Satisfactory start for promoted Illingworth
Illingworth reach the half way mark in their season this Saturday with the first of two consecutive home matches. They boast a 50 per cent league record with five wins and five losses and with league leaders Horsforth the visitors.
The big spending Leeds side, promoted as champions last year from Division Three along with Illingworth, have again dominated much of the season.
They clocked up 258 for two last week against Tong Park Esholt in a comfortable win but they have not been immune to upsets with a loss against bottom side Ben Rhydding the most notable.
Last week Illingworth went down at Adel with an understrength side but were not disgraced in a match which looked to be well beyond them at times.
The North Halifax side got off to the ideal start with Luke Brooksby hitting the stumps twice early on to have the home side struggling at 8-2.
However, this heralded a third-wicket stand of 186 for the home side and at 194 for two with five overs to go Illingworth looked likely to be facing a huge target.
Illingworth stuck to their task, conceding only 24 more runs while picking up five wickets to keep themselves in with a chance.
Skipper Luke Brooksby was the pick of the bowlers with four for 60 and Ben Robertshaw’s useful two for 18 in- cluded home centurion Chris Rowley.
Illingworth, missing opener James Lawton, lost two early wickets, but at 92 for two with just under half the overs remaining, they looked in a good position to attack.
Robertshaw and Gibbs put on 66 for the third wicket but were becalmed by the home change bowlers and both disappointingly lost their wickets in an effort to increase the scoring rate.
Worse was to follow as the visitors lost five wickets in quick succession for just 27 runs and the cause seemed lost at 119 for seven.
Stephen Cook showed what could have been as he blasted a quick fire 46 in 37 balls, adding 53 runs in seven overs before he perished with two overs of the innings still remaining. Division Two points: Horsforth 144pts, Colton 141, Pool 132, Skipton 121, Illingworth 114, Adel 105, Knaresborough 93, Harden 81, Tong Park Esholt 74, Thackley 73, Ben Rhydding 62, Green Lane 41.
Illingworth seconds also lost at home to Follifoot, managing only 123, which the visitors overhauled for the loss of only three wickets, and have slipped to sixth in the league with five wins and five defeats. They too face a difficult weekend with a trip to high riding Beckwithshaw.