Skipton notch their third win of the season (From Craven Herald)

Skipton notch their third win of the season

9:53am Monday 6th July 2009 in

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Skipton notched their third win of the season to gain a mid-table place in Division Three of the Airedale and Wharfedale League.

Facing a Woodhouse side who posted a score of 183 Skipton won with six wickets in hand and plenty of overs to spare.

Woodhouse lost a couple of early wickets but then Dinesh Raheja made 58 but he found support hard to come by as Simon Ashmore (3-45 off 8.2 overs) and Richard Walker (3-20 off six overs) got stuck in.

Only 26 not out from number ten R Bahal gave the innings a final flourish, along with 24 extras.

Gary Owens went without scoring as Skipton opened their innings but then Steve Carling (32) and S Nadeem (69) forged a useful partnership of 62 for the second wicket before Carling was caught by Henry off the bowling of Allan.

Nadeem was then joined by Rob Walker, who made 21, and with A Mahmood accelerating the score with 28no, Skipton coasted home.

Upper Wharfedale gained a four-wicket win at Knaresborough, where the home side was dismissed for 109 with a fine all-round bowling effort from the Grassington lads.

David Eggleton led the way with 3-34 off ten overs but he was well supported by Steve Pearson, with 2-26 off seven overs, P Binner, with 2-45 off nine overs, and Justin Graham, with 2-2 off seven superb overs, six of which were maidens.

There was a shock in store for Wharfedale when openers Chris Baines and Andrew Foulds went without scoring, both falling to the bowling of Andrew Ward.

Eggleton then made 17 but Binner failed to trouble the scorers and Knaresborough’s 109 started to look a useful target with Ward taking 4-29. However, Wharfedale dug in and James Freebury (31) and Justin Graham (42) turned things round with a fifth-wicket stand of 58 which carried them to the threshold of victory.

The win was completed by C Nattrass (6no) and C Butt (1no).

In Saturday’s second team games Upper Wharfedale failed to match the Knaresborough score of 234-7, and had to be content with one point from a drawn game, finishing on 171-7.

For Knaresborough, opener G Dodds hit 88 and shared an opening stand of 134 with J Dodman (58). J Slater bowled tidily to take 4-47 off 11 overs.

Upper Wharfedale hit back through opener S Richardson with 46 and C Bean with 50, but they were behind the run rate and their challenge petered out.

Steeton seconds were unable to match the Rawdon score of 219-5 of which Peter Smith made an unbeaten 58 and opener Mo Kasif 49. There were a couple of wickets apiece for Phil Hardwick and D Robinson.

Steeton were dismissed for 119 in reply as Matthew Longley took 3-28 off a superb 20-over stint and Neil Waite bagged 3-20 off ten overs.

D Thompson cleaned the innings up with 2-13 at the end. For Steeton only J Higginson with 39 showed any real resistance to the Rawdon bowling.

In Sunday’s Airedale and Wharfedale League Waddilove Cup quarter-finals, Upper Wharfedale were left chasing leather and were dumped out of the competition by a Beckwithshaw side that knocked up a magnificent 329-2.

Openers Josh Inglis (185) and Paul Critchley (94) shared an opening stand of 279. Ben Quick added 25 not out as the Grassington lads wilted.

Upper Wharfedale lost early wickets in reply, being 10-2, but Justin Graham (44no), James Freebury (30) and P Binner (22) showed some resistance as they fell for 126 in reply. P Thompson picked up 5-37.

Upper Wharfedale scorched their way to the Birtwhistle Cup semi-finals with a magnificent batting display which saw them pass Woodhouse’s 252-5 with six wickets in hand.

Opener J Walwyn struck 109 not out for Woodhouse and was supported by L Dobson with 62 and E Thirlwell with 28.

Upper Wharfedale also had an opening batsman in cracking form in S Richardson, who hammered a glorious unbeaten 142 to take his side through.

He had support from A Smith with 35 and J Slater with 28.

Upper Wharfedale will now entertain Steeton in the semi-finals after they had a five-run win over Illingworth.

Steeton posted 220-6 with a fine 95 from opener A Haworth and 42 from M Thomas. This pair shared a second- wicket stand of 129.

Illingworth were then held in check by Haworth’s 4-36 return off nine overs and some tidy bowling by J Cook, who took 2-18 off his nine overs. Opener V Brooksby hit 58 for Illingworth and J Lawton was crucially run out after making 55.