Rudolph century too much for Cleethorpes

ECB YORKSHIRE

GERHARDUS Rudolph’s magnificent 155 sentenced Cleethorpes to their first defeat at Rotherham on a day when Doncaster and Driffield gained their first wins.

Cleethorpes lost by 63 runs at Clifton Lane where opener Rudolph blasted 19 fours and four sixes before being giving a return catch to Jack Harrison, who took five wickets. Rudolph and Jordan Lowe (50) had a fifth-wicket partnership of 109. Chasing 255, Cleethorpes reached 192-9 in their 55 overs, James Osmond top-scoring with 64 and Gurman Randhawa taking 5-38 in 14 overs.

A second-wicket stand of 136 by Gareth Cox and Amit Kundra guided Doncaster to victory at Castleford where they had seven wickets and 1.3 overs to spare. Opener Cox included nine boundaries in his 79, Kundra’s 73 containing seven fours and two sixes. Nick Morley, Doncaster’s captain and medium pace bowler, took 5-63 in 15 overs when Castleford posted 229-8 in 55 overs, opener Brayden Clark making 89 including 11 boundaries.

Driffield gained their first win at home to Sheffield Collegiate, who went down by 22 runs. Nick Hardgrave took 5-27 in 20 overs and his colleague Sam Drury was out one run short of his half-century.

Daniel Woods sent Sheffield United reeling to a 162-run defeat at Bawtry Road as champions York maintained their position at the top. Left-arm spinner Woods opened the attack and took 7-60 in 19.1 overs, helping to send back United’s batsmen for just 129 in 39.1 overs after York had been dismissed for 291 in 54.4 overs.

Reece Shutt claimed five wickets for Sheffield but Liam McKendry (76) and Andrew Tute (57) had a second-wicket partnership of 123, Oliver Hairs and Alex Collins adding 68 for the fourth wicket.

After losing their opening three matches, Yorkshire Academy have hit back with three victories. They defeated Hull by eight wickets at Headingley. Left-arm spinner Alex Leyshon took 4-40 in 10 overs as Hull were dismissed for 102 in 44.4 overs after winning the toss. The Academy reached their target in 25.5 overs, opener and captain Alex Lees making a half-century in an unbroken partnership with Jack Leaning, who made 27.

DRAKES HUDDERSFIELD

SHELLEY batsman Safraz Ahmed hit an unbeaten century but was a loser as Skelmanthorpe squeezed home to their first league win of the season in a thrilling finish at Lidgett Lane.

Ahmed accumulated 16 fours and a six in his undefeated 113, Peter Drysdale offering excellent support with 69 as Shelley totalled 235-7. Haroon Rashid led the chase with 73 and with Skelmanthorpe needing two from the last over, Josh Clarkson’s boundary off the second delivery had the home side celebrating a two-wicket win.

Australian left-arm spinner Jack McNamara set up Golcar’s seven-wicket victory over Slaithwaite with a 7-29 haul in 12.2 overs. Slaithwaite were bowled out for 108 in 34 overs, Ronan Bruce making 47. Golcar had no difficulty in overhauling the visitors’ total in 24 overs, opener Lee Baxter leading the way with a half-century.

Marsden gave high-flying Elland a run for their money, losing by just 12 runs at Hullen Edge. Nick Clee was the game’s top scorer with 82, including six fours and two sixes as Marsden made 198 in reply to Elland’s 210-9. Greg Wood’s half-century and off-spinner Chris Goulden’s 4-36 were big factors in the Elland success.

Honley had to settle for a five-point win against lowly visitors Barkisland, who batted first and made 174-9, Ritchie Howarth bowling accurately to take 3-49 in 19 overs. Max Joice (68) and Jonny Butterfield (50) had a third-wicket century partnership for Honley on the way to a five-wicket win.

Opener Graeme Simpson hammered six fours and four sixes in his 86 for Delph & Dobcross who defeated Kirkburton by 42 runs. Arron Lilley grabbed five Kirkburton wickets and Greg Buckley made his third half-century of the season for the losers.

Sarjinder Pal Singh rattled up 17 fours and a six in an unbeaten 110 for Shepley, who defeated Scholes by 40 runs. Liam Wiles, who made 83, had an unbroken stand of 177 with Sarjinder and although Scholes opener Tom Love plundered 14 fours and five sixes in an innings of 104 and Iqbal Khan made a half-century, they had to be content with a solitary point.

AIRE-WHARFE

Charlie Davy hit a century as champions Burley shook off their faltering start to the season to take advantage of a good batting track at Kirkstall.

Well supported by Danny Bryan (70) and Richard Brook (49), Davy helped Burley to 310-8 but their bowlers struggled to make an impact and the home side claimed two points mainly thanks to a fine unbeaten 98 from Jonny Wright.

David Wright was the hero of Follifoot’s seven-wicket win at Guiseley. He took 3-33 as the home side were dismissed for 156, then he sealed victory with an unbeaten 80.

There was a fine all-round display at Rawdon where Green Lane’s Yasser Ali followed up a three-wicket spell with 81 not out to clinch a five-wicket win. Andrew Doidge had hit 70 in Rawdon’s 197-8, Neil Britton taking 5-51, and Ali found good support from Phil Atkinson (51) in the chase.

Nasser Jamal hit 36 not out in Thackley’s 208-9 and then took 6-47 as Adel’s last pair hung on for two points leaving Thackley nine points clear at the top.

Beckwithshaw’s Stuart Hudson followed up a six-wicket haul the previous week with 7-74 at Otley but he could not prevent the home side reaching 253 in which Nick Benson (87) and Jon Hughes (66) top scored. It proved too much for the visitors, who fell victim to Andrew Rhodes (6-45) and were dismissed for 191, sending Otley into second place.

Andy Walker (56no) and Will Liddle (5-44) were the stars as Bilton crushed Collingham by 119 runs despite the efforts of visiting opener Brian Leigh, who was last man out on 47.

In Division Two, Richard Henry (80) led the reply to Calverley’s 217-9 and Matthew Naylor hit a six off the last ball to clinch a one-wicket win for Pool.

Stuart Carey hit his second century of the season and with the help of Richard Geary (54) and Callum How (52) helped Knaresborough to 255-7 and a five-point draw at Tong Park Esholt.

Chris Luxton (72) and John Akrigg (54no) were the stars as Steeton comfortably won the top-two battle at Ben Rhydding which allowed Harden to go second with four points against Bolton Villas.