David Wainwright spins in for Castleford - Yorkshire leagues roundup
Their latest victory - by three wickets over Wakefield Thornes with two balls to spare - is the kind of success that will deflate their chasers.
Thornes won the toss but were 54-3 before a stand of 100 between James Rhodes (50) and Byron Boshoff (68) helped to propel them to 218-9.
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Hide AdThe Lincolnshire side were in even bigger woes at 53-4 before they were revived by a middle-order partnership.
Jamar Ifill was able to score more freely in his 56, however, which included seven fours and two sixes in his 47-ball stay, and he found a good ally in Matt Morland as they added 78 for the fifth wicket.
The latter finished on 67 not out, seeing Appleby Frodingham home in the last over with nine runs – a two, a six and a one off Imran Mahboob.
Second-placed Treeton then did the leaders a favour by losing to in-form Elsecar by 38 runs, which was tough luck on Liam Johnson, who took 4-41 and scored 41.
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Hide AdMaybe Sheffield Collegiate, now just two points further back in third, will provide Appleby Frodingham with their stiffest challenge.
Jamie Carrington (5-35) caused Cawthorne to collapse from 158-4 to 167 all out, but it still needed an unbroken stand of 68 between opener Luke Shutt (77no) and Carrington (37no) to give Collegiate a five-wicket victory when the match was in the balance.
In Yorkshire Premier League North, David Wainwright was in hot form in sweltering conditions at Savile Park.
The former Yorkshire and Derbyshire left-arm spinner took 6-10 in 13 overs for Castleford to help them maintain their position at the head of affairs.
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Hide AdThe home side had been in trouble before tea at 61-5 but ended up on 185-9 thanks to Connor Hyde (37) and Edward Cole (50) after James Finch (3-36) and Josh Jackson (5-58) had got among the wickets for title challengers Woodhouse Grange.
Captain Finch then scored 45 but with Wainwright in such irresistible form, the visitors could only make 121.
Yorkshire Academy’s Covid-enforced break does not seem to have dulled their appetite, and they won by 117 runs at Stamford Bridge.
Harry Finch, in his competition debut, made 59 for the Academy, and with Matthew Weston (34) and Harry Allinson (46) having put on 84 for the second wicket, the county charges finished on 210-9.
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Hide AdWicketkeeper Jack Timby top-scored with 31 in the disappointing reply of 103 as all six Academy bowlers took wickets, with Harry Sullivan (3-17) outstanding.
South African youngster Breidyn Schaper scored 66 as Scarborough climbed to third, beating Dunnington by two wickets in the 49th over - a fifth successive defeat which has dropped them from second to fifth.
With Bradford Premier League top two Woodlands (212 points) and Townville (209) both having free Saturdays due to matches being postponed because of Covid-19, the spotlight fell on third-placed New Farnley.
The Leeds club did not disappoint, picking up a maximum 20 points in their defeat of Hanging Heaton to take over the leadership by three points, albeit having played a game more.
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Hide AdAdam Waite shrugged off the first ball dismissal of Lee Goddard to score 147 not out, adding 97 with opener Aidan Langley (49) as they totalled 309-5.
Waite hit 15 fours and five sixes and was helped by Steve Bullen (31) and Mark Lawson (33) in partnerships of 62 and 68.
Only James Byrne, who dismissed Goddard, kept them in check, but Hanging Heaton could only make 130 as Gary Fellows also went for a duck, with Lawson, against his former club, taking 3-25, Grant Soames 2-24 and Gurman Randhawa 2-11.
At the bottom, hope springs eternal for Morley and Batley, who both won.
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Hide AdA six by Mohammed Hafeez gave Batley a one-wicket victory with two balls to spare over Cleckheaton
Morley won by eight wickets over Wrenthorpe, who they now trail by just seven points.
In the Airedale & Wharfedale League, Sajad Ali-inspired leaders Saltaire chased down 270 to win by four wickets at Rawdon, while Asif Muhammad Iqbal (111no) and Arron Lilley (91) starred as Huddersfield League Premiership front-runners Hoylandswaine thrashed Shepley.
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