elsecar 2nds maintained their 100% record in Division 3 with a convincing win at home to Frecheville Community; Christopher Pedler’s 63 helped them to 215 all out in the first innings before Richard Stump took 4-40 as the away side were bowled out for 141. Tickhill 2nds strengthened their position in second place with a 51-run win over Parkhead at Alderson Drive; Sam Roby scored 55 as they posted 177-9 after choosing to bat first, then Jimmy Johnson took 4-38 to bowl the visitors out for 126. Sprotbrough 2nds retained third place despite their loss away to Wath 2nds. Scott Sykes (70) and Thomas Langley (53) took the visitors to 177, but 77 in as many balls from Charlie Miller, followed by 51 not out from Ryan Tingle, saw the home side over the line with four wickets to spare. 

 

Oughtibridge War Memorial 2nds lifted themselves off the bottom of the table by leapfrogging their visitors, Worsbrough Bridge. Alex Littlewood had scored 100 for the away side on their way to 181-9, but an brilliant effort from Benjamin Tyers (75) and number eleven Alan Wake (41) saw Oughtibridge recover from 90-9 to win by one wicket with five overs to spare. Second bottom Thorncliffe & Wentworth lost by five wickets at Whiston Parish Church 2nds, where they were bowled out for 156, despite 51 from Jacob Grubb, whilst Jack Moran took 5-51 to set up the win for his side; Dale Stanley then contributed 48 before Steven Taylor and Pete Wilson took their side to victory with an unbroken sixth wicket-stand of 60. Finally, 91 from Danny Bowering helped Kexborough post 243-6 after choosing to bat first at home to Bradfield Village Fellowship, before Neil Hinchcliffe’s outstanding 7-19 bowled his side to a 126-run win. 

 

Elsecar are on 144 points, Tickhill 122, Sprotbrough 104 and Wath 100; whilst at the bottom it is very tight with Worsbrough on 30, Thorncliffe 38, Oughtibridge 40 and Whiston 46. 

 

 

There was a shock result in Division 4, where Shiregreen 2nds climbed off the bottom of the table with a 15-run home win at home to league leaders, Millhouses Works. The hosts only posted 126, George Henderson taking 4-29, but a strong bowling display, led by Akhtar Khan (3-24) saw them bowl their visitors out for 111. Second-placed Stocksbridge took advantage to narrow the gap to the top with a comfortable win at home to Silkstone United; the home side could only manage 131, Jack Newton contributing 51, but Andrew Hibbert took 6-18 to bowl their visitors out for 75. Cawthorne 2nds also kept up the pressure in third with a comprehensive win at Woolley over Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds. Kade Fletcher hit 69 off 56 balls as they posted 253-7 after being put into bat, before Gareth Kilburn’s 5-13 helped bowl the home side out for just 91. 

 

Whiston Forge comfortably won the battle at the bottom against Maltby Miners Welfare at Guilthwaite Hill. They posted 176 after choosing to bat first, then bowled their visitors out for 136 with Jack Robinson and Kristian Lee Green taking three wickets each. Elsewhere, Higham overcame Sheffield Collegiate 4ths at home by 31 runs; Andrew Wood (67) and George Deegan (64) taking them to 189-6 before ‘man-of-the-match’ Deegan took 5-28 in the second innings. Handsworth Junior SC beat Rockingham Colliery 2nds by 73 runs at Oliver’s Mount after posting 193, with Waqas Ali scoring 74 off 71 balls, before Adil Hussain took 4-37 to bowl the visitors out for 120. 

 

Millhouses now lead Stocksbridge by just two points, after which there is a 14-point gap to Cawthorne, with Higham a further six behind; the bottom three are separated by only two points, and there is then a six-point gap to Silkstone in ninth. 

 

 

Wombwell Main remain at the top of Division 5 after a comfortable win at home to Norton Oakes 2nds. The league leaders bowled their visitors out for just 99 after they had elected to bat, Tom Peck taking 5-23, and chased the target for the loss of a single wicket, with Richard Wilkinson 51 not out. Below them, Doncaster Town 3rds launched themselves up to second with a 33-run win at home to promotion rivals, Fishlake. Oliver Booth scored 98 not out as they scored 225-7 after being put into bat. Nathan Gunn’s 4-60 then helped bowl the away side out for 192. Upper Haugh 2nds were second overnight, but lost at home to Conisbrough 2nds. The visitors had been 76-7, but lower-order resistance took them to 176, before they bowled their hosts out 27 short, Liam Stainthorpe leading the way with 3-43. 

