In an exciting match played on Saturday, Great Preston’s captain, Oli Baron, showcased his exceptional skills by smashing a century, leading his team to a resounding five-wicket triumph over Adwalton. The victory further solidified Great Preston’s campaign for promotion in the Bradford Cricket League Division Three.
Baron’s brilliant knock included a massive six and an impressive 14 fours as he successfully guided his team in chasing down Adwalton’s total of 262. Despite the notable efforts of Adwalton’s James Colbourn, who took 4 wickets for 72 runs, Baron’s magnificent innings proved decisive.
Contributing to Adwalton’s run tally were Matt Donohoe (47), Andrew Ingham (44), James Lord (32), and Imran Patel (31). However, Lee Russell’s exceptional bowling performance, securing 5 wickets for 74 runs, played a vital role in restricting Adwalton’s scoring opportunities.
Great Preston now sits just one point behind the league leaders, Altofts, who secured a 61-run victory over Windhill & Daisy Hill. Aarya Jadhav delivered the standout bowling performance of the day, claiming remarkable figures of 7 wickets for 37 runs. Andrew Wood and Seif Tahir both contributed 40 runs, while Craig Bryant remained unbeaten at 34 runs in Altofts’ total of 203. Tahir showcased his all-round prowess by adding 5 wickets for 13 runs alongside Luke Whitmore, as they bowled out Windhill & Daisy Hill for 143, chasing a revised target of 205. Haris Butt’s resilient knock of 56 was the highlight for the losing side.
Scholes, currently in third place, comfortably secured a two-wicket victory over East Leeds, who managed to post a competitive total of 239-9 after batting first. James Watling remained unbeaten at 52, while Shazaib Ayub (31) and Rajab Ali (31) also contributed to the home team’s score. Reece Drake stood out for Scholes with bowling figures of 4 wickets for 69 runs. Scholes’ successful chase was led by Hamza Khan (49), Adam Greenwood (39), Greg Keywood (38), and Jamie Robson (33), while Watling’s 3-71 proved to be the most effective bowling performance for East Leeds.
Crossbank Methodists celebrated their third victory of the season with a convincing 37-run win over Brighouse. The highlight of their triumph was skipper Gavin Harrison’s unbeaten knock of 62, well-supported by Lewis Lockwood (37) and Will Smeaton (34), resulting in a total of 220-7. Brighouse, chasing a revised target of 223, were eventually dismissed for 185. Adeel Ahmed’s determined innings of 58 and Asif Amir’s contribution of 32 were noteworthy, but Syed Ali’s impressive bowling figures of 4 wickets for 54 runs played a pivotal role in securing the win for Crossbank Methodists.
Wakefield St Michael’s claimed a convincing 73-run victory over Spen Victoria, thanks to Kashi Najam’s impressive bowling performance, taking 5 wickets for 22 runs. Spen Victoria struggled to reach a revised target of 171, with Razab Raja’s 39 being the only notable contribution. Shamsullah Dost’s knock of 44 propelled St Michael’s to a total of 177, while Paolo Girardi (3-14) and James Russell (3-51) emerged as the main threats for Spen Victoria.
The Bradford Cricket League Division Three witnessed an action-packed Saturday, with Great Preston’s Oli Baron stealing the spotlight with his remarkable century, securing an important victory for his team in their pursuit of promotion.
