LEPTON HIGHLANDERS will take pride of place in the Sykes Cup quarter-final draw after the Championship club knocked out Premiership Marsden, while Cawthorne’s Cup exploits continue for another season.

Highlanders knocked off a 200-plus total with four balls remaining to oust their visitors, while on Manchester Road, the Cedar Court Conference leaders Linthwaite found their much-vaunted batting line-up cut down to size by a Cawthorne team attempting to reach their second successive Sykes Cup semi-final in only their second term in the League.

Elsewhere, results went pretty much as expected with the best game involving yet another Wasim Jaffer ton for Scholes, only to be upstaged by a determined Delph & Dobcross side aiming for some Cup consolation and to stem the haemorrhage of four successive League defeats.

Batting first on a hard Delph track, Scholes made a good start through Tom Boorman who batted well before falling to a smart catch by Luke Hargreaves off the bowling of Arron Lilley – who bowled really well to contain the visitors during his 15-over stint, which yielded just 15 runs.

Iqbal Khan then joined Jaffer in the middle taking Scholes to the 100 mark in the 27th over before Jaffer brought up his own 50 in the 30th over.

Skipper and stumper Grant Jones then pulled off a brilliant one-handed take to dismiss Khan for 30 off the returning Adnan Ghaus, and Scholes began to lose their way after reaching 169-3 with 10 overs remaining.

Jaffer reached a patient century in the 46th over, before playing on to a Matt Norvall delivery while Mark Floyd (36) added some much-needed lusty blows.

But he was caught at deep long-on in the last over, bowled by Norvall, who then castled Adam France and finished off with a great hat trick when visiting skipper Ashley Pamment could only succeed in chipping the last ball of the innings to Bruce Cruse as Scholes closed on 243-8.

It hardly looked sufficient at the time, although when France cleaned-up Irfan Zahoor with his first delivery down the hill it didn’t look as light as at first thought.

However, Cruse (78) and Kevin Hook (40) moved smoothly through the gears until they were pulled back by a tight spell from Khan, who ended the stand thanks to a smart piece of stumping by Richard Holmes to remove Hook.

But that only brought Arron Lilley to the crease, and he really took charge, his opening two strokes being sixes onto the bowling green as he raced to an impressive 51 before playing over a delivery from Tom Brook. Cruse went on to make 78 before lobbing a mid-wicket catch to Jaffer off Mark Floyd, but any hopes Scholes had after also removing Graeme Simpson were quickly scotched by Faisal Butt, who was severe on France on his way to closing the game out with 48 not out.

Kirkburton faced a mini-collapse at Broad Oak, after reaching 130-2 (Andy Smith making 57) before slipping to 136-6.

But Tom Burkinshaw (45) and Craig Fletcher (24) shored up the lower order as Burton totalled 240-8.

Jack Pulley made a quick 50 when the Oak replied, but it was only when Richard Metcalfe arrived in the middle (49) that the home side made any leeway before George Smith (three for 3) and Greg Buckley (three for 53) ended hopes of an upset.

Emley Clarence never threatened anything at Elland, as Lorenzo Ingram sent down seven overs, five of which were maidens, taking five for seven to dismiss the visitors for 92.

Niall Lockley (64no) and Simon Wheelwright (21no) then knocked off the necessary runs without beingparted.

There were half-centuries for SP Singh (84no) and Greg Wood (54), while Liam Wiles made 42 not out as Shepley beat Hall Bower by eight wickets, Wood having earlier taken six for 68, while at Holmfirth, Golcar were also eight-wicket winners, where Danny Rhodes produced the day’s best performance by a bowler.

The seamer ripped through the Holmfirth innings claiming eight for 47 from 15 overs, dismissing the Championship club for 125 before Steve Whitwam’s 82 not out, supported by Jack Hargreaves (24no) did the rest.

Biggest knock with the bat came from Yorkshire’s Joe Sayers, who not surprisingly proved too good for Slaithwaite, hitting 123, while Amar Rashid chipped in with 52 and Michael Cranmer 49 in a 273-7 total at Hill Top.

Rashid also took four for 23 as Slaithwaite folded to 118 all out.

Jack Smith made a half-century for Marsden at Lepton where the visitors closed on 203-7 but it wasn’t enough for the top flight club as Naeem Ashraf (41), Dale Winterbottom (35), Alex Slack (28) and Kala Khan (27) did the damage for Highlanders, even without their skipper Steve Brown.

Finally, Cawthorne made an impressive 249-6 at Linthwaite, Chris Matthewman leading the way with 69, Michael Burgess 61, Ben Simpson 47 and George Parkes 42.

Linthwaite have already hit some big numbers this season, but on this occasion they lost three of their top four for very little, and despite Asnad Yousaf’s 50 they were 70 short when the last wicket fell.