Pontefract Cricket League: Calder Grove edge closer to promotion

Going into the last weekend Grove are 10 points ahead of third-placed Barnby Dun and can still overhaul leaders Fenwick, who are seven points ahead of them. But final day opponents Newton Hill also still have plenty to play for as they currently need points to avoid relegation, standing second from bottom, four behind Horbury Bridge.

Calder Grove maintained their challenge with a 14-run success against Thurnscoe Institute who they kept to 187-7 in reply to 201-8.

Alex Brown was pick of the bowlers with 3-18 while his brother, Ben Brown, took 2-37 and top scored with the bat in hitting 51 from 56 balls. Neil Gunter also weighed in with 36.

Elsewhere in Division Three, Horbury Bridge failed to boost their chances of staying up as they were thrashed by 197 runs by fourth-placed Notton.

Openers Qasar Khan (81) and Jonathan Habe (68) put Notton in control and they went on to post 251-8 despite a battling bowling effort from Sam Perkin, who took 7-54.

Bridge were all out for 54, most of the damage being inflicted by Mike Pretorius (5-24) and Alex Hughes (3-7).

Newton Hill were bowled out for 88 to lose by 105 runs to Fenwick.

Gary Wilcock (36) top scored while Qasim Hussain took 5-47 and Tasadaq Iqbal 4-61 as the table toppers were restricted to 193-9.

Pledwick dropped to fifth after they were dismissed for 121 and lost by three wickets to Barnby Dun.

George Tinker (62) and Conrad Burdekin (3-44) were their best performers.

In Division One seventh-placed Streethouse returned to winning ways at the expense of relegated Crofton Phoenix.

A high scoring game saw Crofton make 241 with contributions from Zia Ullah (44), Riffat Kiani (39), Muhammad Nadeem (35), Noman Maan (33no) and Zamurad Khan (30).

Michael Tucker (3-27) was the most successful bowler for Streethouse, who chased down the runs to win with four wickets and seven balls to spare. Asad Bukhari (54no) led them home with valuable efforts too from Amjad Hussain (53) and Gary Rhodes (49).

Sixth-placed West Bretton narrowly lost out in an exciting run chase in their game with Askern Welfare.

After dismissing Askern for 201 with Anthony Scully taking 5-71 and Mohamed Uvais 3-30, Bretton kept in touch in their reply despite wickets falling at regular intervals.

They eventually fell three runs short, finishing on 198-9 with Jonny Winwood (31) and Tom Clifford (24) top scoring.

Fourth-placed Nostell St Oswald are going to narrowly miss out on promotion from Division Two, but are finishing the season well.

They beat Knottingley Town by 110 runs after posting a 220-7 total that owed much to the efforts of Tanvir Bashir (84) and Aakash Dutta (59).

Knottingley were bowled out for 110 as Tokir Bashir led the Nostell bowling well with 6-52.

Mid-table Denby Grange lost to an Eggborough Power Station team fighting to stay in Division Four.

Up against second from bottom opponents, Grange went down by six wickets after producing a poor batting display in which they were all out for 58, only Jack Clements (21) reaching double figures.

Alex Drury took 3-11 in vain as Eggborough easily chased down their small target.

Third-placed Crofton Phoenix seconds kept up their promotion hopes with an 118-run success against Ferrybridge Power Station.

Raees Matloob Raja top scored with 35 and valuable contributions also came from Parvez Azam (32), Saeed Akhtar (31) and Muhammad Naseer Khan (28) as Crofton made 177.

They then bowled their opponents out for 59 with Raja taking 4-21.

With one game left Phoenix are two points behind second-placed Garforth.

Division Five leaders Normanton St Johns moved closer to clinching the title when they defeated Wakefield Thornes thirds by eight wickets.

Kumar Gadhraj (62no) and Ebrahim Patel (32) led them home after Thornes were bowled out for 144.

Gadhraj also starred with the ball, taking 5-37, while James Eastlake (68) top scored for Thornes.

A narrow victory in a low scoring game maintained Crigglestone’s bid for promotion from Division Six.

A good job in the field saw opponents Hundhill Hall seconds dismissed for only 73 with Chris Eames claiming 5-18 and Peter Towers 4-27.

But Crigglestone batsmen also found it a struggle and they scraped home to win with just one wicket to spare, Luke Pryde (24) top scoring and Danny Brooks hitting a winning four.

The win kept them in second place, 12 points behind unbeaten leaders Oulton seconds, but eight ahead of Whitley Bridge seconds.