Extraordinary feats in Yorkshire as batters make hay

For anyone who casts their eye over Yorkshire league cricket scorecards, it has been noticeable how high team totals have been of late.

The first month of the season can be a) underwater b) seaming all over the place and c) a leaner time for batters.

Not this year. The dry Spring has enabled more grounds prep and it has sometimes flipped the early-season form on its head, in favour of those batting.

Here’s three scores that leapt out recently as bat has dominated ball in Yorkshire’s leagues.

Christian Silkstone 223 (Triangle)

If you’ve ever been to Triangle CC in the Halifax Cricket League, it’s a beautiful spot by the river to see your bowling belted left, right and centre.

Silkstone has 4,000+ runs for the club and occasionally, a little like Thornton’s Josh Hutchinson, goes nuclear.

Triangle CC’s score of 470 for 4 is a new record in the Briggs Priestley Parish Cup. It happened on May 4 as Triangle’s batting unit wielded their willow like lightsabers.

Spare a thought for Tom Fryer (152 off 125 balls) who opened and didn’t even top score for the home side against Southowram.

Captain Silkstone hit 177 not out off 55 balls. As a bowler, that strike rate of 321.82 makes me week which is presumably what the opposition bowlers felt like too.

For those who like stats, Southowram have certainly felt the highs and lows. Back in 2018, they conceded the highest league total (also against Triangle) of 503.

But in contrast, they bowled Augustians all out for 6 in Round 1 of the Parish Cup back in 2021.

Mosun Hussain 216 not out (Woodlands)

Mosun Hussain showed what he brings to Woodlands’ Bradford Premier League title challenge as the opener hit an unbeaten 216, as his side scored 352-5 against Bradford & Bingley.

His career-best proved the difference in a 24-run win at Albert Terrace as Bradford & Bingley, courtesy of Callum Goldthorp’s 139, pushed them close.

Rhys Newman 209 not out (Sowerby Bridge Church Institute)

What on earth was going on in the first round of the Parish Cup in West Yorkshire?!

A combination of superb batting surfaces, seeing deliveries like a beach ball and perhaps Bank Holiday availability I’d guess.

Sowerby Bridge Church Institute hit 411-3 at home against Queensbury as Newman carried his bat (and presumably a lie down at the innings break), well supported by Chris Dalby’s 103 off 77 balls.

In reply, Queensbury (232-8) had their own centurion when Oliver Challis struck 100 off 76 balls in the middle order for the visitors.

1. Pankaj Sharma 100 off 35 balls (Saxton)

This knock happened in a midweek league that Saxton play in and is yet to appear on Play-Cricket (so did it really happen?! 😁)

Evening league cricket will throw up crazy, helter-skelter performances with bat and ball all over Yorkshire and a strike rate of 285 certainly qualifies.

Well done to Pankaj whose previous highest score of 92 came at a sedate strike rate of 143 against Hillam & Monk Fryston in Yorkshire Premier League North.

At the double…

Moosa Azad hit 211 for Brighouse (where I visited recently for a meeting, shoutout to the very good The Shrub cafe on Birds Royd lane). Farnsley’s Ben Wright was the fourth double-centurion of the first week of May as he struck 206 against Sandal in Round 1 of the Priestley Cup.

Bowling feats

It’s not been all one-way traffic by any means. Notably, Imran Shah’s 9-29 for Sheffield Centralians against Ridgeway in Division One of the Yorkshire & Derbyshire League.

A shoutout for Kieran McIntyre whose form for Frickley Colliery has been mighty impressive. His 9-39 at home against Elsecar 2nd XI tops up this season’s tally to 23 wickets at an average of 5.87!

Who has been scoring big in your league or stunning the opposition with the ball?

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