Champions defeated in final over drama

Ryan Robinson made a valiant 81 and John Sadler 64 as Hoylandswaine totalled 231-7 in their 50 overs.

Skelmanthorpe needed three to win off the final over, Rashid and Taylor seeing them home with two deliveries to spare.

Rashid had nine fours and three sixes in his 96, Taylor smashing eight sixes and two fours in a swashbuckling 65.

Elland, Golcar, Kirkburton and Shepley made it two wins from their opening two matches.

Elland, last season’s runners-up, defeated Holmfirth by four wickets despite a fine 85 from former Hall Bower batsman Shabir Rashid. Shaun Fox was Elland’s best batsman with an undefeated 68.

Tom Brook had Golcar reeling with a 6-40 return for Scholes who totalled 152-9 but Will Hinchliffe (6-34) and Rizwan Haider (3-6) had the answer, shooting out the visitors for 74 in 35 overs. Kirkburton sentenced Honley to a second successive defeat which seemed unlikely when Kirkburton were ousted for 98 in 41.5 overs.

Ritchie Howarth took 5-38 and Siddharth Sharma 3-26 but Honley’s own batsmen were then humbled for 75, Craig Fletcher grabbing 4-37 and Gurman Randhawa 3-10.

Lorenzo Ingram and Matthew Steers collected unbeaten half-centuries for Barkisland but they lost by 43 runs against visitors Shepley for whom ex-Elland batsman Greg Wood made 56.

Kevin Brook hit eight fours and a six in an unbeaten 50 for Delph & Dobcross who defeated Marsden by seven wickets in a match reduced to 25 overs-a-side.

Yogesh Golwalkar took 6-49 for Hall Bower but Bilal Khiljee made 89 and claimed 4-26 from 18 overs as Shelley won by 49 runs.

Muhammad Azharullah played his part with 4-26 off 15 overs.