League cricket: Woodlands and Hoylandswaine celebrate

Kiwi Brad Schmulian starred for Woodlands. The Bradford League’s leading scorer hit a patient 68 not out to steer his side past New Farnley’s 178-6 total and claim the cup they won last year and in 2016.

New Farnley, winners in 2017, made a solid start until Chris Brice came on and in an opening maiden over removed Alex Baldwin and Steve Bullen.

Opener Adam Waite was proving resolute but his partners found it hard to stick around especially against Scott Richardson, who picked up three quick wickets.

Farnley’s No 8 Max Law came in and provided good support for Waite, scoring 29 in a 91-run unbroken partnership. Waite carried his bat for 97.

Farnley made the perfect start to their defence, Alex Lilley trapping Sam Frankland lbw with only two on the board and Charlie Parker picking up two more quick wickets.

But Schmulian was holding up his end and with Muhammad Bilal raising the tempo with a rapid 37 not out off 24 balls, Woodlands clinched the trophy with four wickets and 4.5 overs in hand.

A deadly spell by Hoylandswaine's Christian Jackson ended Delph & Dobcross hopes of retaining the Sykes Cup.

The match was delayed by an hour because of the weather but, having put Swaine in, Delph made a promising start, removing three of their top batsmen with 46 on the board.

But opener S P Singh took the score on to 141 in partnership with Arron Lilley (46) and Gurman Randhawa before he was dismissed for a patient 46.

Randhawa took up the baton and scored 36 before being run out in the final over, having put on 49 with Usman Urshad (31no) to set Delph a target of 207-7.

Delph were always struggling to keep up with the asking rate and their fate was sealed when Randhawa bowled captain Alex Peters for 21 and Jackson, who finished with 3-31, followed up with two quick wickets to reduce them to 70-5.

Waqas Maqsood – a member of Delph’s cup-winning side last year – and Urshad mopped up the next four wickets cheaply and even though last pair Umer Yaqoob (17no) and Wasim Qasim (15) battled on, it was always too big a task.

In Saturday's rain-hit league programmes, York moved a step closer to defending their Yorkshire North crown with a victory over title rivals Stamford Bridge.

With the mouth-watering game between the top two, Sheriff Hutton Bridge and Woodhouse Grange, falling victim to the weather, third-placed York moved within nine points of the leaders.

Ben Robinson (40) and James Billington (49) gave them a solid start and a sixth-wicket stand of 80 between Nick James (52) and Tom Brooks (31no) saw them reach 219-6.

Despite the efforts of Kyle Waite (33) and Zac Keune (39), Bridge were dismissed for 198 with Robinson taking 3-42.

At the other end of the table, Ben Coad starred as Harrogate eased their relegation worries while pushing Beverley Town closer to the drop.

Coad (4-47) and Tom Geeson-Brown (3-56) bowled out Town for 142 and then Coad smashed 10 fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 78, putting on 102 with fellow-opener Alexis Twigg (42) as Harrogate eased home.

David Wainwright (61) top scored in Castleford’s 179-4 and even though that was increased to a target of 195 by DLS, Matthew Montgomery (78no) and Craig Nicoll (37no) steered Clifton Alliance to victory with one ball to spare.

Linden Gray (4-11) had Sessay on the ropes at 76-6 at Scarborough before the rain intervened.

Opener Matthew Higgins hit 55 but with Aamir Jamal taking 7-36 he found little support and with Elsecar bowled out for 103, it seemed plain sailing for Yorkshire South leaders Doncaster Town to end a two-match losing streak.

But Muhammed Ilyas and Paul Cummins each picked up three cheap wickets and when last man, Sonny Day-Tennant, was run out Town had lost by one run.

That should have been the signal for second-placed Barnsley WM to step up but they became relegation-threatened Hallam’s fourth successive victim.

Jim Tasker took 5-44 as Barnsley were dismissed for 161 in reply to 180-9, and Hallam moved to within six points of safety. Meanwhile, third-placed Sheffield Collegiate could only kick their heels, their match against Tickhill the only one not played.

Haseeb-Ur Rehman (79) top scored in Treeton’s 199-9 in which Alex Osmond took 5-57. Osmond then hit 65 in Cleethorpes’ reply but with Vinnie Ogden taking 7-54 Treeton won comfortably.

Half centuries from James Wolfenden and David Toft helped Wakefield Thornes to 202-4 which DLS increased to a target of 234, far too much for relegation threatened Aston Hall who only managed 186-8, Mathew Cartwright scoring 59.

Gareth Purshouse (48) and Tom Knight (55) led the way as Wickersley set a 183-6 target which Whitley Hall passed for the loss of only two wickets thanks to James Moorhouse (62) and Neil Longhurst (62no).

Only two matches survived in the Bradford Premier one of which saw bottom side Methley notch their second win of the season. Grant Soames (60) top scored in Methley’s 199-8 which included a 5-60 spell from Harry Clewett and despite 73 from Jack Hughes, Townville were bowled out for 166.

Such are the complexities of DLS that Wrenthorpe scored four more runs than Hanging Heaton’s 145-1 but lost by four runs. Gary Fellows (62) and Nick Connolly (41no) put on 93 for Heaton while James Glynn hit a half century in the reply.

The performance of the day, however, came down in Championship Two where Hopton Mills overtook Spen Victoria’s 183-7 in 15.5 overs thanks to an electrifying 113no in 48 balls from Umar Abbas that included nine fours and ten sixes.

The Huddersfield League and Aire Wharfe were almost wiped out by the weather but Colton managed to pick up nine bonus points against Beckwithshaw and climbed off the bottom of Aire Wharfe Two.

With Tom Glover taking 5-63 Beckwithshaw were on their heels until Henry Hopkinson (69), James Blair-Holt (44) and Oliver Hebblethwaite (46no) saw them to 235-8. Darren Precious (65) and Brad Firn (69) raised Colton hopes but Holderness (4-39) and Hebblethwaite (3-41) dismissed them ten runs short of victory.