MOHAMMAD SHAFIQ produced the bowling performance of the season when the Kirkheaton bowler ripped out Lascelles Hall for just 35, while a former Bankfield teammate Sam Atkinson steered his new side Armitage Bridge to victory over previous Premiership leaders Skelmanthorpe.
In the Championship Two game at Bankfield, Shafiq made 29 in the first innings, helping Stuart Grey (37) resurrect his side’s innings after they had slumped to 59-5, but it was with the ball that he shone, as he bowled 11 overs straight through with seven maidens to bag himself the tremendous figures of eight for nine.
His ex-teammate Atkinson was almost as impressive as he returned five for 20 from 11 overs as Skelmanthorpe were pegged at 124 all out (of which Jordan Greaves made 55 of those) and then anchored the Bridge to a one-wicket win when he dug in to compile a match-winning 39 not out and secure six points.
Ashley Littlewood had a good weekend for Shepley, making 46 against Emley and 51 the following day against Marsden – but he didn’t need it, as the Marsh Lane opener had already won the race to 400 League runs, and with it a cheque for £50 from the Examiner.
Last weekend’s total merely took him up to the 500 mark (well clear of his rivals) as well as sealing superb back-to-back six-pointers for Shepley as they moved up to third in the table and earmarked them as serious title challengers.
Kirkburton’s Tom Burkinshaw returned from injury with a run-out in the Seconds and although he didn’t bowl, he still made an unbeaten 68 to help his side to victory over Scholes, for whom Ashley Pamment made 78 in the five-wicket reversal.
Ashton Blakey (60no) and Alex Rowles (55) shared a century stand for Elland as they beat Delph & Dobcross by seven wickets, while Honley continued their domination of the Championship Two as Chris Woodhead (66) and Simon England (55) proved too good for Hall Bower, along with Eddie Kaye who picked up five for 20.
Ian Kenworthy was run out one short of his century in the match at Rastrick, while at Linthwaite James Barber did get his ton – 115 in fact – but still finished on the losing side against Clayton West.
In the Sunday Premiership programme Louis Sykes (73) and Gareth Wakefield (62) shared a century opening stand in Scholes’ six-wicket win over Delph & Dobcross, while League champions Slaithwaite took over at the top of the table following their eight-wicket win over Elland, Tom Simpson grabbing seven for 17 for the Hill Toppers.
Barkisland’s Daniel Sykes was a big wicket-taker, his six for 15 skittling Broad Oak for 34, while Meltham’s Alex Clegg took six for 24 in their win over Emley.
In the Earnshaw Cup, Lee Renwick claimed five for 14 as Linthwaite beat Thongsbridge, Callum Lee made an unbeaten 85 and Ryan Copley 38 not out in Hoylandswaine’s 10-wicket win over Shelley, Andy Tyas having taken five for 15, while Hall Bower beat Kirkheaton in a close call by five runs.
SATURDAY
PREMIERSHIP TWO
@Meltham 184 (S Holmes 57, B Shaw 34, A Clegg 32; T Graham 3-36) Slaithwaite 186-7 (H Garside 47no, C Payne 41; W Beardsell 30; M Rudkin 3-27).
@Marsden v Barkisland. No play, rain.
@Skelmanthorpe 124 (J Greaves 55, A Dollive 30; S Atkinson 5-20) Armitage Bridge 128-9 (S Atkinson 39no, C Bullock 25; J Hinchliffe 3-32).
@Emley Clarence 138 (K Taylor 39; J Dearnley 4-30) Shepley 201-9 (I Parry 70, A Littlewood 46, R Denton 29; R Whetham 4-40).
@Scholes 167 (A Pamment 78, A Steers 25; A Rollings 5-27) Kirkburton 173-5 (T Burkinshaw 68no, R Kettlewell jnr 32; M Floyd 4-35).
@Elland 180-3 (A Blakey 60no, A Rowles 55) Delph & Dobcross 179-9 (P Jewitt 39, I Cotterill 37; A Finn 3-19).
