In an action-packed day of cricket in the Bradford Cricket League Division Two, Hartshead Moor emerged victorious, reclaiming their position at the top of the table. The matches took place on Saturday, 8th July 2023.
Hartshead Moor secured a commanding 54-run win over Northowram Fields in a thrilling encounter. Northowram Fields, facing a target of 197 runs in 31 overs, faltered and were bowled out for 142. The star performers for Hartshead Moor were Australian Leo Manteit, who took 4 wickets for 31 runs, and Lewis Lomax and Josh Marsden, who both claimed 3 wickets for 28 runs each. Earlier, Hartshead Moor had set a respectable total of 180 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Tim Bresnan, Josh Marsden, and Hasnat Yousaf led the charge with scores of 44, 44, and 35 respectively.
Bowling Old Lane continued to keep the pressure on the leaders, trailing by just one point, as they secured a convincing seven-wicket win over Buttershaw St Paul’s. Chasing a target of 114 runs in 28 overs, Bowling Old Lane reached the goal with ease, thanks to a solid knock of 53 runs by Hazrat Abbas. Buttershaw St Paul’s struggled and were bowled out for 121 runs. Hisan Ahmad and Shahzaib Khan were the bowling heroes, both claiming 3 wickets apiece for 26 and 27 runs respectively.
Lightcliffe, closely trailing the top two teams, secured a five-wicket victory against Wrenthorpe, who find themselves in a struggle this season. Wrenthorpe were dismissed for 120 runs, and Lightcliffe reached the target of 91 runs in 25 overs, with opener Isaac Dikgale contributing 30 runs. Redford Holdsworth, Peter Dobson, and Andrew Walker all made significant contributions to the bowling effort, taking 3 wickets each.
Hopton Mills suffered a setback, dropping from first to fourth place in the league after a nail-biting encounter against Hunslet Nelson. Hopton Mills set a target of 187 runs for Hunslet Nelson, who chased it down with two balls to spare. Sam Thewlis, Andrew McIntosh, and Joe Smith were instrumental in the successful chase, contributing 41, 39, and 35 runs respectively. Usman Maqsood put up a valiant effort for Hopton Mills, taking 4 wickets for 37 runs.
Jabari Mills and Mark Ashton shone for Hopton Mills, with scores of 80 not out and 46 runs respectively, as they posted a total of 194 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. However, their efforts fell short as Hunslet Nelson’s leg spinner, Sam Thewlis, picked up 4 wickets for 50 runs.
Keighley continued their impressive run with a comfortable five-wicket victory over Heckmondwike & Carlinghow. South African batsman Johandre Barnard played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 80 runs. Despite the efforts of Muhammad Shahnawaz, who claimed 3 wickets for 39 runs, Heckmondwike & Carlinghow posted a total of 183 runs. Keighley successfully chased down the target to secure the win.
Heckmondwike & Carlinghow’s top scorers were Umar Qureshi, who scored an unbeaten 53 runs, and Waqas Asaad, who contributed 30 runs. Ijaz Ahmed stood out with the ball for Keighley, taking 4 wickets for 41 runs.
Crossflatts faced a disappointing six-wicket defeat against Liversedge. Crossflatts struggled with the bat, managing only 128 runs before being bowled out. Adam Clarke starred for Liversedge, claiming 5 wickets for 25 runs, while Quadratullah Azizi provided excellent support, taking 4 wickets for 63 runs. In response, Liversedge achieved the target with ease, with Azizi contributing an unbeaten 33 runs and Matthew Gibson scoring 30 runs.
As the league progresses, Hartshead Moor maintains its grip on the top position, followed closely by Bowling Old Lane and Lightcliffe.