 

There was a thrilling tied game at Sandygate, where Hallam 3rds welcomed Rotherham Town 2nds. Shahid Mohammed scored 58 not out as the visitors made their way to 130 all out, with Matthew Hopkins taking 4-34; Hallam were in trouble at 48-6 in reply, but with Hopkins contributing 39, they reached 115-7 before being bowled out with the scores level. Omar Budoo was the hero for Rotherham with 6-30. Sheffield University Staff convincingly beat strugglers Mexborough Athletic at home; despite posting only 111 in the first innings, they won by 78 runs as the visitors were dispatched for just 33 – Aden Biddle taking 5-3. Finally, Coal Aston 2nds won by just one wicket at home to Darfield 2nds, overhauling a modest 132 thanks to an unbroken last wicket stand of 21 between Toby Park and Josh Cross. Earlier, Richard Timms had vainly recorded an outstanding 7-36 for the hosts. 

 

Wombwell lead Doncaster by 18 with Upper Haugh a further eight points behind, closely followed by Fishlate and Rotherham; whilst at the other end of the table, Norton Oakes, in second bottom, are six points ahead of Mexborough, but 34 points behind Hallam on 54, with the University Staff on 56. 

 

 

Sheffield United 2nds made top spot their own in Division 6 with a statement victory at home to second-placed Thorpe Hesley & High Green 2nds. After electing to bat, the visitors scored 142-9, with Jack Pemberton hitting 54, but United chased the target down for the loss of five wickets, with Ali Akhtar unbeaten on 42. Whitley Hall 3rds made up ground towards the promotion places with a comfortable eight-wicket win away to Bradfield Village Fellowship 2nds. There were three wickets each for Richard Taylor and Matthew Brown as the home side were dismissed for 90, before thirties from Josh Dobson and Ben Gillott saw Whitley home with ease. In a low-scoring clash between the fourth and fifth clubs, Penistone 2nds beat Wickersley Old Village 2nds by two runs. Muraad Ghani took 5-36 to make Penistone work hard for their runs – Sam Lee the only visiting batsman to pass 20 - but in Wickersley's reply, Thomas Dainty’s (44) was the only batsman to reach double figures as they fell two runs short of the visitors' total. 

 

At the bottom, basement side Barnsley Woolley Miners 4ths finally got their second win of the season, away to fellow strugglers Caribbean Sports 2nds. Waqar Arshad scored 72 for the home side as they posted 151 all out after choosing to bat; then 63 from Chris Stott took the visitors to 140-1, before they lost seven wickets for ten runs and managed to sneak home by two wickets. Finally, Green Moor 2nds secured a three-wicket home win against Handsworth Junior SC 2nds, after successfully chasing down 140. Waqar Hussain scored 72 for the visitors, but 67 from Joshua Dixon helped the hosts over the line. 

 

Sheffield United’s lead at the top is now 14 points, with six points then separating Thorpe Hesley in second, Whitley Hall and Penistone in fourth; Barnsley are eight adrift of Caribbean at the bottom, with Sprotbrough 20 ahead of these two and Bradfield and Handsworth a further 12 above Sprotbrough. 

 

 

Both Higham 2nds and Ackworth 2nds made up ground on Division 7 leaders Brookhouse, who did not play this weekend. Second-placed Ackworth’s win at home to Harley was straightforward. They bowled their visitors out for just 89 before chasing the target down for the loss of three wickets, Dave Harris finishing 56 not out. Higham’s win at Mexborough 2nds was emphatic. Harry Bamforth scored 63 before Mac Mahmood smashed 118 from 64 balls and Luke Woodhouse an unbeaten 105 off 62, as they made their way to an unassailable 349-5. Steve Bamforth, Harry Davis and Ian Gray took three wickets each as Mexborough were bowled out for just 79, 270 runs short. 

