A sizzling unbroken partnership of 243 between Chris Laker and Greg Buckley powered Drakes League leaders Delph & Dobcross into the final of the All Rounder Sykes Cup.
The Huddersfield Road side restricted visitors Hoylandswaine to 242-9 in 50 overs – the innings featuring a superb late partnership by keeper Alan Mynett (82) and Iain Wardlaw (43) – before triumphing by nine wickets in a rain-interrupted semi-final.
Andrew Gleave’s unbeaten Delph side will now face Shepley in the final at Honley on Sunday, August 7.
Tight early bowling from Shakir Muhammad and Wasim Qasim put Swaine under pressure and, with excellent back-up from Buckley, the Premiership’s second-placed side were soon up against it at 70-5 in 21 overs.
Ryan Robinson restored a little normality with 33 before becoming Buckley’s third victim in an excellent 10 overs which yielded three for 25, Swaine reaching 103-6 in the 31st over.
Big-hitting Ben Potter was next to go for just three, but then Mynett and Wardlaw shared a stand of 84 for the eighth wicket.
Wardlaw’s 43 came off 37 deliveries and included two fours and three sixes, while Mynett went on to put on a further 49 with Ibrar Younas.
The keeper, who has scored a lot of valuable runs down the order this season, finished with 82 from 98 balls, hitting 11 fours and one six, and Younas was 18 not out at the end.
Qasim finished with two for 23 from eight overs, Muhammad one for 35 from 10 and young Nathan Jones two for 52.
Delph lost Gleave with only two on the board, but then opener Laker and the brilliant Buckley got to work in sensational style.
Laker played sublimely to finish on 88 not out from 116 deliveries, including eight fours and five sixes.
Buckley was unstoppable, firing six sixes and 18 other boundaries in a breathtaking unbeaten 134 off 120 balls.
Michael Cranmer took the only wicket as Swaine battled to restrict the flow of runs – spinner Murtaza Hussain the only man through 10 overs at a cost of 54 – and Delph raced to victory in 39.4 overs.