@Broad Oak 163-9 (S Peacock 37, C Woodruff 33, J Harper 32; S Gill 3-16) Golcar 207-5 (G Crowther 56, A Iqbal 50, D Woodhead 40, M Wilson 35).
FRANK PLATT
CHAMPIONSHIP TWO
@Kirkheaton 131 (S Grey 37, M Shafiq 29; A Robshaw 4-40, D Keen 3-43) Lascelles Hall 35 (M Shafiq 8-9).
@Hall Bower 53 (E Kaye 5-20, T Willetts 4-33) Honley 235 (C Woodhead 66, S England 55, J Green 45, J McNamara 26).
@Hoylandswaine 85-2 (S Marsh 38no, D Hoyle 28) Micklehurst 79 (S Quarmby 47 (A Tyas 3-32) Only 8 men.
@Thongsbridge 71 (T Hanman 6-29, C Allen 4-14) Holmfirth 72-4 (M Battye-Wood 25).
CEDAR COURT CONFERENCE TWO
@Shelley 178-9 (A Thackeray 70no, C Calvert 39; C Mott 4-45) Cawthorne 165-9 (C Mott 38, A Pratt 37, R Bagshaw 34; J Nightingale 3-31).
@Lepton Highlanders 138 (J Atkinson 82, M Hussain 5-29) Paddock 95 (M Ahmed 29; T Atkinson 6-47, J Easingwood 3-15).
@Rastrick 199-6 (C Jowett, N Marsden 34, S Farlow 33, D Thaxter 29no; B Earnshaw 3-48) Almondbury 215-4 (I Kenworthy 99, A Langton 35, C Harris 32).
@Clayton West 184-5 (A Thompson 71, D Baxter 37, J Hawke 25no, P Rugby 25no) Linthwaite 182-2 (J Barber 115, A Thompson 3-35, W Lockwood 3-37).
SUNDAY
PREMIERSHIP TWO
@Golcar 201 (J Lockwood 62, C Chapman 42no, U Ali 35; C Bullock 3-27) Armitage Bridge 90 (S Atkinson 38; S Gill 6-44).
@Delph & Dobcross 161 (P Jewitt 55, J Belchem 49; J Clayton 6-15) Scholes 162-4 (L Sykes 73, G Wakefield 63; M Ali 4-42).
@Slaithwaite 70-2 (J Bryson 40no) Elland 67 (H Palmer 40; T Simpson 7-17).
@Barkisland 143 (C Cocking 43no, I Pollitt 36; D Rushworth 3-25, S Burluraux 3-13, J Wadsworth 3-31) Broad Oak 34 (D Sykes 3-15).
@Emley Clarence 124 (S Morley 44; A Clegg 6-24) Meltham 125-6 (J Boyd 44no, S Holmes 29no).
@Shepley 158-2 (A Littlewood 51, O Huntington 41no) Marsden 151 (R Clarke 37; S Greves 4-30).
@Kirkburton 173-3 (J Tindle 54no, D Greaves 43, D Lindley 26no) Skelmanthorpe 171-8 (P Redgwick 53, J Roebuck 42; Rob Kettlewell 3-25).
EARNSHAW CUP
Quarter-finals
@Cawthorne 165 (A Pratt 69, R Nicholson 28no; P Rigby 3-37, D Taylor 3-24) Clayton West 166-8 (J Hawke 79, I Radley 31no).
@Linthwaite 100-4 (J Fernyhough 36, G Dyson 29) Thongsbridge 96 (L Renwick 5-14).
@Shelley 133 (C Calvert 48, J Jones 37; A Tyas 5-15) Hoylandswaine 134-0 (C Lee 85no, R Copley 38no).
@Hall Bower 173 (T Collier 52; T Gledhill 3-19; Asaf 3-30) Kirkheaton 167 (M Sadiq 54, N Swift 31no, M Mahroof 29; D Harding 3-