Halifax Cricket League: In the First Division, the recent match between Great Horton PC and Warley turned out to be a low-scoring affair due to the challenging pitch conditions caused by heavy soaking during the week. Great Horton PC decided to field first, and Warley struggled to put up a decent total, managing to score only 60 runs with Craig Marsh contributing 29 of those runs. Babar Yaqoob (5-16) and Zafar Anwar (4-8) bowled brilliantly, causing significant difficulties for the Warley batsmen, leading to all ten wickets falling for an additional 30 runs after a promising start at 30-0.
Surprisingly, the modest score of 60 proved to be enough for Warley as Great Horton PC couldn’t handle the tricky conditions either and collapsed for a mere 41 runs. Ian Shaw was the star bowler for Warley, delivering an outstanding performance with career-best figures of 7-5-8-6, and he was ably supported by Milton Greenwood (3-15). Unfortunately, a Great Horton PC player was run out on the very first ball, sparing them from being named. With this victory, Warley now enjoys a comfortable 13-point lead at the top of the league table.
Shelf Northowram HT has moved into the second position after a convincing six-wicket win against Greetland. Greetland, batting first, managed a respectable total of 241-8, thanks to Zafar Khan’s (69) and Shakeel Mahmood’s (62) contributions. Shelf Northowram HT, fueled by Daniel Cole’s impressive 93 runs and support from Chris Metcalf (56) and James Fearnley (32), chased down the target with ease, reaching 244-4 in just 39 overs.
In another exciting match, the struggling team, Lowly Mount, secured a remarkable 100-run victory over Low Moor HT. Samee Arshad’s unbeaten 87 played a pivotal role in Mount’s total of 202-9 after being asked to bat. At 88-6, it seemed unlikely that Mount would post a competitive score, but Arshad’s spirited innings led a remarkable rally, adding 114 runs for the loss of only three more wickets. In response, Low Moor HT could only muster 102 runs, crumbling from a promising position of 62-2, with Mahmad Kayat (4-33) being the pick of the bowlers for Mount.
The fourth match in the division saw a tense encounter, with Clayton securing a narrow 16-run victory against Southowram, causing the latter to slide to the bottom of the table. Batting first, Clayton managed to score 201 runs, with Connor Ambler (63) and Chris Ramsden (52) making significant contributions. Yasir Mahmood’s impressive bowling performance, claiming the last five wickets for just 28 runs, kept Southowram’s chase in check. Despite a strong start with a score of 85-0 and 134-2, the departure of Geoff Stilwell (64) and Ashley Johnson (50) slowed down Southowram’s momentum, and they finished their innings at 185-7 in 45 overs.
