Senior Section round-up for 21 & 22 May

 

There was a thrilling game in Division 1 at Warmsworth, where Rotherham Town defended 280 by a single run. Wasim Rana, Tuffail Dar and Irfan Mirza all scored fifties for Town in the first innings, with Rana’s 63 being the top score. A solid foundation from Warmsworth’s top three had put them on course, with Ryan Pearson then scoring 86 from 88 balls and Gordon Laidlaw 58 from 59 to take the mammoth chase to the last over. The home side may have regretted not taking more risks as they fell short with five wickets remaining. Meanwhile, Doncaster Town 2nds kept up their 100% record with a win at home to bottom side Oughtibridge, although their visitors did make them sweat a bit. Bradley Heaps took 6-31 for Town to bowl the strugglers out for 111, but the chase was far from straightforward and the target was reached with just four wickets to spare. Wakefield Thornes 2nds’ win was by the same margin at home to Upper Haugh, but in a higher-scoring game. Tommy Hyde top-scored with 52 for the visitors as they posted a strong 210-8. But 56 from 48 balls from Joe Cuthbertson followed by an excellent 84 from Sam Darth saw Wakefield to an impressive win. The victory took them above Coal Aston, who will have been bitterly disappointed to be bowled out for just 64 by Whitley Hall 2nds as they chased a modest 135 to win. Alistair Riddle was the matchwinner, taking 5-24. The other games to take place saw second-placed Darfield overcome Sheffield Collegiate 3rds by 45 runs and South Kirkby fall 28 runs short away at Sheffield United. Results mean Doncaster stay top, with an eight-point gap to Darfield in second as Oughtibridge continue to look for their first win, 14 points adrift at the bottom. 

 

Full scorecards and table 

 

 

It was a good day for Caribbean Sports, who emphatically gained their first win in Division 2. Hosting Norton Oakes, they bowled their visitors out for 73 in an outstanding bowling effort which saw all five of their bowlers pick up wickets. The chase was then a formality, as they reached their target with seven wickets to spare. Elsewhere, there was a high scoring fixture at Crimicar, where Hallam 2nds defended 229 by just nine runs at home to Monk Bretton. Mark Keen was the star in the first innings as he totted up 88 runs from 117 balls to put the home side in a strong position. Another 88, from Ashley Clayton, in the second innings brought the away side within touching distance of the win, but they ran out of wickets as Tahseen Ahmad came away with 6-67. Wickersley Old Village 2nds’ chase was just as close at Hatfield Town, but they gained a three-wicket win to maintain their winning start to the season. Town had posted the away side 165 to win at the Carr Side Lane Ground, a total Wickersley made thanks, mostly, to Ben Richardson as his 59 from 135 balls held the innings together as wickets fell around him. Meanwhile, Ackworth kept up the pressure on the leaders with a five-wicket win at Norton Woodseats, chasing 93 for the loss of five wickets. Below them, Treeton 2nds moved above Woodseats into third with a comfortable win at home to Aston Hall 2nds, defending 197 by 40 runs; whilst Penistone won similarly easily at Thorpe Hesley & High Green, where the home side fell 37 runs short of their 172 target. Wickersley lead the table by ten points, with second-placed Ackworth ten ahead of Treeton; Caribbean are now eight points behind second-bottom Thorpe Hesley. 

 

Full scorecards and table 

 

 

An emphatic win for Sprotbrough 2nds at Parkhead took the headlines in Division 3. Batting first, they were looking at a below average score when they were 144-8, but 61 from just 35 balls from Harvey Thomas at number nine in the order propelled them to 243 all out. It was a blow that the home side never recovered from as Matthew Webb and Robert Edmundson both took four wickets to bowl Parkhead out for 115. Wath 2nds’ win at Worsbrough Bridge was similarly impressive as they chased down a substantial 185 in just 36.1 overs, with five wickets remaining. Liam Levitt scored 70 from 68 balls at number nine to take the home side from 39-6 to an apparent position of strength. But 57 from Ben Roebuck and 49 from Jory Bannister meant his efforts were in vain. Elsewhere, Elsecar 2nds kept up their winning start to the season at bottom side Oughtibridge 2nds. Jason Meadows took 5-31 to bowl the strugglers out for 142, before 51 from Kieran Higgins helped them to the target for the loss of four wickets. Just below them in third, Frecheville Community kept up the pace with a big win at home to Bradfield. Todd Saxelby was the star man as his 103 from 109 balls took the hosts to 222-4 in the first innings before Thomas Duffield’s 5-34 helped bowl the visitors out for 145. The other games saw second-placed Tickhill 2nds win at Whiston Parish Church 2nds by five wickets and Thorncliffe & Wentworth lose by three wickets as they hosted Kexborough. Elsecar lead at the top by ten points from Tickhill, while Oughtibridge 2nds are two points adrift at the bottom. 

