High scores in short supply as cricket returns
A QUICK glance at the scores for the return of cricket to the ENCO Halifax League will show that the majority of batsmen were at best, rusty.
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.
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, but despite a brave effort the Thornton reply was always behind the clock and petered out at 144-6, some 26 runs short.
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 (93-25-4) 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. Bradshaw made a brave effort to chase, particularly having been reduced to 64-6.
Copley’s batsmen crashed to a meagre 57 all out against Blackley, for whom opener Macaulay Shiel (25 not out) held firm for all the 12 overs needed to reach a winning 60-5.
Warley won at Sowerby Bridge, while the game between Mytholmroyd and Shelf Northowram HT was postponed due to the weather.
In the First Division, Clayton hit 258-6 at Luddendenfoot in the highest scoring match of the day – 467 runs.
The Foot made a fair fist in response to Clayton’s formidable target but were 209 all out.
Oxenhope’s weakened team were bowled out for 95 in only 27.1 overs by Upper Hopton, for whom 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, allocated an away trip to Great Horton PC, struggled to 149 all out in 38.1 overs, while Horton’s 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.
There was a much more competitive match when local rivals Greetland and Outlane met Greetland posted 179 all out, but Outlane replied with 180-8.
Stones hosted Queensbury, who 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.
Queensbury in reply were looking good for a winning start but closed on 107-9.
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