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26th April 2025- Thornton - league
The 1st XI were handed what was on paper the toughest possible start in the league – a trip to champions Thornton – and put up more than a good fight before eventually falling to a 38-run defeat.
We lost the toss and were asked to bowl first, and after two wickets each from new skipper Alex Scholefield (2/61), and Lewis Firth (3/58), we were more than happy to be doing so. This left Thornton 49/4 but a solid partnership at this point took them to 119, before they lost a further three wickets for the addition of just four more runs. 123/7 was looking very positive for us but despite wickets from Tom Wood (3/57) and Arun CK (2/33), Thorton were able to add some valuable late order runs and finish 209 all out from 43.1 overs. Certainly, a chaseable score, but we were disappointed to have not restricted them further. Four victims for Simon Wood behind the wicket got his season underway in much the way he left off in 2024.
The returning Rhys Newman was bowled for just eight, but he was to more than make up for it in the coming weeks – more on that later! A score of 25/1 became 46/2 when Tom Wood was caught for 31 off as many balls, and wickets then fell at fairly regular intervals until 92/5 brought Yuvaraj Kumar in to join Jamie Summerscales. The two put on a brisk 64-run partnership to leave the game finely poised, before Yuvaraj was bowled for 38 off 34 balls. Unfortunately, the remaining batters were unable to give Jamie (60*) the support he needed and we were bowled out for 171 off 39.4 overs – a disappointing but not demoralising defeat.
3rd May 2025- Bradshaw - league
The following week we hosted Bradshaw hoping to get our season off the ground, but having won the toss and bowled first, we failed to exert any real pressure on the Bradshaw batters. An opening partnership of 118 put us behind the eight-ball and despite showing some fight, mainly thanks to Tom Wood’s 3/62, Bradshaw scored an imposing 281/7 from their allotted 45 overs. Alex (2/67) was at least able to rescue a second bowling point with a wicket on the final ball of the innings.
Wayward bowling and poor fielding put us in a position we ultimately wouldn’t recover from, but we did make a decent fist of it – much like the week prior – before a late collapse – again, like the week prior. Rhys showed a flicker of form with 40 before being run out, and Jamie continued where he had left off at Thornton with 39 from just 31 balls. From 26/2, and 95/4, we were able to recover to 203/5 with valuable knocks from Chris Dalby (59) and Simon (28). A rapid 62 off just 31 balls from Gnanam Arjuna had us arguably in the box seat, but when he was caught to leave us 246/7, we still needed 36 off just 26 balls and were only able to add five for the loss of the last three wickets – a 30-run defeat.
4th May 2025- Queensbury – Parish Cup
We didn’t have long to wait for another opportunity to get our first win as we travelled up to the rather chilly Queensbury the following day, in the first round of the Parish Cup. We were invited to bat first and made the most of it. Rhys batted through the entire 45 overs, scoring a whopping 209 not out from just 134 balls. He hit a staggering 30 fours and 9 sixes and was named ‘Rehmani Sports Player of the Week’ by the Halifax Cricket League. Chris’s 103* from 77 balls was a more than valuable support act as we posted what is surely a club record score of 411/3.
Queensbury made a creditable effort in response as they scored 232/8, with Mike Veitch taking 2 for 52. However, the second innings will be remembered for a long time by one of our juniors – Fin Charnock – who not only made his 1st XI debut – but took two wickets to boot. A thoroughly satisfying end to a freezing cold day.
10th May 2025- Copley - league
Our third league game of the season was a visit to Copley, and we were in significant trouble having been asked to bat first. 18/2 became 52/4 and then 81/6, when Alex was out for 44. Gnanam added 23 off just eight balls but was seventh out with the score on 105, which brought Arun in to join Dylan Evans. The two of them played watchfully at first, before Arun especially started to expand his range of strokes. Both played an essential role in a crucial partnership of 75. Arun was out for 45 and was quickly followed back to the pavilion by Dylan (30), but the two of them had laid the foundations for the bowlers to take over, and try to defend a score of 188 all out.
