THE biggest shock of the day in the Premier Division came at SBCI where the home team caught Booth completely off guard, surely not concentrating on Sunday’s T20 Finals Day? Thomas Wood (74) and Lewis Firth (49) were the main contributors to a SBCI 45-over score of 197-9 with as Moazzam Ayub was unusually expensive with 4-66. What followed will have been celebrated just as much at Grassy Bottom, as it was at The Astleys. Somehow Booth simply capitulated to leave it a massive 23 points adrift at the top. Full credit goes to four SBCI bowlers responsible for the strangest looking scorecard of the season, or several seasons. The detail is worth noting: Hashim Wajid 77, Extras 11, Ten other batsmen scoring just 33, as Rishav Tandon took 4-11 and SBCI on this form could well escape the bottom two. Funny game.

The finish of the day came at Mytholmroyd where the home team, batting first, was almost totally reliant on Luke Sutcliffe (85) and skipper Tom Earle (50) in reaching 202 all out against Shelf Northowram HT, as three bowlers claimed three wickets apiece. The SNHT reply was led by Dominic Walsh (57 not out) and Daniel Cole (48) and with 185-5 showing on the scoreboard, and Walsh still at the crease, the 18 runs for a win seemed a formality. Not so, as panic ensued, and three wickets fell quickly, one a run out. Dominic Prentice was then run out off the very last ball of the innings going for the winning run and SNHT finished on 202-9. The first tie of the season.

Leaders Triangle were in fine form in the sunshine at Bradshaw, amassing 304-6 with Nathan Madden (85), Tom Watson (57) and Daniel Crossland (56) leading the charge as only one batsman, of those dismissed, failed to hit a good score. The home team’s innings was dominated by Jonathan Lister (66) and Charlie Conway-Holt (41) but they were the only two to make any impact and with Josh Firth absent ill it closed at 203 all out, as the leaders travelled home taking in the surprise results elsewhere.

Blackley found the going tough at Copley and struggled to reach 170-9. Only Ibbi Mir (44) looked comfortable as Oliver Thorpe continued his recent spell of wickets with 4-43. However Copley’s recent winning run came to a full stop as it too struggled to score runs. Liam Senior was partly responsible as batsmen found it difficult against him and he finished with figures of 12-2-36-4 and when Sam Hesmondhaigh joined the attack, to take 4-15, Copley was dismissed for 134 all out.

Thornton appeared to have turned the batting corner of late but its problems resurfaced at Illingworth St Mary’s as it was bowled out for 142 runs in the 44th over. Only Nikki Hutchinson (55) got the better of the home team’s bowling as five players shared the wickets. But its batting problems disappeared compared with that of the home team, whose batting form has inexplicably hit rock bottom in a few short weeks. Ross Parr certainly did not help as his figures of 12.3-3-22-7 took the home team’s batting apart with a personal best return. Nine batsmen failed to reach double figures and unbelievably St Mary’s are now just ten points above the drop zone.

The 13 overs of Warley’s Milton Greenwood brought 5-52 as he accounted for five of Sowerby Bridge’s top six batsmen at Walton Street. None of the home team’s batsmen were comfortable at the crease, with the best effort being Lewis Mattock’s 32 runs. Warley’s response was similar but with Greenwood (36) batting at no 7, and being top scorer, the writing was on the wall when John Brown was handed the ball and he took 4-42 as Warley fell to 157 all out. The Bridge won by 16 runs to record a very welcome maximum 12 points.

The First Division turned up some further surprises as all the top three lost and all at home. Jason Gelder (71) and Adam Forbes (69) shared a fine 135-run fifth-wicket partnership to take Low Moor HT from a precarious 58-4 to an eventual 235-8 at Sowerby St Peter’s, Jack Leonard (5-72) by far the best of the home team’s bowling attack. The leaders never looked like getting anywhere near that target and only skipper Aiden Green (48) looked in good form. Certainly Matthew Jordon was as he his 10 overs brought 5-30, a major contribution to a 62-run win.

