Sheffield's Hallam enjoy success in South Yorkshire Premier League

The early morning rain did affect the games this weekend but Collegiate’s trip to Cleethorpes was still successful.

Batting first the Abbeydale side in early trouble at 61-3, but Billy Root (89*) and Simon Guy (50*) put on 127 for the fourth wicket when rain intervened after two balls of the 39th over and ended the innings.

The abacus was brought out and the rain rules decreed Cleethorpes needed 239 from 38 overs. Vusimuzi Sibanda (69) and Bill Kirby (50) posted an 121-run opening stand to give the platform for acceleration, but Root’s 3-45 and Robert Shaw with 3-49 hauled the game back Collegiate’s way after the spinners Matt Dixon and Matt Lee proved expensive. Cleethorpes’ reply ended on 191-7 and the points went to Abbeydale.

Thornes’ thrashed Whiston at Church Fields.

Whiston elected to bat first, but Mahmood Rasool and Josh Shaw made instant inroads, reducing their hosts to 50-4.

Andy Tomlinson was their main hope at this stage and his dismissal by Qaisar Ashraf for 23 put Whiston in deep trouble.

Ashraf ran through the lower order finishing with 4-24, with only Tom Bolland (12*) showing any resistance.

Whiston were all out for 99 and in need of quick wickets.

James Wolfenden hit a quick-fire 43 to reduce home hopes and Shaw chipped in with 20 for a six wicket win for Thornes, keeping them just two points behind Collegiate, in second place.

Wickersley remain in third place despite a shock defeat at Appleby Frodingham, who were inserted by the visitors.

The rain that affected Collegiate also influenced this game, reducing it to 40 overs per side and Luke Shutt’s 4-44 restricted the run scoring.

Kieran Lindley made a painstaking 38 from 104 balls, but Alex Grimes hit out at the back end of the innings to drag his side to 139-6. Wickersley made a poor start in reply and never recovered. Siddharth Peepat took 3-23 as Wickersley fell to 33-3 and with Jake Smith (3-25) running through the middle order, the game was up at 73-8.

However Ali Manzoor (28*) and Jack Roberts (19) revived visitor hopes.

Paul Hilton returned to take Roberts’ wicket and a tragic run out left Wickersley short by 27 runs.

Doncaster returned to winning ways with a rain affected win at home over Treeton. Treeton were asked to bat first and made a steady start to reach 48-1, but a flurry of wickets saw them drop to 75-4.

Shahjahan Younis (48*) and Greg Norton (21) restored some order, and ended at 142-6 in 34 overs. James Stuart took 2-36 and Duncan Heath grabbed 2-34, to be the pick of the home attack.

Stuart then struck a quick-fire 52, despite Iftikhar Afzal’s opening salvo of 4-38 and with James Ward hitting 43, Doncaster reached their target with nine balls to spare.

Hallam moved up to fifth with a good win at bottom side Aston Hall.

A 30 over game saw Joshua Marsh (48*) and Awais Zia (41) hit out for the hosts. Humphrey Emery took 2-37 and Aditya Edekar effecting two run outs for Hallam.

The reply was a characteristically strong one from Hallam who have excelled in the past in T20 cricket. Harry Bliss with 47 and 31 from Emery saw their side to victory, in the penultimate over; Zia talking 2-40 in vain for Aston Hall.

Finally, Barnsley won against struggling Whitley Hall in a rain unaffected game at Shaw Lane.

Barnsley made a strong start with a 116-run opening partnership between Jon Trower (58) and Boeta Boekes (51).

Neil Longhurst came into the attack and removed both openers and Harpreet Bathia to reduce Barnsley to 136-3, taking 3-31.

Beck Frostick struck 41, but only Stephen Walters got to double figures from the remainder of the line up as Richard Wilkinson (3-45) and Callum Bethel (3-60) left Barnsley 226-9. Bathia gained quick revenge on Longhurst, but the Whitley middle order combined effectively, Greig Batty’s 52 the stand out and the reply looked well at 184-5. Ali Jahangir then took over, taking 5-38 as Whitley crumbled to 210 all out, 16 runs short.

This weekend sees Hallam host Doncaster as fourth play fifth.

Treeton take on third placed Whiston and Thornes face Appleby Frodingham, hoping Barnsley can gate-crash Collegiate at Abbeydale. Wickersley welcome Whitley Hall.

This weekend also sees the start of the T20 competition, with 3 games at Treeton , also involving Aston Hall, Thornes, and Cleethorpes; Doncaster hosting Whiston, Hallam and Appleby Frodingham, and Whitley Hall taking on Collegiate, Barnsley and Wickersley. Games start at 10am, 1.15pm and 4.30pm.

STANDINGS (7 games): COLLEGIATE 76; Thornes 74; Wickersley 56; Doncaster 46; HALLAM 46; Whiston 44; Barnsley 40; Treeton 36; WHITLEY HALL 34; Cleethorpes 32; Appleby Frodingham 24; Aston Hall 18