Title rivals end proud Delph run

Luke Procter

DELPH'S phenomenal unbeaten run in the Drakes Huddersfield League has finally come to an end.

The reigning Premiership champions - who didn't lose a match during an amazing 2016 campaign - were defeated at fellow front-runners Hoylandswaine as the hosts inflicted the first loss on Andrew Gleave's men since September, 2015.

Hoylandswaine and Delph had been locked together, separated only by a runs per wicket average, before the day's play.

Early afternoon rain reduced the match to 40 overs each, with Delph inserting the home side first.

Ironically it was Hoylandswaine that were the last team to defeat Delph, and they gave themselves a solid platform to exert their authority.

Gharib Nawaz (92) was the man who gave the innings a solid backbone as Delph tried in vain to keep a potent scoring side in check.

'Swaine set a formidable 262 for nine, helped along by Chris Holliday's 43, with Lancashire all-rounder Luke Procter (pictured, three for 72) making his mark for Delph.

In reply, the turning point came when two of Delph's most prominent batsmen - Mosun Hussain (23) and Shreevats Goswami (nine) - were both dismissed within an over, and from then on Hoylandswaine suffocated Delph with some solid bowling by Rhandawa (three for 37) and Imran Arif (three for 50).

It was a damaging afternoon all round for Delph as they fell just a couple of runs short of a potentially useful batting point.

The sides will meet again at the same venue in the Sykes Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

WOODHOUSES notched a comfortable six-wicket win against Dukinfield in the Greater Manchester League Division One.

The Belfields side cruised to their victory target of 101 after Josh Butler had taken five Dukinfield wickets.