Cricket: Steve Whitwam hits form in Romida Sykes Cup as Honley crash out

May 26 2009 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Steve Whitwam hits form in Romida Sykes Cup as Honley crash out

STEVE WHITWAM hit all-round form for the first time this season as Golcar tipped Honley out of the Romida Sykes Cup in a nail-biting second-round tie at Swallow Lane.

The Drakes League’s top all-rounder for the last few seasons has been struggling for runs and wickets as the Colne Valley club have battled to put points on the Premiership board.

But he bounced back to something like his best with 85 not out and three for 38 as Golcar marched into tomorrow’s quarter-final draw with a four-run victory.

It was another cruel blow for Honley, who had lost five of their six league games going into yesterday’s full programme of matches, but they just came up short as Adam France delivered the killer blow with his haul of four for 21 as the visitors suffered an horrific collapse in the last over.

Whitwam provided the base for victory, the left-hander batting through for his unbeaten highest score of the campaign and received decent support from Mick Illingworth (24) and Ben Robshaw (23) before skipper Ashley Pamment weighed in with a valuable 18 not out at the end in a total of 182-5.

Ritchie Howarth and Ibrar Ali had two wickets apiece for Honley, who got off to the worst possible start in reply when Matthew Wood was caught and bowled by France for nought with just six on the board.

Simon Kelly (48) and Michael Fraine (73) then shared in a 109-run stand for the second wicket and, with Danny Howard adding 22 in the middle, Honley moved up to only 11 runs short with four wickets down.

In a dramatic late collapse, however, they lost five wickets for seven runs to be held at 178-9 to crash out in incredible fashion.

Joining Golcar in the last eight are Scholes, who won the battle of the Premiership’s top two at Delph & Dobcross despite playing with 10 men due to the absence of Joe Lumb skipper Tom Brook.

Scholes, continuing their innings from 56-1 from 25 overs from the previous week, reached 149 thanks to a solid 48 at the top of the order from Tom Love and a valuable 29 in the middle from Australian Shane Mott.

Arron Lilley claimed four for 25 from 12 overs – Mike Smethurst had two wickets – but it wasn’t enough as Scholes’ new signings Mohammad Shah Nawaz and Iqbal Khan got to work with the ball.

Delph reached 97-4 and looked well set, but the former Mirfield Parish Cavaliers duo ripped through the lower batting to leave the home side 119 all out, Shah Nawaz claiming four for 18 from 13.1 overs and Khan four for 25 from 10.