National Club Championship hopes for Woodlands and Tickhill are ended

Tickhill, from the Yorkshire Southern Premier League, lost by five wickets at Northern, while Bradford Premier League champions Woodlands went down to seven runs at home to another Liverpool & District Competition side in Ormskirk.

The latter match was reduced to 32 overs per side because of a late morning downpour, and league leaders Ormskirk made 202-7 after being sent in, captain Gary Knight initiating a repair job after they were 15-2.

He figured in stands of 70 for the third wicket with opener George Politis (43) and 69 with Harvey Rankin (47) for the fourth, being fifth out at 179 having made 63.

Muhammad Bilal dismissed took the two early wickets on his way to 3-29, but only his captain Brad Schmulian was also able to keep a lid on proceedings with 2-36, both bowling seven overs.

Woodlands soon lost Tim Jackson in their reply, but opener Sam Frankland (35) then put on 51 with Schmulian (32), and the home side looked favourites when Tom Clee (66no) and Kieran Collins (45) took 13 runs off the 30th over, leaving them needing 20 off the final two with seven wickets in hand.

However, superb death bowling by left-arm spinner Toby Bulcock (3-33) and pace bowler Sam Holden helped Ormskirk get over the line as three wickets fell and only 13 runs were conceded.

Opener Minod Bhanuka (85) was the cornerstone of Tickhill’s 177-5 off their 40 overs after they opted to have first knock, hitting 10 fours and a six, with the next highest scorer being keeper Jordan Lowe’s 19 as they recovered from 2-2.

Northern, third in their league, were in bother at 97-5 just over halfway through their innings, despite 53 from opener Liam Grey, but they were seen home with 5.2 overs to spare by a unbroken partnership of 83 between George Harris (24no) and Alex Vincent (54no).

The Huddersfield League’s Sykes Cup final, on Sunday, August 11 at Barkisland, will be between Hoylandswaine and Skelmanthorpe.

Almondbury Wesleyan were indebted to a second-wicket partnership of 171 between Saqib Matlub (78) and Pragam Sharma (104) on their way to 239-9, Abdul Ameer taking 3-20.

Sharma (3-45) was then instrumental in reducing visitors Swaine to 24-4, but they had their own batting stars in Arron Lilley (110) and Jack Seddon (74).

The pair put on 145 before a late wobble meant that they only triumphed by two wickets, albeit with 13 overs remaining.

Hosts Moorland made 206-9 off 45 overs in a rain-reduced contest, captain Eddie Walmsley top-scoring with 40 as Faisal Usman took 3-34, but Skelmanthorpe won by four wickets with an over to spare.

Captain Allan Greenwood (65) dropped anchor, featuring in stands of 63 with fellow opener Jack Newby (34) and 69 for the third wicket with Kian Schwartz (43), and Prayank Kumar Singh (34no) and Josh Megson (15no) finished the job, despite Marcus Walmsley (3-31) and Daniel Moorhouse (3-32).