Niall's sensational start

Hard-hitting ex-Illingworth and Elland batsman Lockley made an unbeaten 110 and Lees 96 as the Wakefield Road side needed less than 26 overs to knock off the 215 required for victory.

The Castleford side, who included Tim Bresnan’s brothers Nick and Ritchie, had number four batsman Jack Hughes to thank for their 214-7 total. He hit an unbeaten 107, scored at a run a ball,

Hughes then dismissed Alex Stead for a 16-ball duck but Lockley came out to join Lees and they battered the home attack with a 141-run stand.

Lees had eight fours and six sixes in his 67-ball innings before offering a return catch to Alex Page with his century in sight.

Lockley saw it through to the end and had eight fours and 10 sixes in his 74-ball stay at the crease.

Brighouse’s three-match winning run in Championship 2 was ended in a five-wicket home defeat by promotion contenders Hunslet Nelson.

The Russell Way men scored 161 for nine with number eight Mahammad Arshad’s 33 the top contribution.

Raja Naqeeb struck twice to leave Nelson 19 for two but an 81-run stand between wicket-keeper Harry Duke (58) and Andrew McIntosh (47) set up the visitors for a comfortable success with 22 balls left.

Northowram Fields ended a poor run with victory at Liversedge, who were bowled out for 79.

Barkisland’s miserable Huddersfield League season continued with a eight-wicket home defeat to Moorlands.

Luke Bridges made 32 and skipper Darren Robinson 30 not out but a total of 124 was in adequate and Andy Fortis’s 71 not out sealed the fate of the Premiership’s bottom side.

Championship leaders Rastrick were three wicket winners at Linthwaite with overseas ace Asif Afridi again to the fore.

The Pakistani hit 90 of the 149 the Round Hill men needed in what turned out to be a scramble for victory.

Oliver Pearson had earlier dismissed three Linthwaite top order men. Wasim Javed ended the innings of opener Ijaz Kasif (35) and number eight Raheel Akhtar (54), who scored the bulk of the home runs between them.

Elland produced a battling display to win by 50 runs at Almondbury Wesleyans, having been on the back foot for much of the contest.

Jacob Bower (31) was the only one of the Hullen Edge side’s top eight to make an impact but later runs from Liam Senior (35 not out) and Peter Dobson (13) helped the visitors to 144 for nine.

That proved more than enough as Wesleyans mustered only 94 in reply, four-wicket Dobson accounting for their top scorer, opener Alex Taylor, for 30. Only two other home batsmen made double figures.

Pennine League leaders Walsden picked up four valuable points in a reduced overs contest at third-placed Rochdale yesterday.

They elected to field in a match reduced to 24 overs per side after Friday’s heavy rain.

The home club’s 24-year-old Kiwi Henry Cooper showed he packs a punch with 60 not out in his side’s 122 for five.

The Scott Street men won by seven wickets, with 11 balls to spare, thanks to Sri Lankan Umesh Karunaratne (50 not out) and skipper Nick Barker (46).

Walsden’s lead was trimmed by a point to five by Norden, who were six wicket home winners against Austerlands.

Todmorden will have to wait until Bank Holiday Monday, August 28, for a chance to win the Lancashire League’s Twenty/20 competition.

Yesterday’s event at Darwen was called off on Friday evening due to a very wet ground and a blocked drain.

Tod will face league leaders Darwen in one semi-final while Clitheroe will face Bacup in the other.

Todmorden host Colne in the league today.