Senior Section round-up for 6 & 7 August

 

There were surprising results at the top of Division 1 this weekend; firstly, when league leaders Doncaster Town 2nds were beaten by 10 runs at Oughtibridge. The home side moved further away from the danger zone by successfully defending 142 to win by 10 runs. Warren Graca had taken 4-45 to put Town in a seemingly strong position, but Sam Patel’s 5-43 usurped his efforts to leave them 132 all out. The result enabled Darfield to close the gap in second by pulling off an excellent chase to reach their 190 target with two wickets to spare away to Sheffield Collegiate 3rds. Nick Gaywood scored 68 for the home side but Riecko Parker Cole’s 55 not out from 40 balls helped the promotion chasers to end the game in 37.1 overs. Third-placed Upper Haugh were also defeated at home by mid-table Wakefield Thornes 2nds, when they fell 37 runs short of their 154-run target. The visitors had Atik Hussain to thank for the win; in the first innings, his 52 not out at number nine helped them recover from 82-9, and he then took 6-51 to cap off a fine individual performance. 

 

Near the bottom, both South Kirkby and Coal Aston won their games to keep up the hotly contested race for survival. Coal Aston’s win came at Whitley Hall 2nds, where they chased down 159 with four wickets to spare. Ben Vandrill took 4-34 for the visitors before Benjamin Hall’s 49 helped them to the 12 points. South Kirkby’s win at home to Sheffield United was much more emphatic; they scored 249-5 and bowled United out for 138. Adam Rollin was the main man in the first innings, hitting 98 not out off 95 balls, with Philip Howell then taking 5-41 to wrap-up an excellent performance. Rotherham Town’s win at home to bottom side Warmsworth came courtesy of the same first innings score; they racked up 249-5 after being put into bat, with Rahim Karim hitting 116 off 108 balls and Irfan Mirza making 71 not out. Warmsworth made a good effort in the chase, but fell 50 runs short as they finished 199-9, despite Kelvin Defty’s 66 not out. 

 

Doncaster’s lead at the top is now just four points from Darfield, with Upper Haugh the only real promotion challenges a further 14 points adrift; Warmsworth’s position at the bottom looks increasingly bleak, but Collegiate and South Kiufrkby afre very much alive and fighting, with Coal Aston just ten points above the latter and another five clubs above them separated by 26 points. 

 

 

All the top four teams won in Division 2, where the race for the final promotion spot remains wide open. The most impressive performance being by third-placed Hallam 2nds’ away to Monk Bretton, where they hammered 304-8 after choosing to bat first. Jack Unwin top-scored with 120 and Jamie Stone hit 84, whilst Ryan Howarth took 5-77 in vain for the home side. The home side did not go down without a fight, Daniel Taylor making 103, but their 251-8 still left them 53 runs short. Ackworth retained their commanding lead at the top of the table with a six-wicket win at home to Norton Woodseats. James Eyre contributed 60 to the visitors’ 176, but Shingi Masakadza’s 62 not out secured the 12 points. Second-placed Wickersley Old Village 2nds’ victory came by a comfortable 40 runs after they scored 216-9 at home to Hatfield, with David Mace and Danny Harrison putting together a tenth-wicket partnership of 61. Finally, Treeton 2nds’ won at Aston Hall 2nds by five wickets, where they chased down a target of 184. Jonathan Barnes took 6-36 for the fourth-placed side before George Barnes’ 55 took them to victory. 

 

Elsewhere, Thorpe Hesley & High Green moved off the bottom of the table with an excellent chase to beat Penistone by four wickets away from home. Scott Jones and John Williams had scored 70 and 60, respectively, to help the home side to 185-6 but Mateo Boulogne’s 63 helped the basement team to victory. This enabled them to take advantage of Caribbean Sports’ nine-wicket defeat at Norton Oakes after being all out for 141; Ted Hutchings scored 53 not out in the home side’s comfortable win. 