Alex (2/18) had one opener caught by Arun at second slip, before an important run out from Dylan left Copley 10/2. The next wicket didn’t come for a few overs, but very few runs were added and so we were content with the control we were exerting. Wickets fell at fairly regular intervals, as change bowlers Tom Wood (4/25) and Arun (2/46) ripped out the Copley middle and lower order. Despite a slightly unnerving partnership of 41 for the ninth wicket, Tom took the last two to fall and we were able to celebrate our first league win of the season.
17th May 2025 – Upper Hopton -league
We were back at home the following week to face newly promoted Upper Hopton, who unsurprisingly elected to bat first on a warm day and a flat-looking surface. Wickets fell at semi-regular intervals, with Lewis (4/74) doing most of the damage, but there was never a flurry of dismissals which might have really hampered our visitors efforts. A score of 236/8 from 45 overs was probably a little above par, but we were in with a chance.
The top seven batters all got into double figures, with a quickfire 57 from Arun and a patient 32 from Chris the leading efforts. However, none of the top order were able to kick on and anchor the innings, with Rhys having to retire hurt not helping matters, and so it always felt like we were slightly behind in the game. And so it proved, as we finished 218/8, an 18-run defeat.
18th May 2025- Triangle - Parish Cup
Once again a Parish Cup Sunday gave us no time to stew on the defeat as we were back in action at Triangle less than 24 hours later. We were asked to bowl first but started well on the small ground, and reduced our hosts to 14/2 early on. This became 76/4 and then 149/6 before a few useful late runs saw Triangle to 237 all out. Every bowler used took a wicket, which included a great moment for Dylan as he took his maiden 1st XI scalp. Arun took 2/39, Tom led the wicket tally with 3/59, and Lewis bowled an economical spell of 2/10 off eight overs, including five maidens.
Despite losing opening partner Tom for 20, Rhys was undeterred and looked in great nick. Alongside skipper Alex, they put on 123 for the second wicket. When Alex fell for a patient but vital 37, Rhys was 92 not out and was joined by Jamie (50*) who was in no mood to hang around. He hit seven 6s and at one point people around the ground were questioning whether he would leave any runs for Rhys to achieve his impending landmark. Rhys managed to take back the strike and comfortably get to his second consecutive 100+ score in the competition, finishing on 123* from 95 balls, an exceptional innings to see us home to an eight-wicket victory.
24th May 2025 – Illingworth - league
A trip to Illingworth on a damp day was next up and when the skipper lost the toss no one was surprised that our openers were asked to strap their pads on. Rhys was the top scorer with 32, but no other batter got to 20, clearly not the recipe for a good score. A score of 97 all out meant we looked all but beaten at halfway, but the team refused to lie down.
A wicket first ball of the innings from Lewis got things off to a positive start and a few more quick ones left the game in the balance at 29/4. At this point, a partnership of 36 – huge in the context of this game – looked to be decisive. A wicket from Tom, followed by two more from Lewis (5/23) really put the cat amongst the pigeons but a couple of dropped catches were ultimately what Illingworth needed to see themselves over the line for the loss of seven wickets.
31st May 2025- Shelf/Northowram Hedge Top - league
We managed to finish May on a brighter note, with a comfortable home victory over Shelf Northowram Hedge Top. We won the toss, elected to field, and Alex wasted no time in putting us in the ascendency, bowling their opener in the first over. 4/1 became 20/3 after less than seven overs, and then after a brief recovery the score read 59/4, with Alex having taken all four wickets to fall. Lewis finally got in on the action with the score at 85, removing the other opener for 57. Despite a fairly brisk scoring rate, we were halfway through their batting line up and seemingly in control. The last few wickets fell for the addition of just another 24 runs, Alex taking an impressive 6/53 and Lewis 3/53, with Tom’s caught and bowled curtailing the innings. Simon contributed another four catches behind the sticks.
Despite losing Tom early, Rhys got the chase off to a flier with 30 off 17 balls before he was second to fall with the score on 42. Alex (14) fell with the score at 73, and Dylan had to depart with just seven needed for victory, but Chris saw us home inside 24 overs with a measured 49 not out.
At the time of writing four defeats from six outings in the league leaves work to be done, but a place in the cup quarter final gives cause for optimism.