Gargrave close in on historic treble after Wynn Cup victory

With their second XI already having won the Cowling Cup, the first XI have now added the Wynn Cup, defeating Cowling by 105 runs in a one-sided final at Airedale on Sunday.

All that remains now is the Manorlands Plate at Keighley Cricket club on Sunday, August 27, where Gargrave face Silsden in the second semi-final (1.30pm).

Sent in at the Airedale Oval, Gargrave made 180, losing their last wicket with just four balls of their allotted 40 overs remaining.

Initially it looked as if Cowling had made a wise choice as Gargrave were 30-3, with Hamid Ullah (3-23) taking all the wickets.

But Matthew Simpson (24) and Dave Harrop (22) dug in to add 48 for the fourth wicket before Chris Lambert (15) and Joe Wood (25) put on 33 for the sixth.

Then, much to Cowling’s frustration, last-wicket pair George Beckwith (11) and Will Storr (18no) elevated the score from 143 with a partnership of 37.

Danish Hameed dismissed Simpson, Harrop, Wood and Lambert on his way to 5-25.

Cowling’s reply never got going, however as they were dismissed for 75, with their best stand being 28 for the seventh wicket between Laiq Ur Rehman (18) and Irfan Ishaq (10).

Wood led the way with the ball, taking 4-16 and dismissing four of the top six, while decent back up came from Ben Howlett (2-18) and George Beckwith (2-14).

Second-placed Cowling had a much happier time the day before in Division One, trouncing bottom-of-the-table Sutton at Royd Hill by 167 runs.

Opting to bat, Cowling made 241-5, with skipper Martyn Dalby (60) and Ur Rehman (65no) leading the way.

Dalby’s runs came off 64 deliveries and included 11 fours, while Ur Rehman’s knock lasted 59 balls and contained seven fours and two sixes as he added 91 unbroken with Wasim Hussain (37no).

Sutton’s Jibin Jacob did well to come out of all that with 2-29, but only opener George Elrick (32) and Tony Walton (14) managed double figures in their 74 after tea as three bowlers took all the wickets.

Ullah bagged 3-22, Hameed 4-13 and Dalby 3-6, leaving Cowling 35 points behind Riddlesden, who won both their matches last weekend, while Sutton are 31 points behind second-from-bottom Eldwick & Gilstead, who have lost six of their last seven completed matches.

The latest of those was at third-placed Gargrave in what was a low-scoring encounter.

Sent in, the hosts could only make 108, which was largely down to Simpson (32) and Bradley Gardner (24), with only John Beckwith (15), who added 43 with Simpson for the third wicket, also reaching double figures.

However, E&G never looked like reaching their target, despite 47 from Matthew Sharp as George Beckwith (5-22) and Simpson (2-13) held sway in an innings of 80.

Glusburn are back on top of Division Two, but only just – by a point from Bradley as both leap-frogged Airedale.

The reason for that was Glusburn’s dominant win over the former leaders at Park Field.

Airedale may be regretting their decision to send Glusburn in as the latter made 205-9, with six players reaching double figures.

Matt Lloyd (48) and Ryan Ridehalgh (29) put on 57 for openers before captain Steve Brown (18) added 33 with Lloyd.

Dipesh Mistry chipped in with 23 but Airedale couldn’t wrap the innings up as all-rounder Irfan Khaliq (47no) dominated an unbroken a stand of 37 for the eighth wicket with Zahid Iqbal (1).

Only three Airedale players troubled the scorers to any degree after tea as they were toppled for 74 by Khaliq (4-22), Ridehalgh (3-19) and Umar Farooq (3-5).

Bradley made short work of hosts Ingrow, who elected to bat but only made 39, of which Atif Malik (18) was the only one in double figures.

The visitors only used three bowlers in the 16 overs needed, with Toby Meynell notching 4-8, Vince Grant 4-6 and Zafar Iqbal 2-14.

Bradley knocked the runs off in 12 overs for the loss of two wickets.

Thornton-in-Craven only picked up a point at Silsden, being rumbled for 82 after the home side won the toss.

Rob Cockell (20), James Mellin (18no), Jack Laycock (16), skipper Ian Holden (14) and Mark Laycock (11) all made double figures, but there was precious little else as Ahsan Rizwan (5-34) and Will Pullen (4-8) dominated.

Silsden captain Jack Roberts fell for a duck, but any fears were eased by a second-wicket partnership of 68 between Dom Mortimer (42) and Tom Greenwood (25no) as the target was reached in 14 overs for the loss of two wickets.

With Long Lee and Ingrow both losing, Silsden climbed out of the relegation places, which was vital as their demotion could prevent their second XI from being promoted from Division Four.

Skipton CI did the Cobbydalers a favour by defeating visitors Long Lee by 49 runs.

A wagging tail from No 8 and captain Paul Mason (24) and No 10 Muhammad Sabeel (20) proved vital in CI’s 111 as only Sean Williamson (17) and Muddassar Khan (22) had managed double figures before them.

However, after tea only No 11, keeper James Fulwood (17), did likewise as Long Lee were skittled for 62, with Azhar Iqbal bagging 4-13 and Khan 3-25.

Second-placed Cononley got a double bonus in Division Three.

Firstly, they defeated Menston Crompark in a match where ball dominated bat and then they discovered that third-placed Bingley Congs III could not raise a side to face Haworth II.

Asked to bat, Crompark could only muster 63, with just Will Morgan reaching double figures, and that was only 10 as Harry Parker (5-45) and the outstanding Herbie Starkey (10-7-7-4) dominated.

Cononley were 44-6 in reply, however, but found the man for a crisis in Colin Stead (24no) as they won by four wickets.

They are now 42 points ahead of Congs, and immediately below them are Gargrave II, who lost by the same margin at Keighley III on Sunday.

Sent in, Gargrave were toppled for 97, with Edward Stanley (13), captain Kieran Ashley (16) and Giles Winterton (17) the only trio to trouble the scorers to any degree.

Keighley took until the 22nd over to pass that total to ease their relegation fears.

Skipton CI II conceded their match at Wilsden II, while that result has dropped Cowling II to second from bottom after they picked up five points at home to leaders Bowling Baptist.

The latter batted and made a respectable 164, Ubayd Ali, the fifth bowler used, taking 4-11.

Cowling’s reply of 86 was dominated by No 3 Haseeb Majid’s 49, with opener Danyal Hussain (12) the only other player to make double figures.

Sutton II, looking good to go up from Division Four, won by nine wickets at Long Lee II, who were all out for 81 after being sent in.

Jaison Joseph (4-15) led the Sutton attack, backed up by Jack Middleton (2-18) and Ali Hussain (2-11).

Their batters then made small fry of that target, with skipper Craig Thornton 41 not out and Stuart Tillotson 29 not out, adding 76 unbroken for the second wicket.

Silsden II are well in the hunt for the second promotion place, despite their 40-point deduction.

Runs were easier to come by at Cambing, where Hepworth & Idle III made 176-5 before declaring after 27 overs of a rain-hit match, with the wickets falling to TJ Berry (3-40) and Tom Storrie (2-39).

No 4 James Nelson then played one of the innings of the season for Silsden, hitting 131 not out off just 67 balls, including 14 fours and 11 sixes as the target was passed inside 24 overs.

Captain Tom Snowden (31no) helped him add 168 unbroken in the eight-wicket triumph that meant that themselves and Bowling Baptist II are level on 143 points, 33 behind Sutton II.

Bradley II conceded to Denholme II.

*The Craven League’s annual dinner has been moved from Friday, October 13 to Friday, October 20 owing to the unavailability of Bradford & Bingley Sports Club on the initial date.