Elsecar forced to take long road back to title

Elsecar recovered from a bad start last season to take the Premier Division title, and look like having to do so again, their latest setback a surprise defeat at Hallam.

The hosts were all out for 179, teenager Ben Woon striking a late half-century, with the wickets shared by Iftikhal Afzal and Luke Townsend. Elsecar never recovered from losing their first three wickets for just 10 runs – Ainsley Swallow dismissed for a duck – and they closed on 151, Danial Rafiq hitting 45, the damage done by Humphrey Emery and Jesse Hemingway.

A high-scoring match at Treeton saw 641 runs piled on the board, the Washfield Lane side hammering 324-8, Scott Cunningham falling just two runs short of a century, Greg Norton unbeaten on 68, Umaid Asif adding 49 and Steve Foster (41). Visitors Wath fell just short at 317-4, Lesroy Weekes slamming an unbeaten 117, after an opening partnership worth 105 between Matt Higgins (74) and James Barnard (60).

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Whitley Hall continued their fine start with a facile success at Barnsley, a home total of 108-8 no trouble for the Ecclesfield pace-setters who eased to a nine-wicket win, Neil Longhurst (52no).

Darfield are finding the going tough in the top flight, and closed 10 runs behind Aston Hall’s 158, their main performers Simon Potter (43) and Tahir Maqsood (5-31). The victors’ attackers were Asadullah Butt (4-30) and Gary Steele (3-23). Whiston saw off Houghton Main for just 95, and cruised to a nine-wicket triumph, Andy Tomlinson rattling up 54.

Wickersley set a target of 267-9 at home to Coal Aston, Matt Burton getting them off to a fair start with a half-ton, followed by late knocks of 58 not out from Andy Baker and 50 from Darren Pugh, the pair taking Wickersley from 125-8 to 191-9.

Liam Johnson claimed five cheap wickets for Aston, who finished on 204-8, Lawrence Browes (47), with Shahid Hussain bagging 5-68 for Wickersley.

Elsecar B hit 284-8, in Division One against Norton Oakes, who responded with 287-6.