Butt and Zahoor put Delph on track for final

Photo: PICTURES by DARREN ROBINSON

TAKE THAT . . . Delph’s Faisal Butt finds the boundary.

Cricket:

DELPH marched into the final of the Drakes Huddersfield League All Rounder Twenty20 competition last night thanks to a thrilling home victory over holders Scholes.

In front of a bumper crowd at Huddersfield Road, Grant Jones’s men responded brilliantly to a

disastrous opening over to book a final date with Hoylandswaine on July 28. Officials will toss up tonight to decide which club hosts the final.

As hundreds of supporters basked in the early evening sunshine, Delph opted to bat first, but were reeling on eight for two after four deliveries: Kevin Hook was run out first ball and Luke Hargreaves caught behind.

But Faisal Butt — who scored 78 from 49 deliveries — and Irfan Zahoor — with 60 off 44 balls —

built a terrific 133 partnership for the third wicket and the hosts were back in charge.

Delph eventually made it to a very defendable 184 all out off the final ball of the innings, so the pressure was on Scholes.

Their reply stuttered and by the end of the eighth over they had still only reached 66 for three.

The visitors needed to hit the gas, but when Graeme Simpson produced a brilliant boundary-edge catch to get rid of Pete Sceresini with the score on 91 for five, Delph were homing in on victory.

Jones’s men duly delivered for their supporters as Scholes called it a day on 148 for nine with only one over remaining.