THORNTON were beaten off the last ball of the innings in the second semi-final of the Halifax League’s T20 finals day at Sowerby Bridge.

Dangerman Josh Hutchinson was out for 29 to make Thornton’s score 35-2, and that soon became 80-4.

However, a partnership of 89 between Jordan Croft (65) and Joe Marshall (42) changed the complexion of the innings.

A final burst from Croft, aided by the tail-enders, led to a score of 200-8, with the last two overs being played in ever-increasing rain.

Play resumed the following Sunday, and the Mytholmroyd reply was on target in terms of runs but they kept losing wickets, and at the halfway stage of the innings the odds were on a Thornton win as the scoreboard showed 99-6 and then 116-7.

However, a fantastic effort from Shoaib Hassan, aided initially by Jacob Travis (30), pushed the score to 174-8.

The winning runs, off the last ball of the innings, were scored by young Joe Kershaw (3no) as Hassan watched with admiration, having played his part and scored 55 not out in 33 balls with five fours and three sixes as the Royd reached the final with 202-8.

The first semi-final was completed on Sunday, July 24, and Sowerby Bridge, inserted by Booth, scored 180-7 in their 20 overs.

Liam Turner (44) and opener Joshua Wood (40) top-scored, with three other contributions in the twenties boosting the total, as Ric Laycock, the sixth bowler used, took 3-26.

It was a total that most spectators thought was par for the ground, with every chance that the tie could go either way.

In reply, Booth lost two early wickets, at 3-1 and 15-2, but there followed an excellent third-wicket partnership, between opener Jon Midgley (70no) and Ric Laycock (65), that propelled the score to 127-3.

Razwan Saghir (35no) then joined Midgley and the pair safely guided their team into the final with consummate ease, having 26 balls to spare.

The final turned out to be surprisingly one-sided as Mytholmroyd bossed the tie from start to finish.

Asked to bat first, they posted a challenging 190-9, with Harun Razzak (42) and Matthew Schofield (41) leading the charge, supported by three batters hitting twenties, with Ric Laycock again the pick of the Booth bowling with 4-34.

The decision to bat second simply backfired on Booth as four Royd bowlers recorded excellent figures.

Shazad Hassan took 3-2, Joe Kershaw 3-27, Shoaib Hassan 3-45 and Amjid Azam 2-20, simply giving the batters no room or respite and the innings fell away to a very disappointing 110.

It was the Mytholmroyd’s second success in the competition, having waited since 2008 to add to the list.

Their captain Shazad Hassan received the Vocation Brewery T20 Trophy and he also was named player-of-the–final by Sowerby Bridge Cricket Club’s chairman Stephen Jordon.