Spen Victoria and Hopton Mills clinch victories but Burton century in vain for Birstall

Spen Victoria and Hopton Mills both recorded opening day victories in Allrounder Bradford League Championship Two.
Heckmondwike and Carlinghow batsman Riffat Kiani in Bradford League Conference action against Sandal last Saturday.Heckmondwike and Carlinghow batsman Riffat Kiani in Bradford League Conference action against Sandal last Saturday.
Heckmondwike and Carlinghow batsman Riffat Kiani in Bradford League Conference action against Sandal last Saturday.

Spen made a terrific start as they picked up a maximum 20 points against Liversedge in the battle of last season’s bottom two sides.

New signing Adil Ladak, who has joined Spen from Hartshead Moor, took 3-23 to help dismiss Liversedge for 115.

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Fellow debutant Sam Gatenby made an unbeaten 55 and Bilal Ejaz (35no) supported to seal victory.

Hopton Mills also earned a maximum 20 points from a 153-run triumph over East Ardsley.

Mills made the division’s highest total of 267-6 as Ashley Mackereth struck 84 from 55 balls, including seven sixes and seven fours and was supported by Umar Abbas (45) and Gary Senior (44).

Abbas followed up by claiming 5-29 and Mackereth capped a fine game with 3-21 as East Ardsley were dismissed for 114, with Jake Alleston (42) and Louis Hurley (30) their leading run scorers.

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Birstall’s Ashley Burton could count himself unfortunate at not leading his side to victory as he struck an unbeaten century against Bowling Old Lane but it was the only game in Championship Two to fall foul of the weather.

Burton struck three sixes and 11 fours in his 90-ball knock and shared a second-wicket stand of 98 with veteran opener Eric Austin (59).

Their efforts enabled Birstall to declare after 38 overs on 218-3 as they looked to give themselves enough time to force victory but that was curtailed by rain with Old Lane on 79-3.

There were mixed fortunes for the division’s new boys with Jer Lane winning and Adwalton losing.

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An unbeaten 69 from Tom Watson enabled Jer Lane to chase down a Northowram Fields score of 150-9 to help his side to a 19-point haul.

Opening bowler Hazrat Shah (3-29) was the pick of the Jer Lane attack as Dean Crossley (34) top scored for Northowram.

An unbeaten knock of 56 from James Crossland enabled Buttershaw St Paul’s to overhaul Adwalton’s 128-9 and record a six-wicket victory.

Opener Josh Bennett (66no) helped hold the Adwalton innings together as his colleagues faltered against the left-arm spin of Ben Platt (4-26).

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