WHATEVER the outcome of Sunday’s Romida Sykes Cup second semi-final between Delph & Dobcross and Skelmanthorpe – it will signal a Cup final repeat!
For the winners will face Honley (who beat Shepley in last Sunday’s first semi). And Skelmanthorpe were Honley’s opponents in last year’s final, while Delph & Dobcross provided the Holme Valley side with the first of their two Cup triumphs in 2005.
For Grant Jones and his Delph side, the Sykes Cup is now their remaining chance of lifting some silverware this season, having almost certainly fallen too far behind the leading three in the Premiership title race.
So the ex-Saddleworth men will be doubly keen to gain some revenge against Skelmanthorpe who knocked them out at last year’s quarter-final stage in the unforgettable ‘two-week’ marathon which went to a replay after the first game ended in a tie.
To do so however, they must find more consistency than they have shown so far this season.
There is no doubting their ability, with batsmen like Irfan Zahoor, Bruce Cruse, Ian Hague, Graeme Simpson and Jones himself, capable of notching big scores, but they have lost five times so far this season, including to Skelmanthorpe a fortnight ago.
Their bowling too has been enigmatic, with spinner Kamran Mirza having claimed 46 wickets, but with patchy support.
Mike Smethurst has missed a handful of games through injury and although New Zealander Matt Harvie has 33 scalps to his credit, he has only averaged two a game, his best return being a 5-71 against Shelley.
After the early part of the season, Lancashire’s Kyle Hogg has not been available, having been on-loan with Worcestershire, but it would not be a surprise to see him in the line-up on Sunday, which would certainly make them into strong contenders.
Skelmanthorpe will be without opening batsman Richard Parker, who has taken up a new job and will miss the next few games, and the visitors will miss him, although he was away when they beat Delph by two wickets in the League.
Sarfraz Ahmed, Amit Dani and Max Joice are all in pretty good nick, and there is back-up potential in the shape of Richard Cocking, Scott Dyson and the Dollive brothers, James and skipper Adam.
But the major difference could come in the bowling department, where Dani and leg spinner Andrew Clarke present a big enough challenge, but Dollive can also fall back on Dyson and James Crossland who are more than capable first and second change bowlers.
Delph have home advantage, but unless they stiffen up, particularly in the bowling dept, SkeImathorpe will fancy an early return to the Sykes Cup final.
In the Spectrum Interiors Paddock Shield, Shelley will be aiming to upset the ‘old order’ when they entertain Meltham, who were Shield winners in 2005.
Howard Palmer, Simon Kenworthy, James Moulson, Ervin Clarke and Chris Berry will bring more than a fair share of experience to Westerley Lane, who themselves have a few wise heads in the team, such as Gary Eastwood, David Greaves, Tim Jones and Chris Dimbylow, as well as new recruit, all-rounder Gareth Wakefield.
Shelley have also reached the semi-finals of the Crowther Cup, and have their sights set on two Cup finals.
