South African Byron Boshoff hit a superb 134 as leaders Wakefield Thornes made the best of a disrupted Saturday in the Yorkshire Premier League South with a thumping win at Wickersley Old Village.
Wakefield won for the fourth time in six matches this season – the other two were rained off – as only three games were completed.
Appleby Frodingham and Sheffield Collegiate also won to maintain pace with a side who are searching for the fourth title in six years.
Wakefield, champions in 2016, 2017 and 2018, beat Wickersley by 171 runs having amassed 300-4 in 50 overs thanks to opener Bishoff’s 137-ball knock with 12 fours and five sixes.
In defence, Matthew Taylor set the tone with the new ball and returned 5-46 from 11 overs as the hosts were bowled out for 129 inside 38. Taylor claimed the first four wickets, with Wickersley failing to recover from 46-4.
Boshoff, whose century was the individual performance of the day, is a former South Africa Under 17s international from Cape Town.
Wakefield have 56 points, and two further back are Appleby Frodingham, who claimed their fourth win thanks to a ruthless bowling display to down Barnsley Woolley Miners by 10 wickets.
Opening bowlers Joe Baker (3-17 from 12 overs) and Paul Hilton (4-21 from 12.5) did the bulk of the damage as Woolley Miners were skittled for only 71 inside 39 overs. Home captain Matthew Fowler then further vindicated his decision to bowl upon winning the toss with an unbeaten 37 in a 72-run stand with opening partner Alex Grimes (32).
Ten points off top spot, in third, are Sheffield Collegiate, a club intrinsically linked with Yorkshire Cricket having produced two England Test captains of the last two decades in Michael Vaughan and Joe Root.
They secured an impressive win against Doncaster Town, the champions of the last full YPL South campaign in 2019 and one of the 2021 pre-season title favourites.
Hosts Doncaster, inserted, were only able to post 126 all out in their 50 overs, a total overhauled by six wickets with 14 overs remaining.
Doncaster captain Bilal Anjam’s 32 was the best score against an attack which shared the wickets around.
Collegiate opening bowler Robert Shaw was impressive for 3-27 from 10 overs, while ex-Worcester spinner Shaaiq Choudhry, Luke Shutt and Jamie Carrington all chipped in with two wickets apiece.
There were early chasing nerves for Collegiate as they slipped to 47-4, only for Choudhry and Carrington to add to their returns with the ball.
They shared an unbroken 80 for the fifth wicket, with Choudhry hitting an unbeaten 30 and Carrington 50 not out, including a couple of sixes.
While the visitors won their third game of the campaign, Doncaster lost for the fourth time. They have only won once and have it all to do if they are to successfully defend the title they won a couple of seasons ago.
Cawthorne v Treeton, Hallam v Tickhill and Whitley Hall v Moin Ashraf’s Elsecar were all abandoned without a ball bowled.
Yorkshire Cricket Honours Board – Week 6?
Congratulations to everyone who has scored runs over the last week ????
Here's a look at the best batting performances ???? #OneRose pic.twitter.com/1IuCRIq09M
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) May 27, 2021
???? Yorkshire Cricket Honours Board – Week 6?
Congratulations to everyone who has taken wickets over the last week ????
Here's a look at the best bowling performances ???? #OneRose pic.twitter.com/tFKI2hfPzg
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) May 27, 2021
