HONLEY cantered into the Romida Sykes Cup final after contemptuously sweeping Shepley aside in Sunday’s first semi-final at Marsh Lane.

Neither the absence of opening bat John Greaves, the early loss of his opening partner Simon Kelly, not a 45-minute delayed start, loss of the toss nor an hour-long rain break at the mid-point of their innings, could halt Honley’s progress to a third successive final.

It was also the third year in succession that Honley have ousted Shepley in the Drakes League’s premier knockout – but this was the most emphatic, as the reigning League and Cup holders shot Shepley out for just 54!

It started well enough for the hosts as Trent Copeland tempted Kelly into a nibbling at a wide delivery in the third over and young wicketkeeper Sam Haigh picked up a smart catch lowdown.

But it was a long time before their next success, as Matthew Cox and Richard Jakeman built a solid platform for the visitors before light drizzle forced the players off.

The 67-minute delay certainly benefited Shepley more than their visitors, and within two overs of the re-start Jakeman (40) edged Danny Glover to give Haigh his second catch behind and Cox (50) fell caught and bowled by Phil Heaton shortly after.

Danny Howard was just looking to get going with four boundaries until a mix-up with Zahid Ahmed saw him trooping back to the pavilion.

Then a second success for Heaton had the visitors in a spot of both at 133-5.

Then the Green brothers, Martin (33) and James (23 not out) pushed Honley towards the 200 mark in the last few overs however, the former smiting Copeland for two sixes in succession, and given Honley’s formidable bowling attack and a seaming wicket, it looked a testing total.

And so it proved as Honley’s ‘H-factor’ Harlon Haye and Ritchie Howarth, proved almost unplayable taking seven wickets between them for very little.

But it was that man Jakeman who started Shepley’s demise when a brilliant piece of individual flair saw him race from behind the sticks to scoop up the ball at short midwicket and rip out the middle stump with an accurate throw to send Tom Denton back in the third over.

Copeland gave Jakeman a regimental catch behind off Haye in the next over, and when Ashley Littlewood tried to pull a good-length Haye delivery and had his ‘castle’ shattered to leave the hosts 24-3 in the 14th over, the contest was as good as over.

And when skipper Phil Heaton departed leg before to Howarth – it was!

Haye came off after 10 overs, with 4-18 to his name, while Howarth switched ends and finished his 15-over allocation with 3-24.

There was just time for a wicket for Indian spinner Vishal Bhatia before Kelly snapped up the last two wickets to crown yet another emphatic display from this powerful Honley team.

In the League programme, Skelmanthorpe stayed top, but were not convincing in losing eight wickets to overtake Golcar’s 130-8 total.

Steve Whitwam made 59 for the Swallow Laners, James Crossland bagging 5-67, while Max Joice (58) and Amit Dani (36) were the chief contributors for Skelmanthorpe.

Richard Jakeman (50) and Zahid Ahmed (41not out) led Honley to victory over Emley Clarence.

And Elland were far too good for Lascelles Hall, Richard Blakey (71 not out) and Lee Baxter (60) setting them up for a six-wicket win after the Hall lost three wickets to Craig Fletcher in the last over to concede at least a point.

The matches at Delph and Micklehurst failed to start due to still waterlogged grounds, but Slaithwaite improved their cause no end with a six-point eight-wicket win over Meltham.

Matt Garrety claimed 4-19 as the visitors struggled to 116-9 (Ian Swallow making 40 of those), before Dave Berry (45) and Qaisars Abbas (43 not out) led the winning chase.

There is still no joy for Scholes however, who were well beaten by Sykes Cup semi-finalists Shepley, for whom Phil Heaton hit 90.

Craig Glover then stepped in with first eleven career-best figures of 8-54 from 19 overs to take out the Chapelgaters for 135.

In the Inter-Conference, Holmfirth crashed to only their second defeat of the season, as Broad Oak’s Joe Lumb Cup youngster Charlie Roebuck claimed 6-28, removing top batsman Javed Iqbal first ball and Brett Thornton with his second delivery.

Sachin Shoor was the day’s only century-maker for Primrose Hill, but could not prevent Kirkburton winning by seven wickets.