Wilson helps Lightcliffe hit back

Lightcliffe and Northowram Fields scrambled narrow wins against lowly opposition in the Bradford League yesterday on another damp day.
Actions from Lightcliffe v Pudsey Congs, Priestley Cup Semi, at Lighcliffe CC. Pictured is Jonathan WilsonActions from Lightcliffe v Pudsey Congs, Priestley Cup Semi, at Lighcliffe CC. Pictured is Jonathan Wilson
Actions from Lightcliffe v Pudsey Congs, Priestley Cup Semi, at Lighcliffe CC. Pictured is Jonathan Wilson

Lightcliffe overcame the nightmare of being bowled out for 27 at Farsley the previous weekend to get the better of the Premier Division’s bottom side Batley on the DLS system.

Play started late and after Lightcliffe’s top three had all scored steadily, Jonathan Wilson hit 87 not out and skipper Matt Baxter 51.

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The Wakefield Road side scored 228 for four in 47 overs and Batley made 147 for four off 32.3 overs in reply when play was ended.

Muhammad Hafeez made 61 and Abubaker Khan 40 but Batley were five runs short of what they needed to win.

Northowram made hard work of beating next-to-bottom Idle in Championship 2 after bowling out their hosts for 111.

Slow bowlers Jason Smith (five for 26) and the returning Chris Thompson (four for 30) sent Idle spinning from 82 for two to their modest all out total.

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However,Northowram slipped from 32 without loss to 64 for six with West Indian Deron Greaves (five for 26) doing the damage.

Ashton Richardson hit 33 to take the visitors close and the last pair saw Northowram over the finishing line, and back up to second place, with number 11 Josh Bennett Kear hitting a four and a six.

A superb all-round display from Sohail Hussain wasn’t enough to earn luckless Brighouse a first win of 2017 in the same section.

Hussain took five for 39 as hosts Spen Victoria slipped from 126 for one to 200 all out.

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Hussain then hit 98 not out off 93 balls, including 18 boundaries, before play was abandoned with his side closing in on victory at 175 for four.

In the Huddersfield League, Barkisland lost by 69 runs at Cawthorne but they remain third from bottom with Skelmanthorpe and Kirkburton also beaten.

Chris Walmsley (93) and Iqbal Khan (54) helped the home side to 219 for seven, with Matthew Steers taking three for 43.

Barkisland lacked a major contribution in their reply of 150, Jake Finch and Ben Westbrook faring best with 31 each.

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Rastrick are up to second in the Championship after a fine six wicket win at Shelley.

The home side started the day above them in the table and made 183 with Jack Pearson picking up another four wickets and overseas player Asif Afridi three.

Ovais Hussain (50), Brad Birkhead (48) and Faisal Javed (42 no) ensured the Round Hill men chased down their target.

Elland also lost by six wickets at home Clayton West after being bowled out for 114, falling away badly after Ben Speak had made 30 and Liam Fletcher 25.

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There was not a ball bowled in Todmorden’s home match with Bacup and only one over - at Accrington - in the entire Lancashire League yesterday.

Walsden’s cup misery continued with a bowl-out defeat to visitors Saddleworth in the Pennine League’s Tanner Cup.

The Scott Street men’s Wood Cup defence had ended in the first round and they bowed out of the ‘plate’ by 2-1 when the players were required to bowl at the stumps yesterday.

Nineteen overs of play had been possible with Walsden struggling to 51 for four.

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