Cricket: Six-wicket Craig Glover destroys Honley

May 25 2009 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

WHILE Lascelles Hall’s Ranga Godage turned in the best bowling display of the season so far, Craig Glover kept Skelmanthorpe hot on the heels of the Premiership’s top two.

Sri Lankan all-rounder Godage took nine for 19 in 11.5 overs (seven of them maidens) to destroy Kirkheaton for 57, a target the Hall reached for the loss of just three wickets to lift themselves away from the foot of the Frank Platt Conference.

Dan Taylor got the other Kirkheaton scalp, that of opener Zafar Khan, to deny medium pacer Godage all 10.

In the top flight, Glover inflicted more pain on champions Honley with a tremendous six for 39 haul from 19.1 overs, restricting the visitors to 87 all out.

Glover got great backing from Scott Dyson, who had three for 15 from eight, and then Sarfraz Ahmed remained unbeaten on 59 to see Skelmanthorpe home for the loss of just skipper Adam Dollive.

It was Honley’s fourth defeat in five matches and they are third from bottom of the standings.

At the top end, Delph & Dobcross and Scholes lead the way after taking six points apiece – the latter in a second successive thriller at Chapelgate against Broad Oak.

After defeating Honley the previous week, Scholes were again indebted to Australian Shane Mott (40) and Ibrar Latif (31) in grafting to 161-9 against some splendid bowling from Ben De Araugo, who was warned for running on the pitch and eventually taken off with figures of four for 39 from 21 overs.

Graeme Hurlbatt took three for 51 from 15 and then, as the Oak were reduced to 106-8 in reply thanks to Andy Alsop’s fine six for 75, he played his part in a storming effort to reach the target with two huge sixes in his 42 not out. Unfortunately for the Oak, they fell 10 runs short.

Barkisland kept themselves in touch with the leaders thanks to another solid all-round performance from Alex Scholefield.

He bagged three for 45 in 11 overs in partnership with Jitender Billa (4-48) as bottom of the table Slaithwaite were dismissed for 152. Scholefield then hit 76 at the top of the order and, with Dave Weston remaining 48 not out, the home side got home by eight wickets to leave Slaithwaite without a point all season.