Derby win leaves Scholes on course to promotion

East Bierleys Haziq Tareen delivers during the derby against Cleckheaton.

Scholes trail leaders Morley by 15 points but are 25 ahead of third placed Baildon with five games remaining.

Hartshead produced a fine effort in an exciting derby as they posted 243 all out with overseas player Fahad Ul-haq (95) and Arun Balasubramanian (70) leading the way, while Joe Duffy claimed 4-34.

Scholes captain James Stansfield claimed 3-61 and then struck an important 86 after opener Kasir Maroof had made 50.

Mohammed Sharafat (37no) saw Scholes home despite another fine bowling disply from Danny Squire, who claimed 4-65.

Third placed Baildon will hope Scholes slip up and stayed in the hunt with an 80-run victory over Gomersal.

Chris Reynolds (52) and Dylan Duraisingham (48) led Baildon to 232-9, of which Joel Pollard took 3-52.

Adam Greenwood (49) and Jack Seddon (37) led the Gomersal reply but they were bowled out for 152 as paceman Waqas Maqsood took 5-54 and spinner Jamie Abbott supported with 3-55 to secure Baildon’s victory.

Bottom team Idle celebrated their first win after beating Spen Victoria by two wickets with one ball to spare.

Viraj Hadkar (53) and Sam Massheder (31no) helped Idle to overhaul Spen’s total of 187-8 after Alex Robinson had claimed 5-56.

Defeat was hard on Spen’s Bilal Ejaz, who held his side’s innings together with an unbeaten 101, which contained 13 fours.