 

At the opposite end of the table, none of the bottom three managed victories. Thorncliffe & Wentworth 2nds were well beaten at home to Warmsworth 2nds, falling 97 runs short of their 195-run target. Andy Matthews scored 78 for visitors before Jonathan Iball took 4-18 to remove the hosts for 98 – and that after they were 34-7. Monk Bretton 2nds also lost convincingly at Millhouses Works 2nds. Andy Belfield (63) and Tom Endacott (74 not out) helped the home side to 230-3, before regular wicket fell to limit the strugglers to 160-8 in reply. Frecheville Community 2nds overcame Eden Grove Parklands by 30 runs at Silkstone Road; Alex Bishop scored 68 as they set the away side 154 to win, with Jake Kempton’s 5-40 wrapping up the victory. 

 

Brookhouse’s gap at the top has been cut to eight points from Higham, who are ten ahead of Ackworth and 16 clear of Warmsworth; Monk Bretton prop up the table with 16 points, then Thorncliffe on 20, Mexborough on 38 and Eden Grove 48. 

 

 

Hatfield Town 2nds stretched their lead at the top of Division 8, with a comfortable win at home to Houghton Main 2nds. Andy Cutts and Gareth Stent both passed fifty as the home side posted 200 all out after electing to bat first, before Joshua Yemm’s 5-29 helped dismiss the visitors for 157 in reply. Stocksbridge 2nds also made up ground on the top two, as Doncaster Town 4ths had the weekend off, with a six-wicket win away to Worsbrough Bridge 2nds. Stocksbridge bowled their hosts out for 92 before Harry Hurst saw them home with 41. 

 

At the opposite end of the table, Fishlake 2nds remain adrift at the bottom after their latest loss, at home to Rockingham Colliery 3rds. Andrew Whiteley top-scored with 54 as the hosts posted 148, but the visitors romped home by ten wickets in just 30 overs with Dave Smith unbeaten on 80 and James Andrews on 60. Another struggling side, Wath 3rds, also lost when they were unable to defend 130-9 away to Silkstone United 2nds. Oliver Thomas top-scored with 50 for the home side who won by three wickets. There was, however, better luck for Dearne, who overcame Scholes with an impressive chase to move above Wath. After putting their visitors into bat, Ian Couldwell (60) and David Watson (61 not out) helped Scholes to a very presentable 194-7, but an unbeaten 99 from Luke Copley and 57 from Nick Petty saw Dearne over the line with five wickets and seven overs to spare. 

 

All this means that Hatfield lead by 16 points, with three clubs then separated by four points, Doncaster in second, then Stocksbridge, and Houghton Main in fourth; Fishlake are 30 points adrift at the bottom, then come Wath on 44, Dearne on 52 and Scholes on 54. 

 

 

Adwick-le-Street picked up another big win at home, this time over Kexborough 2nds, to cut the gap to Whiston Forge at the top of Division 9 to just six points. There was an excellent all-round performance by Nick Bisby, who scored 119 out of 217-7, before taking 4-17 to help to bowl the visitors out for just 84, for a 133-run win. Upper Haugh 3rds kept up the pace in third with a straightforward win at home to Hampole & Skelbrooke. After deciding to bowl fist, they removed the visitors for 101, with Joseph Platts taking 4-16, before chasing down the target for the loss of three wickets. 

 

Towards the bottom, Sheffield United 3rds fell 21 runs short in a chase of 175 at Brookhouse 2nds; Eden Grove Parklands 2nds lost their first game of the weekend at home to Wombwell Main 2nds by a single wicket. This was after a recovery from 29-7 to 99-9 off their 40 overs, thanks to Kieran Marklew who scored 53 not out at number nine. Eden Grove did, however, win on Sunday as they chased down 130 with five wickets to spare at home to Brookhouse. James Motley had scored 54 for the visitors but Marklew capped off a good weekend with figures of 5-16, before Simon Trott top-scored with 40 as they coasted home. 

 

Whiston Forge lead the table with 122 points, six ahead of Adwick, with Upper Haugh just two further points behind. Sheffield United are 26 adrift at the bottom. 

 

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