Clayton’s batsmen must have read about the dream tracks at Luddendenfoot as it posted 261-9. No less than nine reached double-figure scores, led by Connor Ambler (51) and skipper Joseph Brown (49). Whether the Foot bowlers are as enthusiastic bowling at home is debatable but Jacob Whitehouse (4-67) and Thomas Hosker (4-80) nevertheless put in sterling stints. More to the point what happened to second-placed Foot’s batting? In only 17 overs it was skittled out for a mere 82 runs as Sam Wilson (9-2-34-6) and Mitesh Mistry (8-1-42-4) engineered Clayton’s best win of the season. So much for the dream track!!

After an hour of play at third-placed Oxenhope its skipper Edward Jackson must have been having serious doubts about his wisdom in putting bottom of the table Upper Hopton in to bat, one of only three such decisions in the League on a scorching afternoon. By then the visitors, on its longest trip of the season, were well on the way to a unusually high score of 262-7, with Jack Stephenson (82) and Ian Wightman (65) sharing a second-wicket partnership of 115 runs. When Jackson was called on to bat his decision was looking even more suspect as the Oxenhope score read 30-5. Credit to the skipper as he launched a repost along with Daniel Scott (48) but when he was out for 71 runs at 187-7 it was match over – Oxenhope 189 all out and missing a fine chance to close the gap on the losing top two.

Great Horton was the only team to win at home in the division, defeating Mount by 56 runs. Adam Beesley (73), Chris Brown (46) and Jonny Phillips (42) top scored in a total of 240-8 whilst Ismail Mayat took 5-40 for Mount. Whilst Nazir Patel (67 not out) and Jabir Patel (42) were hard to dismiss the four Horton bowlers used kept the scoring rate down to just over four runs per over ensuring victory as Mount closed on 184-8.

With the first tied match of the season occurring in the Premier Division it was repeated in the Second Division where leaders Greetland failed to overcome Outlane’s 153 all out. The third-placed team found runs hard to come by as it batted first and lost its tenth wicket off the last ball of its 45 overs. Wickets fell at regular intervals and only a seventh-wicket stand of 52 runs, between Callum Westwood (34) and Edward Maywand (27), caused any concern for the Greetland bowlers. The leaders were no doubt anticipating another win but it too struggled and, just like the Outlane effort it required two batsmen, Mohammed Yousaf (48) and Imram Aslam (24), to boost the score from 79-8, Yousaf was last out with the scores level, Alex Dorotiak taking 4-46. At the close both teams had to settle for a share of the spoils after 20 wickets fell for 306 runs.

Another ground that has been enjoying some high scoring this season is Bridgeholme and visiting Cullingworth continued the trend as it hit 245-9. It was a real team effort, best illustrated by its top-scorer being opener Richard Nichols (41) as seven other batsmen hit scores of between 10 and 36 runs, Aadil Ahmed the pick of the bowling with 4-48. Bridgeholme’s reply was like several others where batsmen could not improve on scores in the twenties and thirties resulting in a steady fall of wickets to 153 all out, Michael Bright’s eight overs bringing 5-20.

Southowram’s Dean Crossley continued his sparkling form with 73 runs at exactly a run-a-ball against visiting Old Town. Several other batsmen chipped in with scores as the Rams totalled 217-9. The visitors, enjoying a boost in form, ran the promotion candidates close only losing by 31 runs. Again a mid-innings partnership, as at other matches, was needed to rescue the innings, this one from 35-5. Tariq Mahmood (62) and Nazakat Ali (51 not out) put on 98 for the sixth wicket but despite Ali’s effors he lost his remaining partners as Old Town was 186 all out.

Another all-round team batting performance came from Queensbury at Stones as seven double figure scores were recorded in a total of 201-9 but not one above 33 runs. Ethan Pollard caused the most damage with 5-60. The latter’s effort proved a valuable assist in winning the match as the Stones batsmen responded with a sterling effort led by Jack Westerby’s 69 not out who, with Pollard (28 not out), took the score from 132-6 to 202-6, the winning six coming from Phil Sharples’ one and only ball !

Augustinians’ No 9 Imran Khan (49), with a cameo of 35 balls, rescued his team from 64-7 at Bradley & Colnebridge and a score of 131 all out was much better than it was looking at one stage. It was not enough however as B & C’s top four all hit runs headed by Shahraiz Khan (45 not out) in a winning 138-3.