Hoylandswaine look big threat to Elland

Since Elland last won the title in 2004, Honley have been crowned champions in six of the last seven seasons but they are currently 17 points behind the men from Hullen Edge.

Elland’s only defeat so far came at second-placed Hoylandswaine who look a good bet to improve on last season’s sixth-placed finish.

Elland’s enterprise in signing Jamaican batsman and spinner Lorenzo Ingram from Farsley and Niall Lockley, the former Barkisland and Lightcliffe run-getter, has been rewarded, with Ingram delivering four half-centuries and two five-wicket hauls and Lockley five half-centuries.

Honley, on the other hand, have been relying heavily on batsman Simon Kelly and, as well as struggling to defend their title, were knocked out of the Sykes Cup in the first round by double-chasing Elland.

Delph & Dobcross need to show more consistency if they are to improve on their current mid-table placing. They started the season well enough but then lost four successive matches before steadying the ship. All-rounder Arron Lilley, Kevin Hook and Irfan Zahoor possess real talent with the bat and Delph have twice topped the 300 runs mark this term – against Shepley in the league and Cawthorne in the cup.

Matthew Norvall and Lilley have also shown their ability with the ball but, like Honley, Delph can ill-afford to lose many more games.

John Sadler’s Hoylandswaine have profited from the availability of Yorkshire’s Joe Sayers, who has already had scores of 72, 87, 89 and 123, and Alex Morris has scored runs consistently, while Bandula Don’s medium pace has posed problems for opposing batsmen and Australian all-rounder Michael Cranmer has made an impact with bat and ball.

Golcar, Scholes and Kirkburton are tucked in behind Elland and Hoylandswaine, and the trio cannot be ruled out.

Treeton cruise and steal march on rivals

It was almost a complete washout for the league although Premier Division leaders Treeton managed to get in their home game against Coal Aston and extended their lead at the top of the table.

The visitors were sent back for a modest 131 as Greg Norton captured 4-36 and Steve Foster and Umaid Asif claimed three victims each.

Treeton cruised to a nine-wicket victory with unbeaten half-centuries from Gareth Davies and Scott Cunningham.

The only other match played to a finish in the top flight saw strugglers Darfield reach 213-6, with Pete Hadfield making 59 and Simon Potter, 61, sharing a partnership worth 89.

Visitors Houghton Main came close at 207 with solid batting all down the order against Chris Jevons (4-85), Tahir Maqsood (3-22) and Irfan Mirza (3-29).

Wickersley barely started their innings against Elsecar when the heavens opened and the game was abandoned with the visitors on 15-0.

Aston Hall also had their game against Whitley Hall abandoned, when they came in at 94-7.

The Wath versus Whiston and Hallam v Barnsley matches never got started.

Premier Division standings after nine games: Treeton 41 points, Elsecar 34, Whiston 32, Wickersley 30, Wath 29, Hallam 29, Aston Hall 27, Whitley Hall 26, Coal Aston 26, Houghton Main 14, Darfield 11 and Barnsley 7.

Whitworth Cup third round draw – Group A: Wickersley v Barnsley, Whiston v Wath. Group B: Treeton v Whitley Hall, Elsecar v Aston Hall.

Wrenthorpe will be out for revenge when they visit Huddersfield League Delph and Dobcross in the Heavy Woollen Cup quarter-finals on July 1.

Wrenthorpe lifted the trophy for four successive seasons before Delph beat them in the first round last year. Delph were also the last team to previously beat Wrenthorpe in the competition in 2006. Methley, who won the Heavy Woollen Cup in 1994, host Townville in an all-CYL quarter-final tie.

Worcestershire will be without Pakistan paceman Sohail Tanvir for the first half of their Friends Life t20 campaign due to visa problems.

Walton’s century is dampened by rain

Craig Walton will be one of the few players to look back on week nine of the season with any satisfaction, having raced to a superb 121 off 123 balls.

He smashed three sixes and five fours and shared an opening stand of 217 with Chris Luxton (87) as leaders Steeton reached 252-4 at Ben Rhydding.

But even their delight will be clouded by the fact that the match had to be called off with the home side only getting as far as 7-0.

That left the gate open for second-placed Collingham, who restricted Thackley to 135 and were going well at 40-0 but then they, too, had to come off.

In all, only six Aire-Wharfe matches made a start as the wretched summer continued to blight cricket.

The league has already lost more than twice as many matches to the weather as it did in the whole of last season.

Only one game in the top flight reached a conclusion, Otley taking four points off Follifoot in a match of 42 overs each. Otley’s middle order – Stewart Smith (50), Andrew Ross (46), Matt O’Grady (15) and Richard Rhodes (35no) – helped them to 198-6 and despite 36 from Jim Pickles and a spirited 25 not out from No 7 Matt Winter, Follifoot were still 36 runs short of victory at the close.

Jonathan Wright hit 42 as Kirkstall made 102-7 in 20 overs with Neil Davies (4-30) doing the damage. But again it was all to no avail with Burley on 8-0 when the rain intervened.

Division Two leaders Green Lane were well on top at Upper Wharfedale with Andrew Pickles hitting 59 and Davin Charleston (39) and Phil Atkinson (25) lending a hand in their 206-7.

But their attack never got the chance to test the Wharfedale batting.

The rest of the division was wiped out and there were just two games started in Division Three.

Menston were the only side to pick up a win, Gareth Lee (33 and 4-36), John Storey (44 and 3-48) getting good support from Kyle Smith (34) and Chris Baldwin (3-25) as they beat Alwoodley by 12 runs.

That shot Menston from fifth to second in the table, six points behind Colton.