In an action-packed day of cricket in the Halifax Cricket League First Division, Shelf Northowram HT and Warley emerged victorious in their respective matches.
At Low Moor HT, the home team’s decision to bat first proved to be ill-fated as visiting Shelf Northowram HT dominated the game. The Trinity struggled to find their footing and were bowled out for a meagre 55 runs in the 31st over. Adam Ryszkowski claimed three wickets for 16 runs, while Aamir Rashid took an impressive five wickets for just two runs. The pitch, as seen on Play-Cricket TV, displayed an eye-catching emerald green hue. Hedge Top wasted no time in chasing down the target, achieving victory in less than 15 overs with a score of 59-4.
Over at Clayton, Greetland won the toss and elected to bat first. They managed to post a respectable total of 228-9, with a collective effort from the entire team. Shakeel Mahmood top-scored with 43 runs, but no player managed to cross the 40-run mark. The home bowlers shared the wickets, with five of them making contributions. The hosts put up a valiant fight in their chase, falling just 16 runs short of victory. They held on, however, to deny Greetland the maximum points haul, finishing at 212-9. Sam Wilson was the standout batter for the hosts with a score of 46, while Adil Hanif took four wickets for 32 runs, leading Greetland to victory.
In a clash between the bottom-placed Mount and promotion-chasing Warley, Mount won the toss and opted to bat first on their home ground. However, their batting lineup struggled to make an impact, and they were bowled out for a modest 146 runs. None of the Mount batters could surpass the 25-run mark, with Ian Shaw claiming four wickets for 42 runs. Surprisingly, Warley faced some tense moments during their reply and found themselves in trouble at 74-6. Nevertheless, Chris Marsh (35 not out) and Faheem Khatana (31 not out) held their nerve and guided Warley to victory at 147-6.
Meanwhile, at Ashday Lane, Southowram chose to bat first after winning the toss. They managed to score 152 runs before being all out. No batsman stood out in the innings, as Richard Winn took five wickets for 49 runs for Great Horton PC. In their chase, the league leaders faced their fair share of difficulties and lost eight wickets before reaching the target. Ashley Johnson (4-45) and Ryan Drage (4-57) caused problems for the batsmen, but Great Horton PC managed to scrape past the finish line, ending the match at 153-8.
The Halifax Cricket League First Division witnessed an eventful day of cricket, with Shelf Northowram HT and Warley emerging as the victorious teams. The competition continues to showcase the thrilling and unpredictable nature of the sport, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
