Cricket: Sykes Cup bye for Slaithwaite

Jan 14 2009 by David Lockwood, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

SLAITHWAITE will go straight through to the second round of this season’s Romida Sykes Cup.

The Colne Valley side were to have visited Primrose Hill, who have been axed from the Drakes Huddersfield League, in the opening round in May.

And the league’s executive have decided against awarding the spare place in their flagship knockout competition to a club from the Arrow Central League.

Hoylandswaine, who will step up to take Primrose Hill’s Drakes League berth, are already in the Sykes Cup as last season’s Central League champions.

Hoylandswaine will go to Linthwaite in round one on Saturday, May 2, when Azaad, who won the Central League’s Allsop Cup, will visit Kexborough.

Primrose Hill were voted out by fellow clubs because over persistent problems with discipline and their Cross Lane ground.

Broad Oak have a bye to the second round of the Spectrum Interiors Paddock Shield, the Drakes League’s knockout competition for second teams, as they were to have played Primrose Hill.

Hoylandswaine become a straight replacement for Primrose Hill in the Romida Twenty/20 Trophy.

They join the Haigh Pool, alongside Armitage Bridge, Broad Oak, Hall Bower and Linthwaite, opening their bid with a home game against the Bridge on Tuesday, June 9.

The Drakes League season gets under way on Saturday, April 18, when Hoylandswaine visit Hall Bower for their debut match in the Cedar Court Conference.

More than 400 are due to attend the Drakes League’s annual dinner at the Cedar Court Hotel at Ainley Top on Friday, when former Essex and England all-rounder and one-time Skelmanthorpe player Ronnie Irani is the chief guest.

Sykes Cup first round: Clayton West v Holmfirth, Hall Bower v Broad Oak, Scholes v Marsden, Honley v Shelley, Golcar v Barkisland, Kirkheaton v Meltham, Kexborough v Azaad, Linthwaite v Hoylandswaine, Elland v Lepton Highlanders, Skelmanthorpe v Shepley, Almondbury v Micklehurst, Emley Clarence v Armitage Bridge, Rastrick v Lascelles Hall, Delph & Dobcross v Kirkburton, Paddock v Thongsbridge.

Bye: Slaithwaite.

Paddock Shield first round: Meltham v Paddock, Thongsbridge v Delph & Dobcross, Slaithwaite v Almondbury, Shelley v Golcar, Barkisland v Rastrick, Holmfirth v S k e l m a n t h o r p e , M a r s d e n v Kirkheaton, Micklehurst v Clayton West, Lascelles Hall v Kexborough, Kirkburton v Honley, Azaad v Emley Clarence, Lepton Highlanders v Scholes, Shepley v Hall Bower, Hoylandswaine v Linthwaite, Armitage Bridge v Elland.

Bye: Broad Oak.