 

Full scorecards and table 

 

 

Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds impressed in Division 4 as they produced an excellent second innings batting performance to win at home to Handsworth. The away side had posted a more than competitive 200-8 thanks to 63 from Omer Mohammad Arshad, but a strong team effort saw the hosts over the line by just three wickets; Anthony Godley leading the way with 46 and four of his team-mates weighing in with 20s and 30s. Silkstone United were similarly impressive, in finally picking up their first win of the season. The bowled visitors Shiregreen 2nds out for 125 thanks to 6-21 from Luke Whitmore before chasing down their target for the loss of just three wickets. At the top, Millhouses Works’ winning run remains intact, with a straightforward win at Rockingham Colliery 2nds. They limited their hosts to 112-8 in the first innings before 52 from Rameez Ebrahim Ahomed took them to victory by a seven-wicket margin. Cawthorne 2nds kept up the pressure on top spot with a less than easy six-run win at home to Whiston Forge. After posting a stuttering 180-9, the hosts will have been quietly confident but 74 from Steve Cowles brough the game right down to the wire as Whiston ultimately ran out of time, ending on 174-9. Saturday’s other games included a one-wicket win for Maltby Miners Welfare at Sheffield Collegiate 4ths; and a five-wicket loss for Higham at Stocksbridge, who failed to defend 157. Results see Millhouses stay twelve points clear of Cawthorne at the top, with Silkstone now only six points adrift of Shiregreen at the bottom. 

 

Full scorecards and table 

 

 

There were a number of impressive bowling displays in Division 5, where several sides were bowled out cheaply. The biggest winning margin came at Mexborough, who lost by 133 runs against Darfield 2nds. Luke Aitken scored 64 from just 48 balls for the away side as they racked up 217-4 after choosing to bat. It was a score their hosts never got to grips with as they were bowled out for just 84. Coal Aston 2nds bowled their hosts, Norton Oakes 2nds, out for just 66 in the first innings with the wickets shared out, before the visitors’ openers saw them to a ten-wicket victory. If those two wins were emphatic, Fishlake’s win at Rotherham Town 2nds was even more so. After being posted 154 to win, opener Charlie Metcalfe went to town, scoring 102 from 106 to take his side to victory in just 34.5 overs for the loss of a single wicket. Elsewhere, Wombwell Main hit top spot with a win at home to Hallam 3rds. The hosts triggered a collapse from 55-2 to 88 all out in the first innings, with Richard Wilkinson taking 4-17, before making it home for the loss of four wickets. Just below them, Upper Haugh 2nds also picked up twelve points at home to Sheffield University Staff. 4-21 from Adam Perry helped bowl the visitors out for 111, before a wobble saw the hosts 9-3 early on, only to recover and pick up the victory by six wickets. Finally, Conisbrough 2nds produced a thrilling chase on their home patch to beat league leaders Doncaster Town 3rds by just two wickets. Craig Jackson took 6-40 for the hosts, who were set 164 to win before 63 from Gary Strephan and 31 from Tom Humphries get them over the line. Wombwell lead Upper Haugh at the top two by two points with Doncaster six behind in third; whilst Norton Oakes, still without a win, trail Mexborough by ten at the bottom. 

 

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Penistone 2nds beat Thorpe Hesley & High Green 2nds by seven wickets at Spring Vale to draw level with them at the top of Division 6. Three wickets each for Marcus Hoyland and John Dalton ensured they had a straightforward target to chase, and thirties from openers Sam Lee and Charlie Tippett led them to an easy seven-wicket win. Sheffield United 2nds moved level on points with the top two with a similar win away to Whitley Hall 3rds. Daniel Clench’s 5-15 helped bowl the hosts out for 104 before Elliot Ashton (36) led United to a five-wicket win. Elsewhere, Bradfield 2nds kept up the pace with the top three, beating Green Moor 2nds at home after bowling them out for just 71. Paul Garnett’s unbeaten 52 led Bradfield to a seven-wicket win in just the 14th over. At the bottom, Caribbean 2nds were agonisingly close to their first win of the season, losing by a single wicket at Sprotbrough 3rds. Shabaz Qadeer scored 46 as the visitors posted 124 all out before a fine all-round bowling effort meant they took their hosts right down to the wire, losing out on the final ball of the game. Wrapping up the weekend’s results, Handsworth 2nds defended 119 by bowling strugglers Barnsley Woolley Miners 4ths out for just 89 at Oliver’s Mount. Three clubs are on 48 points at the top of the division, with Thorpe Hesley and Sheffield United each having a game in hand on Penistone, leaving the race for promotion in an intriguing position; Caribbean picked up four bonus points in their loss, leaving them just four points behind Barnsley at the bottom, with a game in hand. 