 

Ackworth are now 30 points clear of Wickersley at the top; there is then a 16-point gap to Hallam 2nds in the third promotion place, whilst Treeton 2nds are just four points behind in fourth; in the relegation places, Caribbean have 62 points, Thorpe Hesley 64, and Monk Bretton 80; with a four-point gap to Norton Woodseats in ninth. 

 

 

As in Division 2, the Division 3 promotion race remains tight, as all the top four teams picked up victories. League leaders Elsecar 2nds are now just four points shy of the 200-point mark, after a five-wicket win at home to Oughtibridge War Memorial 2nds. Chasing 130 after choosing to bowl first, it was Matthew Tonks’ 60 not out that got them home. Second-placed Tickhill 2nds’ victory came by seven wickets at home to bottom side Whiston Parish Church 2nds. The strugglers had elected to bat and set their hosts 188 to win, but they made it at a canter as James Eaton and Peter Mawdsley hit scores of 63 and 72 respectively. It was not as easy for third-placed Parkhead, who won at Sprotbrough 2nds by a single wicket chasing 140. Thomas Wellman and James Speck had taken four wickets each to set up a seemingly straightforward win, but they crept home after falling to 91-6 in reply. Capping off a good weekend for the promotion chasers, fourth-placed Wath 2nds beat Worsbrough Bridge by 64 runs at Moor Road. Scott Hibbett took 4-24 to help bowl the visitors for just 87 in the second innings after being set 152 to win. 

 

Towards the bottom, there was a rare win for Thorncliffe & Wentworth, who kept their survival hopes alive with a three-wicket victory at Kexborough. Chasing 167 to win after Scott Jones had taken 5-30 and Jack Pearson 4-49, Pearson capped off a fine display with 66 to help his team to victory. The 12 points brought them ever closer to Bradfield Village Fellowship in ninth place, the latter losing by 49 runs at home to Frecheville Community, after Adam Buckle 87 in 70 balls in the visitors’ 242-9. 

 

Elsecar lead by 16 points from Tickhill, who are 30 clear of Parkhead in the third promotion spot – but Wath are only four points behind them; Whiston are on 48 at the bottom, with Thorncliffe on 60 and Oughtibridge in the third relegation place on 66 – but the two teams above them, Worsbrough and Bradfield, are within 12 points and still far from safe. 

 

 

Third-placed Higham closed the gap to Stocksbridge in second in the Division 4 title-race with a resounding 131-run home win over them. George Deegan scored 70 to help the hosts to 188 all out after being put into bat, before Robert McInerney (5-28) and Andrew Wood (4-16) bowled the visitors out for just 57. That result enabled Millhouses Works to restore their 12-point lead at the top with an emphatic 71-run victory at home to Rockingham Colliery 2nds. After choosing to bat first, Richard Skipworth’s 5-17 saw the home side all out for a below-par 123 before an excellent 7-25 from Eddie Raper had the visitors all out for 52. Handsworth Junior SC continue their promotion bid and produced an excellent chase to beat Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds by seven wickets at home. Anthony Godley’s 53 had seen the visitors to a competitive 171 all out after choosing to bat, but Waqas Ali’s brilliant 129 from just 90 balls made the target look simple. 

 

At the opposite end of the table, Whiston Forge’s six-wicket win at home to Cawthorne 2nds maintained their slim chances of survival after Josh Cooke (6-24) and Matthew Beevers (4-15) had bowled their visitors out for just 40. Silkstone United’s four-wicket win away to Shiregreen 2nds moved them further away from the danger zone, but left the home side in trouble. Zeeshan Ahmad and Nazam Mohammed scored 50s to help Shiregreen to 191 all out, but United made it to victory with three balls and four wickets to spare in an exciting encounter. Elsewhere, Maltby Miners Welfare fell further behind at the bottom with a four-wicket loss at home to Sheffield Collegiate 4ths. Daniel Longley’s took 4-13 as the hosts were all out for 117 after choosing to bat first, before Matthew Butler’s 53 not out secured the win for the visitors. 

