Oughtibridge win South Yorkshire Alliance Works Midweek League

The 2025 edition of the South Yorkshire Alliance Works Midweek League has been won by Oughtibridge after a tense final against Sheffield Collegiate.

It is the third year in a row that these teams have contested the final with Oughtibridge claiming a second win, this time by 11 runs.

The 20-team evening competition, across three divisions, came down to the semi-finals last week where Division South B champions Hollinsend Methodists scored 140-4 (H. Parker 62) from their 12 eight-ball overs.

Sheffield Collegiate, the Division South A champions, replied in emphatic fashion with their openers Dylan McDonald (105*) and Thomas Currie (35*) racing to a stand of 146 in 8.4 overs to register the ten-wicket win. McDonald’s unbeaten century off 44 balls included five 4s and ten sixes!

The second semi-final saw Division North winners Oughtibridge register a well-paced, eight-wicket victory over Division South B runners up Sheffield Transport, thanks to N. Arif (64*). Danuka Hettiarachchi had earlier claimed 5-17 as Transport were dismissed for 111 after being 56-0 in 5 overs.

Final countdown

Oughtibridge’s War Memorial Sports Ground hosted the league’s showpiece final under leaden skies. Reigning champions Sheffield Collegiate won the toss and skipper Andy Simpson chose to field.

The home side scored a healthy 151-5 from their allocated 12 overs. The innings was constructed around Oughtibridge’s number three batter Sajith Warnakulasuriya (78 from 31 balls).

Sheffield Collegiate, who have won the league five times in the last decade, likely thought they had a decent shout. McDonald’s early dismissal by Hettiarachchi (3-33) meant Thomas Currie (49) and Jack Clough (30) were tasked with rebuilding.

Jack Newton (3-31) cleaned up the middle order but George Bartlett (31* from 15 balls) gave the visitors hope. In the end, it proved too much as Collegiate ended on 140-7.

The 97th final was umpired by Mark Banister & Tom Lazenby and many congratulations to Oughtibridge. Across the season, the leading batter was Hollinsend Methodists’ Harrison Parker (564 runs, average of 141) while Collegiate’s Oliver Tyas bagged 24 wickets at an average of 13.3.

Many thanks to Mark Simmerson for his written report (on which this article was based) while Steve Birch of South Yorkshire Sport kindly offered photos. You can read the weekly sports magazine from across the region on southyorkshiresport.co.uk.