Yorkshire Cricket: Driffield hit cruise control as Drury brothers all contribute to sink Beverley Town

DRIFFIELD Town had the epitome of a comfortable afternoon in Yorkshire Premier League North.

The title chasers elected to bat at home to Beverley Town and racked up 323-5.

If the cricket before tea wasn’t dreary, it was certainly Drury as the trio all got starts to score 154 of their runs, with opener Alex scoring 46, George hitting 51 not out off 56 balls and captain Sam 57 off a mere 30, including six fours and three sixes.

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However, although the latter duo added 86 for the fifth wicket, their efforts were overshadowed by Owen Goldsworthy, whose 127 contained 20 fours and a six, putting on 125 for the first wicket with Alex Drury.

Rawdon's James Dobson top scored with 73 not out to seal victory against Aire-Wharfe Division One title rivals Otley. Picture: Steve Riding.Rawdon's James Dobson top scored with 73 not out to seal victory against Aire-Wharfe Division One title rivals Otley. Picture: Steve Riding.
Rawdon's James Dobson top scored with 73 not out to seal victory against Aire-Wharfe Division One title rivals Otley. Picture: Steve Riding.

All of Beverley Town’s bowlers suffered punishment, and their batsmen then had little stomach for the fight, being rolled over for 122, with Mayank Mishra (5-27) and Nick Hardgrave (3-10) hastening their decline.

Driffield are second in the table, four points behind York.

York could only make 188-6 at home to Harrogate after opting to have first knock, and that was largely down to captain Ryan McKendry’s 65 not out as Ishan Abeysekara took 4-43.

Harrogate were given a fine start by wicketkeeper Isaac Light (28) and Sanjay Mani (33) in a stand of 53, but then wickets fell with regularity, and it was only Ben Moss (50) and No 10 Jonathan Macgregor (20) that got the visitors to within 14 runs of their hosts.

LEADING MAN: Tim Jackson scored 43 in his team's win over Bradford Premier rivals Pudsey St Lawrence Picture: Steve Riding.LEADING MAN: Tim Jackson scored 43 in his team's win over Bradford Premier rivals Pudsey St Lawrence Picture: Steve Riding.
LEADING MAN: Tim Jackson scored 43 in his team's win over Bradford Premier rivals Pudsey St Lawrence Picture: Steve Riding.
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Jonathan Moxon (5-22) and Darcy O’Connor (3-48) caused the shutter of victims.

Third-placed Sheriff Hutton Bridge had an even closer contest at Scarborough, with the visitors scoring 235-9 after being sent in.

Louis Foxton (44) top-scored up the order, but five other players topped 20 as Breidyn Schaper (3-45) and Adam Newington (4-38) got among the wickets.

Schaper then dominated the reply with 113 not out, made in decent time, but lacked support and Scarborough lost by 10 runs, with Ashley Watson taking 3-40.

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Promoted Sessay, who beat Acomb by 44 runs, are now level on points with defending champions Castleford, who suffered their fifth loss, this time by five wickets to Woodhouse Grange.

In the Yorkshire Southern Premier League, Whiston Parish Church remain bottom, despite an emphatic victory at third-placed Whitley Hall.

The hosts did not make best use of the wicket after winning the toss and were skittled for 176.

Alex Roebuck was almost unplayable in returning an analysis of 8-4-9-4, and Whiston won by eight wickets at the end of the 36th over, captain Daniel Kemp (71) top-scoring.

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Tickhill kept the pressure on Appleby Frodingham with a five-wicket victory at home to Elsecar, with Tickhill opener James Stuart hitting 108, including 13 fours and two sixes.

Wakefield Thornes also had a centurion in captain James Wolfenden, whose 104 helped them defeat Sheffield Collegiate by 61 runs, Brad Green took 5-34.

Doncaster Town beat Cleethorpes with Jaden Fell (104) and Umar Amin (128) putting on 135 for the second wicket in their total of 315-5.

On a day for century makers, Taruwar Kohli made an unbeaten 108 to see Cawthorne to a five-wicket win at Barnsley.

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Left-arm spinner Jack Hughes took 7-28, bagging all the New Farnley wickets to fall, but still finished on the losing side in the Bradford Premier.

Only Jonny Booth (35) made it past 20 in Townville’s 105 as the wickets were shared before Aidan Langley (38) and Dan Hodgson (22no) helped leaders New Farnley to their win.

However, they are now only 14 points ahead of Woodlands, who beat Pudsey St Lawrence.

The bustling Charlie Parker took 5-75 in Woodlands’ score of 273-8, whose runs came from Sam Frankland (46), Tim Jackson (43), ever-improving Tom Clee (68) and the reliable Brad Schmulian (48).

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Elliot Richardson then took the vital wickets of Mark Robertshaw and Charlie Best as Saints were dismissed for 163, with off-spinner Kez Ahmed bagging 3-24.

Batley notched their first win of the season, beating Farsley by seven wickets, to put the pressure on Cleckheaton, who they now trail by one point. Opener Nikash Khan (59) and Yasir Ali (83no) were Batley’s heroes, while Raza Hassan took 4-41.

James Wainman hit 100 for Methley, but Callum Geldart’s 110 for Hanging Heaton was more crucial in a five-wicket win, while Matthew Swallow hit 72 as they beat Bankfoot.

Scholes, chasing leaders Hoylandswaine, suffered a six-wicket defeat at Honley in the Huddersfield League Premiership.

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Yorkshire’s James Wharton (37) top-scored in Scholes’ 165 but Honley’s Timmy Taylor starred as he took 5-44 and hit 84 not out.

At the bottom, Delph & Dobcross notched their first win, with Mosun Hussain’s unbeaten 114 taking them to a six-wicket triumph at Broad Oak.

Match of the day in Airedale & Wharfedale League Division One was at Cross Green in a meeting of the top two, with hosts Otley being dismissed for 159 (Stephen Brown 54, Tyler Willmott 5-36, Nathan Goldthorp 3-42).

Rawdon lost two wickets at 99 but there was no panic as they were seen to a seven-wicket win by captain James Dobson (73no) and Joe Smith (32no).

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