Buckley and Langton star as Bradshaw win opener
After the total washout of the previous week, the stuttering start to the ENCO Halifax Cricket League’s season continued last Saturday as the new Yorkshire Cricket Board rule regarding religious ceremonies was applied.
The Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr fell last weekend with those clubs affected, able to request postponements and given various alternative days to rearrange.
Six fixtures were affected with five rescheduled for Bank Holiday dates in May but two teams, Luddendenfoot and Mytholmroyd, failed to reach an agreement and will share the maximum 12 points for their match.
To add to the chaos, three grounds were unfit for play so only seven matches of the scheduled 16 started.
In the Premier Division, Bradshaw posted 278-7 as they made a winning start in their trip to Triangle, who fell for 94 all out in reply.
Adam Buckley (6-37) and Anthony Langton (4-53) sealed the maximum points for Bradshaw.
In their home clash with Sowerby Bridge, Oxenhope hit 190 all out in a match reduced to 37 overs each.
Daniel Scott was needed to lift the innings with a quick fire 61 runs.
Once opener Joshua Wood (51) had departed, the Bridge struggled and closed on 165-9.
In the First Division,
Great Horton PC dismissed visitors Shelf Northowram HT for 136, with Adam Beesley (5-50) and Fahad Shabir (4-14) doing the damage.
Hedge Top responded well however and Horton fell for 83 all out.
Low Moor HT were put in first at Warley and scored 133 in the closest finish of the day. Warley slumped to 14-4 but Faheen Khatana (51) helped to take the score to 99-6, and the tail finished the job as they sneaked home on 136-9.
Three fixtures survived in the Second Division and, unsurprisingly, all were lowscoring encounters.
Upper Hopton dismissed hosts Cullingworth for 125 but the visitors fared even worse and they fell for a meagre 72. James Bloodworth (5-27) and Ben Burkill (4-11) inflicted the damage.
Oakworth, at home to Stones, found the conditions difficult in their 134 all out but the match was over less than 23 overs later, as Stones went back to the pavilion for a dismal 54.
Sowerby St Peter’s hosted Queensbury in a battle of the relegated teams and the visitors were skittled for 109. The home team’s reply was led by Jack Helliwell (57) as they reached a winning 113-6 to secure maximum points.
On Saturday, Booth and Premier champions Copley will be in action for the first time this year when they meet at Broad Fold Park.
The top two in the embryonic league table, Bradshaw and Oxenhope, meet at the former, while Illingworth St Mary’s host Triangle.
In the First Division, the two leaders clash at Shelf Northowram HT as Warley visit and the two promoted clubs meet when Mount visit Southowram.
Second Division joint leaders Oakworth make their first ever trip to Leymoor while Bridgeholme travel to Queensbury, with the other top two, Cullingworth and Sowerby St Peter’s travelling to Stones and Upper Hopton respectively.