 

Millhouses lead the table by 12 points from Stocksbridge, with Higham ten further points behind in the third promotion place and eight clear of Handsworth in fourth; at the bottom, Maltby are on 60, Whiston Forge 76 and Shiregreen 82 in the three relegation places, with an 18-point gap to Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds in ninth. 

 

 

In what was a trend this weekend, the top four teams in Division 5 picked up maximum points to maintain the fascinating race for the two promotion spots. Doncaster Town 3rds maintained their narrow lead at the top after scoring 214-6 to win by 100 runs at home to Conisbrough 2nds. Maxwell Davidson was the star with the bat, scoring 70 not out off 62 balls, before Alfie Peirson took 4-13 as the visitors were bowled out for 114. Second-placed Wombwell’s victory came away to Hallam 3rds, where they chased down 137 with five wickets to spare. Richard Wilkinson took 5-25 in the first innings before Jonathan Scaife’s 63 not out carried them home. Upper Haugh 2nds’ chased down 124 to win by four wickets away to Sheffield University Staff, with Oliver Cunningham taking 4-31 for the victors. Fishlake maintained their slim hopes by beating their nearest challengers, Rotherham Town 2nds, by four wickets at home. Dylan Sisman’s 53 not out from 41 balls saw them to a target of 122. 

 

At the other end of the table, Darfield 2nds just about ensured their safety with a comfortable six-wicket win at home to second-bottom Mexborough. Ashley and Charlie Potter picked up four wickets each as they bowled their visitors out for 116, a score they chased down in 22.2 overs. Bottom team Norton Oakes 2nds succumbed to another defeat by a margin of four wickets away to Coal Aston 2nds, who chased down a target of 127 Tom Graham’s figures of 5-34 for the visitors. 

 

Doncaster, Wombwell and Upper Haigh are separated by just eight points at the top, with the latter six points adrift of the second promotion spot; there appears little hope for Mexborough and Norton Oakes at the bottom, but Sheffield University Staff are still fighting, just six points adrift of Hallam in ninth. 

 

 

There was a huge win for Caribbean Sports 2nds near the bottom of Division 6, and they kept themselves in with a real chance of staying up. At home to Sprotbrough 3rds, they chased down 124 with five wickets to spare thanks to Ikram Amjad’s 73 not out at the top of the order. The win kept their opponents in real danger of the drop and moved them closer to Green Moor 2nds, who lost by 19 runs at home to Bradfield 2nds. Chasing 160 to win the home side fell to 87-9 and, despite Mark Elsworth’s excellent 44 not out at number nine, eventually fell short of the victory they desperately needed. 

 

Meanwhile, there were wins for both the top two, who kept a stranglehold on their promotion places. League leaders Sheffield United 2nds won by 26 runs at home to third-placed Whitley Hall 3rds; Anoop Surendran scored 54 from 29 balls in United’s 176 all out, before a good all-round bowling performance saw the visitors dismissed for 150. Second-placed Penistone’s win was much more emphatic; they beat Thorpe Hesley & High Green 2nds by 128 runs at Smithywood Road. After electing to bat, opener Sam Lee scored 104 along with Michael Brown’s 114 from 86 balls to help Penistone to an unassailable 246-5 before five bowlers all took wickets as the home side were bowled out for 118. Elsewhere, there was a 34-run victory for Handsworth Junior SC 2nds away to Barnsley Woolley Miners 4ths in a high-scoring game. Junaid Khan’s 63 not out helped the visitors recover from 169-8 to 232-9 in the first innings, a score Barnsley couldn’t reach despite Mark Kenny’s 90 at the top of the order. 

 

Sheffield United lead Penistone by 22 points in the promotion spots, with Whitley Hall still in contention a further 14 behind; with Barnsley relegated, Green Moor and Caribbean are still fighting for safety, whilst Handsworth and Sprotbrough are within four points of the relegation places. 

