High scores in short supply as Halifax Cricket League season finally gets underway

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions matches were reduced to 40 overs and that rustiness, combined with some wet pitches, resulted in only Clayton, Luddendenfoot and Triangle topping 200 runs.

Six teams failed to, or were only required to, score 100 runs.

In the Premier Division there were no surprises as the truncated season simply started as 2019 finished with Illingworth St Mary’s, Booth, Triangle and Warley all starting with wins.

St Mary’s match was reduced to 30 overs as it set a target of 170 runs for Thornton to chase, Hamza Mehmood (43) top scoring with Josh Hutchinson (4-46) the pick of the visiting attack.

Despite a brave effort from Nikki Hutchinson (76) the Thornton reply was always behind the clock and petered out at 144-6, some 26 runs short.

In another reduced overs match Booth had the best of its trip to SBCI, restricting the home team to 124-9 in the available 31 overs.

Despite an excellent opening burst from Alex Scholefield (9-3-25-4) as he took the first four wickets, including Rob Laycock (50) at 87-4, the remaining SBCI

bowlers failed to follow his example and Booth ran out winners in 22.4 overs at 125-5.

Triangle hit the highest score in the division as it reached 208 all out, using only 37.2 overs, No surprise to report that its main effort came from Christian Silkstone (84), one of only a few top batsmen who hit the groove immediately on a return to the crease.

He was well supported by Kurtis Whippey (57) as they took the score from 71-5 to 163-6, a partnership that proved match-winning, despite the efforts of Si Collins’ (4-32) who claimed the wickets of both top-scorers.

Bradshaw made a brave effort to chase, particularly having been reduced to 64-6, and the lower order of Anthony Langton (35), Chris Pell (31) and Shamas Zahir (26) deserve credit for taking the score to 176 all out, 32 runs short, Whippey (4-34) in the action again.

Copley’s batsmen will be quickly returning in the nets as it was wiped out by promoted Blackley at The Arches – back in the pavilion in just 28 overs.

It crashed from 54-5 to a meagre 57 all out as, surprisingly, no less than seven Blackley bowlers were used, four of them taking wickets, led by Anees Rawat (4-2-6-4).

The visitors did not have it all its own way in reply, with the damp conditions again playing a part, but opener Macaulay Shiel (25 not out) held firm for all the 12 overs needed to reach a winning 60-5, the effort of Oliver Thorpe (4-16) some small Copley consolation.

At the time of writing there was a problem with the scoring system at Sowerby Bridge and only a win for visiting Warley can be recorded – Bridge 116 all out, Warley 118-7.

Much to the disappointment of the twenty–two players who had waited thirteen weeks to play unfortunately the remaining match, scheduled for Moderna Way, was called off.

The previous two days of rain, coupled with some persistent drizzle, put paid to any chance of play between Mytholmroyd and Shelf Northowram HT.

In the First Division, just a mile away from Moderna Way as the crow flies, Clayton hit 258-6 as it visited Luddendenfoot in the highest scoring match of the day – 467 runs.

Batting first the Bradford outfit hit the deck running as Connor Ambler (113 not out), Sam Wilson (49) and Joe Brown (41) shared partnerships of 83, 77 and 47 to set a formidable target.

The Foot made a fair fist in response with opener Daniel Barron (65) leading the way, five other batsmen chipping in with twenties and a 30. At 190-4 a successful chase was on the cards but when Saad Shafique (4-10) snared Barron a dozen runs later that changed the picture and the innings quickly folded to 209 all out.

Oxenhope had to field a weakened team due to the majority of its normal First XI enjoying the delights of Leeds at a stag event. It showed, as on its own track it was bowled out for 95 in only 27.1 overs by Upper Hopton, At 70-3 the home team’s progress was on par but then first change bowler Matt Broadbent (4-22) got to work.

The last seven wickets fell for 25 runs, much to the chagrin of its self-isolating secretary, Keith Yates, watching the live scores on the League website - which he had a massive hand in creating!

Hopton was in no mood to be generous and it was soon heading home happy on one of the longest trips in the League of 17 miles.

Openers Tom Wightman (53 not out) and Callum Fern (26 not out) needed just 84 balls to score the 96 runs required for the 12 points.

Mount, like Hopton, attempting to overturn a Covid-19 ban at its home ground, had fortunately been allocated an away trip to Great Horton PC – but the luck ended there.

Inserted by the home team it struggled to 149 all out in 38.1 overs, as Horton’s bowlers shared the wickets, only Mohammed Visnagri (57) showing any form.

Of the remaining four of Mount’s top five order they only scored a total of nine runs – nets required soonest. Horton’s top four had no such problems with Ricky Hassall (59) leading from the front followed by scores of 36, 27 not out and 22 not out as the chase was timed to perfection, 27 balls remaining as 150-2 was reached.

In the Second Division the biggest margin of victory came at Bradley and Colnebridge where a sad looking Augustinians was hammered by 118 runs, and that after inserting its hosts. B & C took full advantage and, unlike most teams where large numbers of batsmen had failed, the Kirklees outfit saw all its top five make valuable contributions.

No one topped 40 runs but the cumulative effort brought a well earned score of 184-8 in its 40 overs. Zafar Khan deserves a mention for his bowling effort of 12-4-29-3.

That however was the only plus point of afternoon for the visitors as its batting fell apart in reply.

Only one batsman, Ferman Ali (35), reached double figures as he scored over half of a total of 66 all out, five B & C bowlers taking wickets.

There was a much more competitive match at The Holme where local rivals Greetland and Outlane met.

Greetland won the toss and opted to bat and was indebted to the efforts of wicketkeeper Mohammed Yousaf (66) and Asad Muckhtar (59) for the majority of the runs, as it posted 179 all out with Zeeshan Rahman (4-29) picking up valuable wickets.

The downside to the total however was that Greetland failed to use 4.5 overs of its allocation and that turned out to be costly.

Outlane’s batsmen had clearly been netting well as the scores of its top six batsmen are worth recording – 21, 10, 26, 27, 32 and 29.

No high scores but the combined effort was enough to earn maximum points as it passed the target at 180-8. If its hosts had batted out its overs it could have been a different outcome as Outland used 37.3 overs for the win.

The final match of the day came at Stones in a contest versus Queensbury that was reduced to 37 overs per team.

The visitors opted to field and Stones, on a tricky surface, whilst losing wickets at regular intervals, timed its innings to near perfection losing its last wicket with one ball remaining – 135 all out.

Opener Thomas Kenworthy (56) made a valuable contribution as most of his other teammates struggled with the willow.

Queensbury in reply were 54-0 and looking good for a winning start but, after Josh Dougall (33) was dismissed and Jack Westerby (12-3-26-5) joined the attack, wickets began to tumble and the doldrums set in as the innings closed on 107-9, denying Stones that extra bowling point.