Saturday review: Thornes and Hanging Heaton celebrate

A season-best 90 not out from Mathew Jordan steered Wakefield Thornes past Whitley Hall's 223 total and clinched the Yorkshire South championship for the second year in a row.
Champions: Hanging Heaton players with the Bradford League trophy.Champions: Hanging Heaton players with the Bradford League trophy.
Champions: Hanging Heaton players with the Bradford League trophy.

Neil Longhurst (56) and James Moorhouse (46) put on 89 for Hall’s second wicket but wickets started to tumble and despite a spirited 41 from Richard Wilkinson, they could not set a high enough target to prevent Thornes taking the title.

Celebrations were also the order of the day at Hanging Heaton, who took the Bradford League crown with crushing win over East Bierley, inspired by their prodigious opening pairing of Gary Fellows (90) and Nick Connolly (134), who put on 183 in their side’s 298-7.

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Just as these two lead the league’s batting, Muhammed Rameez heads the bowling statistics and his fifth five-wicket haul of the season saw Bierley slump to 79 all out.

Yorkshire South runners-up Sheffield Collegiate did all they could to keep pressure on the leaders by making short work of Barnsley. Henry Eldred (4-20) and Azeem Rafiq (3-8) bowled out the visitors for 106 and Tom Rowley hit an undefeated 61 to clinch an early win and take him past 1,000 runs for the season.

At the other end of the table, James Doyle scored 71 for Tickhill but the rest of the batting struggled against Harry Clewett (5-79) as the visitors were dismissed for 161. Bill Kirby (65no) and Tom Rollinson (33no) saw Cleethorpes to the win that confirms Tickhill’s relegation.

Openers Matthew Cartwright (52) and Jack Simmonite (38) put on 101 but were then both dismissed by Kieran Lindley (4-64) and Aston Hall had to settle for 200-6.

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Appleby Frodingham looked as though they would come up just short but No 10 Paul Hilton (31no) and last man Jack Forrester (6no) put on 35 to see them home.

Humphrey Emery (4-26) and Shane Smith (3-24) skittled Wickerlsey for 83 and Nick Dymock (53no) eased Hallam to victory.

Farsley had given Hanging Heaton a spirited challenge for the Bradford League title but finally ran out of steam at Woodlands. Elliot Richardson (6-53) and Chris Brice (3-57) restricted them to 241-9 with Ryan Cooper top scoring on 77. Alex Atkinson ensured Woodlands won in style, storming to 125 not out off 78 balls with 11 fours and eight sixes.

Having bowled out Bradford & Bingley for 129, Cleckheaton slipped to 35-3 but Andrew Gorrod (57no) and Michael Nicholson (48no) saved the day and lifted them out of the bottom two and close to safety.

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Despite the efforts of Mubtader Akhtar (68), Irfan Amjad (54) and Zahid Nissar (44), Pudsey Congs went down by 22 runs at Lightcliffe and are stuck at the bottom, a point behind East Bierley.

Batley are just two points better off after a heavy defeat at New Farnley for whom Lee Goddard made 123.

Three clubs are within six points of each other going into the final round of Yorkshire North.

Will Rhodes (94no) and Donovan Sinclair (26no) steered Stamford Bridge past Yorkshire Academy’s 252-5, sending the Academy from top to third, with Bridge nestling into second place.

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Heading the pack are York, who made short work of Clifton Alliance after Jack Leaning scored 114 and shared big stands with Duncan Snell (46) and Matthew Waite (92) as they made 314-4.

Tom Pringle took 5-23 as Alliance slumped to 120.

David Barrick (6-48), Matthew Wilkinson (71) and Chris Grey (59no) shone as Hull beat Easingwold by eight wickets to climb out of the bottom two at Alliance’s expense.

Afiq Rahim hit a century in Driffield’s 179 but a third-wicket stand of 131 between Jonathan Tattersall (85no) and Josh Atkinson (52) saw Harrogate to a seven-wicket win.

Having had 20 points docked for disciplinary reasons, Beckwithshaw’s lead at the top of Aire Wharfe was reduced to 12 points when they took only 16 in beating Colton.

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Otley grabbed three more in their win over Rawdon in which Chris Thompson took 5-46. The top two meet on Saturday.

North Leeds’ win over Ilkley ensured Collingham, who lost against Horsforth, are relegated with Colton.