Yorkshire leagues: Townville maintain pressure on title rivals Woodlands

Level after the matches on June 26, defending champions Woodlands gained the slightest of edges with a maximum haul of points at home to bottom club Batley.

With rain having postponed many games across the county or at least shortened them significantly, Woodlands opted to field after winning the toss, and justified that decision by dismissing their visitors for 104.

Batley were 28-4 before being revived by a stand of 56 between Kasir Maroof (46) and Adal Islam (12) but once they were parted the wickets again fell in clumps.

Muhammad Bilal (3-27) and Chris Brice (4-23) caused those alarms to sound, and Woodlands had no trouble in knocking off the runs required without loss in 21 overs.

Sam Frankland – the mainstay of their batting this season – ended on 40 not out and Tim Jackson was unbeaten on 60.

Townville also had a convincing win, racking up 268-4 at home to Cleckheaton – after an opening stand of 102 by Jonny Booth (46) and Athelbert Brathwaite (75).

Captain Jack Hughes ensured full batting bonus points with his 72 not out off just 48 balls, including six fours and three sixes.

Cleckheaton made a decent fist of their reply, scoring 216, but crucially Townville could only take eight wickets, thus missing out on a bowling bonus point. Overseas player Charitha Kumarasinghe hit 108 off a mere 55 balls, an innings that contained nine fours and eight sixes, and he added 100 for the fourth wicket with Ethan Lee (27), Iain Wardlaw then smacking 35 not out off just 12 balls.

Hughes then underlined his value to Townville by taking 6-56.

New Farnley remain third but their committee must have grown a few more grey hairs after a thriller against visitors Bradford & Bingley.

Sent in, the home side collapsed to 140 all out after Aidan Langley (13) and the prolific Lee Goddard (50) had helped them to 76-1, with Yasir Abbas (4-45) and Bradley Reeve (3-38) pegging them back.

Bingley seemed out of it at 97-9 but pace bowler Jack Hartley had other ideas, scoring 41 not out off 19 balls to take them within four runs of a tie before they ran out of time at 136-9. Spinner Gurman Randhawa’s 6-43 helped to give New Farnley their win.

With neither of the top two, Castleford nor Yorkshire Academy playing there was a chance for others to claim a place on the podium in Yorkshire Premier League North.

However, Woodhouse Grange, Dunnington and Acomb all fluffed their lines in losing to York, Sheriff Hutton Bridge and Driffield Town respectively.

Acomb opted to bat and were indebted to Darius D’Silva (105) and Darcy O’Connor (51), who had a partnership of 129 for the fourth wicket in a total of 
199-5.

After adjustments, Driffield Town needed 221 off 50 overs, but won in the 38th over, albeit after losing eight wickets.

Noah Kelly (66) set them on their way, Danny Broumpton kept the momentum going with 42, and Acomb were finished off with an unbroken stand of 69 between Jordan Caley (29no) and Jamie Greavson (38no).

Openers Adam (54) and Mark Fisher (28) gave Sheriff Hutton Bridge the edge over Dunnington, while Christopher Bilton (73) lacked support as Woodhouse Grange 
lost by 28 runs to York. In the Yorkshire Southern Premier League, second-placed Treeton were guided to a five-wicket victory at Tickhill by Christopher Cobb (28no), while Harpreet Singh Bhatia (69no) helped Barnsley climb to third 
after a 17-run win over Cawthorne.

In the Huddersfield League Premiership, there was a surprise defeat for Hoylandswaine at home to Honley, who made 110 before dismissing the hosts for 99, courtesy of Lewis Kenworthy (3-10), Charlie Taylor (3-17) and Timmy Taylor (3-33).

Airedale & Wharfedale League leaders Saltaire also lost, by eight runs to Otley, for whom Rob Spivey (46no) shone.

Neither of the finalists for the Heavy Woollen Cup are known yet.

Both semi-finals – Hoylandswaine v Woodlands and New Farnley v Farsley – were abandoned yesterday after heavy rain, and re-arranged for Sunday, July 18.

Woodlands won the toss in their match in South Yorkshire and sent in the hosts.

It seemed the right decision when Hoylandswaine collapsed to 54-5, but they were revived by a sixth-wicket stand of 57 between the aggressive Arron Lilley (72) and Ben Potter (28).

Lilley’s innings only lasted 59 balls and contained six fours and five sixes, four of which came off leg-spinner Brad Schmulian (3-0-40-0).

The last ball before rain ended the contest, at the end of the 28th over, was the dismissal of Lilley by Chris Brice, leaving Hoylandswaine on 146-7.

Muhammad Bilal returned the outstanding figures of 7-3-10-2.

New Farnley and Farsley did not get anywhere near as far, with Farsley on 26-0 when a second heavy shower ended play at the Barry Jackson Ground after New Farnley had won the toss.

The Airedale & Wharfedale League held their Waddilove Cup quarter-finals, and two were decided by bowl-outs.

Pool edged out Collingham 3-2 inside the five-balls-per-side sequence.

However, it took sudden-death extra-time to give Saltaire victory by the same margin at Old Leodiensians.

The latter had earlier made 172-8 in 31.1 overs after Saltaire had elected to bowl, with Madan Basavarajaiah making a dominant 96 not out.

Eight fours and five sixes flowed from his bat in only 77 balls and he had a partnership of 62 for the sixth wicket with Yella Dadireddy (38), with Sajad Ali (3-43) and Musawar Shah (3-39) getting among the wickets.

Pool were in good shape at 105-1 after 24 overs after opting to bat, with Kruthik Patel 61 not out and Will Pallister 35 not out.

The other two ties – Bardsey v Addingham and Rawdon v Burley – will start from scratch next Sunday.

Openers Will Atkins (37no) and Robbie Miller (34) had put on 77 for Addingham, and they were 92-2 when rain interrupted proceedings. Rawdon were 49-1 after 10 overs at home to Burley.