Kiwi Crook boosts home grown talent but Valley side pack all the aces!

LITTLE-known Emley Clarence, who two seasons ago were playing in the Central League, will host Drakes League Premiership thoroughbreds Honley in the first Romida Sykes Cup semi-final on Sunday (1.30).

Honley will undoubtedly start as the hottest favourites since Red Rum ran in a donkey derby on Southport sands.

But then history is littered with fallen favourites!

Who would have expected little Emley beating the menacing Micklehurst machine who have swept virtually all before them since joining the league this season.

But then Emley have moved on themselves since leaving the Arrow Central League in 2003 after winning their Allsop Cup.

This season is the first in the club's history that they have recruited an overseas player, and they must be quietly pleased at the impact 19-year-old New Zealander Brendon Crook has made since joining the Upper Lane outfit.

Although Crook has not made a massive score - his highest is 87 against Paddock - he has shown some admirable consistency and has not been dismissed in single figures in any of his 14 innings to date, during which time he has accrued just short of 600 runs.

On top of that the plucky Kiwi has also picked up 32 wickets with his seam-up deliveries to underline his worth to the Clarence team.

The Sykes brothers, Simon and Tim, have topped 600 runs between them, while skipper Jon Lee is a very capable and experienced player, who demonstrated his worth in the quarter-final win over Micklehurst, when he top-scored with 41 and took three for 38.

Another pair of brothers playing prominent roles with Emley are the Stratford's, Craig and David, the former as an early order batsman and the latter as the opening bowler, along with Ken Taylor, who is still a useful cricketer, although now getting towards the end of his long career.

Incredibly in their glorious win over Micklehurst, the Emley side contained NINE players who had attended Emley Junior School and played their junior cricket at Emley - quite a remarkable achievement in these days of imports.

Sunday's match will be Emley's Cup-final.

Visitors Honley have the players and the pedigree to pull off what would be a unique League and Cup double for the Holme Valley club this season.

Their biggest name, Matthew Wood, will miss the tie as he will be on duty with Yorkshire in their County Championship match against Worcestershire at Worcester (unless of course, it finishes inside two days).

That will probably be a mixture of relief and sadness for Honley's opponents as the Yorkshire opener began his fledgling career with Emley Clarence (his parents still live close to the ground), before moving into the Huddersfield League.

Honley's other county man, Steve Crook is, however, likely to be available.

The Australian-born all-rounder will probably not be in the Red Rose county's set-up for their clash at Durham, in which case he will spearhead Honley's bowling attack with Ritchie Howarth - who is having one of his best seasons with 23 scalps to date - as well as posing a huge threat with the bat.

Crook has already captured 32 wickets this term, and skipper Robert Moore can also turn to Indian spinner Rajesh Pawar, who also has 26 in the bag.

But Moore's side can boast some strength in depth this season, with opening batsmen Simon Kelly and Danny Howard in excellent nick, while the skipper himself is joined in the middle order by wicketkeeper/batmsan Richard Jakeman and the Green brothers, Martin (who is now representing the Drakes League's senior side) and brother James.

Honley should certainly become the first team to book a place in this season's Sykes Cup final, but they will write off Emley at their peril - just ask Micklehurst!

* Barkisland bid to reach their second Paddock Shield final in three seasons when they entertain Delph & Dobcross in Sunday's second semi-final.

The Scammonden Lane club lost to Honley in the 2003 final, but they are currently one of the form teams in the Second XI Championship, and are hot on the heels of Premiership leaders Scholes in second spot.

Delph & Dobcross, like their first team, have yet to appear in a Cup final since joining the Drakes League in 1999, but they will be optimistic after knocking out holders, and present top flight leaders Scholes in the quarter-finals.