MICKLEHUST'S Tommy Whittle produced the perfect captain's performance to pull off the only second round shock and lead his side into the quarter-finals of the Romida Sykes Cup.

In a low-scoring tie at Hullen Edge, Lee Baxter was the only Elland batsman to offer any challenge to Micklehurst's attack with Qaisar Rashid taking out the top order, after Baxter had been run out for 30.

And Whittle then stepped in to mop up the tail as Elland were shot out for 96.

However, after losing their first four batsmen for just 24, it was suddenly `game on,' at least until Whittle arrived on the scene and it was his half-century which under-pinned the visitors' victory, although after his dismissal, one of three for Jimmy Thornton, they did suffer a few more scares until keeper Andy Whitehead and young Joe Lumb bowler Arron Lilley saw them through with just two wickets to spare.

Elsewhere, results were pretty much as expected, although the nearest thing to another shock was probably at Westerley Lane, where Meltham ousted Shelley, who were without Matt Friedlander and Graeme Hurlbatt.

It was another low-scoring game with Meltham struggling to make any sort of worthwhile total despite a useful 60 from opener Grant Robinson.

Meltham `old boy' Muthu Pushpakumara took three for 28 from his 15-over allocation, while Mohammed Ramzan and Gareth Wakefield each bagged two wickets as the visitors slid to 98-7, but salvation came in the form of Chris Earnshaw, whose unbeaten 36 in the end proved priceless, as along with Dave Cocking (10no) Meltham closed on 145-8.

Nevertheless, it was a total which should not really have posed Shelley too many threats, particularly after Pushpakumara (46) and Darren Lockwood (26) had given the home side a solid start, taking them to 100-2.

But then it turned into a pretty depressing procession for the hosts as eight wickets fell for just 38 runs, Robinson taking five wickets to go alongside his half-century.

Holders Honley were never really threatened by Slaithwaite, who, with the exception of Dave Dove and Matt Garrety failed to handle Harlon Haye.

Skipper Dove (46) and Garrety (47) put on 67 for the fifth wicket, but only one other batsman made double figures as they were rolled over for 115, Haye finishing with six for 28.

Honley were one down without scoring as John Greaves fell, but Simon Kelly (40) and Danny Howard (27 not out) helped Honley home by six wickets

Adam France knocked over Lancashire first-teamer Kyle Hogg and Tasmanian batsman Bruce Cruse as Delph & Dobcross found runs hard to come by at Golcar.

A few got a start, but no-one managed to take it on, and they needed a spirited 37 not out from No10 Luke Hargreaves to lift them to any sort of total at 188-9, Darren Robinson weighing in with four for 55 for the Swallow Laners.

Steve Whitwam made 22, but after Matt Harvie (3-26) and Kamran Mirza (3-40) had removed the top of Golcar's order, Hogg finished them off with a four for 22 burst.

Scholes' Matt Smith (84) and skipper Dave Weston (42) put on 76 for the third wicket against Shepley at Chapelgate, while Craig Glover's four for 46 was the pick of the visiting attack. Dave Smyth removed Tom Denton for one, but Shepley captain Phil Heaton hit the day's top score of 95 not out, and along with Ashley Littlewood (45) put on 95 to anchor the Marsh Lane men to a six-wicket win.

Skelmanthorpe were never likely to go the way of Lascelles Hall in the previous round as they piled up 282-5 at Hoylandswaine, and although the Central League side topped 200 in reply, they were never going to challenge the total.

In the two all-Conference ties, Nicky Clee took five for 27 at Primrose Hill as the Cross Lane men were bundled out for 93.

Earlier, No10 Andrew Mitchell was Marsden's top-scorer with 36 as Iqbal also took four for 25 to restrict the Hemplow visitors to 151.

Lepton's Daniel Pauley was another No10 to become his side's top scorer when he made 23 against Kirkburton who sent back the Highlanders for 118, Marc Acheson (3-31) and Darren Hinchliffe (3-32) doing the bulk of the damage.

Kirkburton did not have things their own way, however, as Simon Robinson struck with five for 22 from 13 overs, and although James Mellor, Andrew Smith and Nick Garrety got into the 20s, it needed a steadying 10 not out from captain John Eaton to see Burton over the line.