 

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Higham 2nds, Brookhouse and Ackworth 2nds all remain unbeaten in Division 7 after the latest round of games. Ackworth’s 123-run home win over win over Mexborough Athletic 2nds was perhaps the most emphatic. Liam Carr scored 70 and Dave Harris 69 as the home side posted a daunting 211-4 in their 40 overs. It was a score their visitors never looked like threatening, with James Whalley picking up a remarkable 7-22 to bowl Mexborough out for 88. Higham’s victory was also comfortable, as they chased down 122 for the loss of just three wickets at home to Warmsworth 2nds, Greg Walton top-scoring with 45. Brookhouse, however, were made to sweat at Eden Grove Parklands. They had the hosts 29-5 and then 55-7, with Tharindu Perera taking 5-11, but let them off the hook slightly as Umair Alam (39 not out) and Avtar Singh Dutt (25 not out) added an unbroken 36 for the ninth wicket. In reply, Jasneet Gulati’s unbeaten 54, whilst other wickets fell regularly, was crucial, and Brookhouse got home by three wickets. Elsewhere Monk Bretton 2nds won comfortably at home to Thorncliffe & Wentworth 2nds, to register their first win and move off the bottom of the table, swapping places with their visitors. Julian White fell just short of three figures with 98 from 99 balls to propel the hosts to an unassailable 194-8 in the first innings. Sri Sirijala’s 58 from 105 balls wasn’t enough for the visitors, who finished on 131-5. Finally, Millhouses Works 2nds managed to defend 90 at home to Frecheville Community 2nds in a bowler-dominated match. Amir Riaz took 4-22 in the second innings to leave the visitors nine runs short. Results mean Higham stay twelve points clear at the top having played a game more than Ackworth and Brookhouse below them. Thorncliffe & Wentworth are now six points adrift of Monk Bretton at the bottom as the only team without a win. 

 

Full scorecards and table 

 

 

Hatfield Town 2nds produced a dominant display at Fishlake 2nds to underline their promotion credentials at the top of Division 8. After being put into bat, they posted an impressive 192-7, thanks to 72 from Joshua Yemm. They then bowled their hosts out for just 39 with Kevin Marshall picking up figures of 5-5. Below them, second-placed Houghton Main 2nds won with ease at home to Wath 3rds. They limited their visitors to 136-7 before reaching their target for the loss of three wickets, with John Cook scored 52 from 43 balls. Wath’s loss meant Silkstone United 2nds moved off the bottom, thanks to four bonus points in their loss away to Doncaster Town 4ths. After electing to bat, United posted a modest 130 all out, but put up a fight with the ball, taking eight Doncaster wickets before the hosts made it over the line. The highest scoring fixture of the weekend, by some margin, came at Scholes, where the home side fell just 12 short of a 222 target set by Stocksbridge 2nds. James Hague scored 72 and Harry Hurst 50 for the visitors, before 75 from David Watson gave Scholes hope of a remarkable win. It was not to be, however, and the home side were removed for 210 in the 38th over. Finally, Rockingham Colliery 3rds moved into mid-table, successfully chasing 120 for the loss of seven wickets at home to Worsbrough Bridge 2nds. At the top of the table, Houghton Main are ten points behind Hatfield, but Doncaster and Stocksbridge are two points behind them, with a game in hand; Wath are now two points adrift of Silkstone at the bottom, with Fishlake just two points above them. 

 

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There were some big winning margins in Division 9 on a topsy-turvy weekend. Brookhouse 2nds beat Eden Grove Parklands 2nds by 96 runs after bowling them out for just 26, chasing 123 to win. It was the home side’s tail who saved the day; after six of their top seven failed to make it into double figures they gave Brookhouse something to bowl at. Jawad Khan then took 5-2 and Ashley Wilson 4-6 in a remarkable bowling display to see their side to a comfortable win. Second placed Adwick-le-Street’s win was also a dominant one, but their victory at Kexborough 2nds came courtesy of a strong first innings batting display. Nick Bisby top scored with 72 as they made their way to an imposing 181-6. Regular loss of wickets then limited their hosts to 97-7 in reply. Top side Whiston Forge 2nds’ victory at home to Rockingham Colliery 4ths bucked the trend of one-sided affairs as they came out on top by just two wickets. After electing to field, the league leaders will have been confident after removing their visitors for 102, but the chase was far from easy and they lost wickets on a regular basis before reaching their target in 22.2 overs. The only other fixture on Saturday saw Upper Haugh 3rds successfully defend 98 at Hampole & Skelbrooke. Cliff Wilson’s 5-32 for the home side came in vain as Mathew Bacon and William Adams picked up four wickets each to take their side to victory. Sunday then saw a win for Wombwell Main 2nds as they hosted Sheffield United 3rds. Thomas Reavill took 4-5 to help bowl United out for 70 before Wombwell reached their target for the loss of four wickets. Whiston Forge lead adwick-le-Street by ten points, with Upper Haugh six points behind in thirds; at the bottom, Sheffield United are still without a win, six points adrift of Eden Grove. 

 

Full scorecards and table