 

 

Division 7 table-toppers Brookhouse maintained their winning record, making it 15 on the trot with a dominant display at home to Eden Grove Parklands. Matthew Green took 4-28 as they bowled their visitors out for just 92, before they knocked the runs off with eight wickets in hand. Higham 2nds also continued their highly impressive season in second with a six-wicket win at Warmsworth 2nds. Chasing 117 to win, Mac Mahmood hit an unbeaten 53 to see them to their 14th victory of the year. The top three now seem rather set in stone after third-placed Ackworth 2nds’ win away to Mexborough 2nds. They chose to bat first at New Oxford Road, and posted 185 all out thanks to Kevin Booth’s 90 from 77 balls. In reply, Raf Shan’s 89 from 67 raised hopes of an unlikely win, but the home side eventually fell 21 runs short, James Clarke taking 4-36. 

 

Just below the top three, fourth-placed Millhouses Works 2nds kept their promotion hopes alive with a 33-run win away to Frecheville Community 2nds. Iain Mallett top-scored with 55 in the visitors’ 205-9 with Dan Pawley then taking 4-43 to bowl the hosts out for 172; Kevan Cowley’s 75 was unfortunately in vain for the losing side. 

 

Brookhouse and Higham are almost over the line in the top two places, but Ackworth 2nds, despite their 22 point lead over fourth-placed Millhouses, are still battling with two teams for third place; Thorncliffe and Monk Bretton are well adrift at the bottom of the table, but Mexborough are very much alive and kicking – just eight points behind Eden Grove and safety. 

 

 

Doncaster Town 4ths dropped out of the Division 8 promotion places after a surprising four wicket loss at Silkstone United 2nds. They were bowled out for a below-par score of 115 after choosing to bat, before conceding 35 extras in a sloppy second innings performance where the next highest scorer was Alex Thomas, on 16. The result allowed Stocksbridge 2nds to move into third place, with a seven-wicket thrashing of Scholes at home. The visitors chose to bat, but four bowlers took two wickets each to bowl them out for just 52, and the chase was a formality. League leaders Hatfield 2nds hammered basement side Fishlake 2nds by 170 runs after being put into bat and making 284-8; Andy Cutts (62) and Joshua Yemm (64 off 31 balls) top-scored before an all-round bowling effort saw the visitors all out for 114. Finally, there was a comfortable victory for second-placed Houghton Main 2nds away to Wath 3rds, when they scored 214-9, after being put in to bat, to win by 67 runs; Kyle Head top-scored with 68 before Tahir Nawaz and John Cook took three wickets each to bowl the hosts out for 147. 

 

Hatfield lead by 28 points from Houghton Main, with Stocksbridge a further 14 behind then, and Doncaster now two points behind the latter; Fishlake are now relegated, whilst Scholes and Dearne battle on above then – 12 and 20 points behind Wath in eighth place. 

 

 

Wombwell Main 2nds jumped to second in Division 9 after winning both games in their double-header. Their first triumph came at home to Sheffield United 3rds on Saturday as scored 151-8 before bowling United out for 102; Rob Owen scoring a valuable 57 to set up the win. Their second game was also at home and again they batted first, scoring 160 to beat Eden Grove Parklands by 77 runs. The runs were shared in the first innings, with the top score being just 24, before Billy Smith’s 5-19 helped bowl the visitors out for 83. Elsewhere, there was an emphatic win for Upper Haugh 3rds, who defeated Hampole & Skelbrooke by nine wickets at home; William Adams took 4-12 as the visitors were removed for just 76, with the chase then being wrapped up in just 12.4 overs. 

 

Adwick lead the table by 12 points from Wombwell, with Upper Haugh two further points behind in third, and Whiston Forge just ten points outside the promotion places. 

 

Full scorecards 

 

League tables