THE current Drakes League champions Scholes could well play a major role in deciding the destination of this year’s Byrom Shield.
For the Chapelgate club crucially have games against both title contenders, Honley and Shepley, in the ‘final six’ run-in, starting today when they visit Marsh Lane to take on second-placed Shepley, who are now eight points behind long-time leaders Honley.
Anything less than an outright victory for Danny Glover’s Shepley side will see Honley firmly have a hand on the trophy, especially as they will be expected to register victory No19 at home to Marsden.
Coincidentally, both Honley and Shepley have four home games and just two away from home in the closing stages, and as well as facing former champions Scholes, both the title challengers also meet Hoylandswaine (which won’t be easy), Broad Oak and bottom club Holmfirth.
Honley, in fact, have on paper the easiest run-in, as they take on the bottom three clubs in the Premiership in their final three games and it would be a surprise if they were to lose any of them.
That said, however, Honley’s only defeat of the season came in the first round of the Romida Sykes Cup, when they went down by one wicket to – Holmfirth!
It goes without saying that should it come down to the last week of the season, Honley skipper Rob Moore will be keen to see there are no such similar mishaps when they play host to Holmfirth on the final day!
Shepley have a slightly harder run-in, with home games against Slaithwaite and Skelmanthorpe to round off what will have been another very good season for the Marsh Lane club.
Sykes Cup winners Skelmanthorpe will probably be without Wasim Jaffer, who is expected to return home for pre-season with his sponsors, Indian Oils, and the added spice to this contest is that Shepley were pipped for runners-up spot last season after Skelmanthorpe were awarded points when Clayton West were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player.
Shepley have slipped up only twice this year, once to Kirkburton, the other to Honley (the second game against the leaders was rained off at the end of July) with both clubs having had just one other match washed out.
And, Jaffer excluded, not surprisingly, Honley and Shepley have the top runs-scorers and wicket-takers in the League.
Sairjinder-Pal Singh (Shepley) and Simon Kelly (Honley) have both passed the 1,000 mark in League and Sykes Cup games, while Tim Rees (Shepley) and Max Joice (Honley) are both closing in on the four-figure landmark. And if Tom Denton delays his return to soccer with Wakefield long enough, then he is more than likely to also reach 1,000 – and it would quite remarkable for a team to have THREE batsmen passing that milestone.
Similarly the two clubs have the leading wicket-takers, Honley’s leg spinner Tom Craddock so far totalling 61, while Shepley skipper Glover is just behind him with 59, and both men have tremendous back-up with Ritchie Howarth (40) andHarlon Haye (39) again doing their stuff for the Holme Valley club, while Singh (46) and Bandula Ranjit-Don (32) are supporting Glover.
With an eight-point lead and an easier-looking run-in Honley have to be favourites to land their fifth Premiership title in six years, but there are often slip-ups ‘twixt Cup and lip’ and knowing ‘Archie’ Moore he will be taking nothing for granted.
For those without the benefit of a League handbook, the final six run-in for both teams is:
HONLEY: v Marsden (H) today; Aug 28 v Hoylandswaine (H); Aug 29 v Scholes (A); Sept 4 v Broad Oak (A); Sept 5 v Barkisland (H); Sept 11 v Holmfirth (H).
SHEPLEY: v Scholes (H) today; Aug 28 v Broad Oak (H); Aug 29 v Hoylandswaine (A); Sept 4 v Holmfirth (A); Sept 5 v Slaithwaite (H); Sept 11 v Skelmanthorpe (H).
