WASIM JAFFER is in sparkling form for Scholes as they look to topple Drakes League leaders Hoylandswaine and grab a Romida Twenty20 final success on home soil.
Sunday’s final at Chapelgate (4.00) will be preceded by the Twenty20 Shield showdown between Cawthorne and Lascelles Hall (Noon) on what promises to be an enthralling afternoon of big-bash cricket.
Jaffer goes into the clash with John Sadler’s high-class line-up with another well judged and brutally clinical knock under his belt from the semi-final against former club Skelmanthorpe.
While Hoylandswaine went through against Shelley, Scholes were pushed all the way by James Crossland’s side but Jaffer saw them home with an unbeaten 80 which included 10 fours and three sixes.
Most of those boundaries came in the last three overs as the pressure mounted on the home line-up as they chased a modest total of just 134 all out.
Alex Scholefield (25), Tim Sykes (22) and Chris Hansberry (39 including four fours and three sixes) produced the bulk of those as Adam France and Iqbal Khan claimed a couple of wickets apiece, but Skelmanthorpe were pegged towards the end by an excellent spell from Josh Brook which yielded four for five.
Khan contributed 21 with the bat, but it was all about Jaffer after that as Scholes got home in front of a 250-strong crowd with 18.1 overs used.
So Sunday’s final will be a repeat of the 2009 staging which Hoylandswaine won. Scholes won the first ever Twenty20 two years earlier at Honley.
In their semi-final, Premiership leaders Hoylandswaine looked in command when Shelley were able to make only 130 all out.
Opener Louis Sykes top scored for Shelley with 34 while Akhlaq Ahmed (21) and Muhammad Azharullah (29) added runs down the order after Bilal Khiljee had been run out, but they were never able to get to grips with the bowling of Michael Cranmer (two for 14 in four) and Amar Rashid, who picked up three for 25 in his four overs.
Chris Schofield also bowled very economically to register two for 13 in a full four-over spell. Don Bandula and Sadler had the other wickets.
The total was hardly likely to be enough for Shelley and so it proved as Alex Morris, who was off the back of a century at the weekend, hit 75 not out as the Barnsley side got home in 16.3 overs.
Cranmer had 24 and Rashid 10 while Azharullah, Khiljee and Greg Wadsworth had a wicket each.
In the Oddfellows Cup final on August 5, Thongsbridge have home advantage against Almondbury (1pm).
On the same date, Clayton West were drawn at home against Delph in the Earnshaw Cup final (also 1pm).
