A visiting Hartshead Moor won the toss and elected to bat on a sun-drenched Wakefield Road wicket. A side containing the former Yorkshire captain and recent coach Andrew Gale will always be a tough side to beat.

An early breakthrough came in the shape of returning Peter Dobson, clean bowling the Hartshead opening batsman Ellis. The opener aimed a swipe sweep to leg which was a poor and impatient shot in just the 5th over of the innings. Andrew Gale, only recently out of the first class arena, started cautiously and struck a few elegant shots. It wasnt easy going as he also played some false strokes too trying to get himself in on a deck that was offering a bit to the bowlers with the new ball. They needed the dangerman early. Walker enticed a false drive from Moor’s wicket keeper Chris Swift. Zani Stead, complaining of a sore shoulder injured during the warm up, did the injury no favours by diving full length to his left to take a brilliant catch at cover. Andrew Gale also started to loosen his shoulders, playing several beautifully timed strokes around the ground. It wasn’t a chanceless knock – Walker had a delivery lift off a length and take the glove. Unfortunately it went to the recently vacant 2nd slip position where a diving Lockley couldn’t quite make the ground to take the catch.

14 year old George Leach, making his first team debut, enticed a false shot from Gale in his 3rd over. The ball went skywards and a fairytale start to his senior career looked possible - snaring a big league scalp as his 1st first team wicket. He positioned himself under the ball, waited for it to come down from the sky, but unfortunately the opportunity slipped through his by now nervous fingers. It didn’t take long for Leach to take that first of many wickets at this level, as he poached the less glamorous name of Field who struck the ball cleanly to a diving Dikgale. A promising debut spell for such a young cricketer as he bowled at a pace well above his years.

Gale continued to be a thorn in the Lightcliffe side, dropped again at slip in between some fluent classy strokes, he was eventually dismissed by Alex Stead for a personal total of 70 for 4. Hartshead Moor had progressed to 113 for 4 in the 25th – but without their star man they no longer looked like a side that might well post in excess of 270 plus.

Jordan Pickles poached a wicket – assisted by Stead who took his 2nd brilliant diving catch of the day. Pickles then quickly picked up another with a catch taken by keeper Brookes. Dikgale then dived to take a caught and bowled but instead he flicked the ball onto the stumps to run out the backing up batsman. A collapse was on the cards but the lower order batsmen chipped in as the innings progressed nicely for Hartshead. They closed on 227 for 8. It was the first time that Lightcliffe had failed to pick up maximum bowling points – which is credit to the efforts of the fielding and bowling so far this season. Despite the loss of strike bowler Whiteoak, and injuries to veteran pace ace Burton and himself, skipper Hendy has managed the overs between whatever options were available to him on any given day. Lightcliffe have juggled the bowling pack well, picking up 68 wickets from a possible 70; 34 bonus points from 35. It has been a less than ideal scenario for the skipper but one that he has managed well.

Lightcliffe didn’t quite get to the races with the bat. All of the top 6 managed double figures, getting in before then getting out. Some caused their own demise, others were forgivably dismissed by some excellent bowling. The only noticeable contributor was Subhaan Amaar who ran out of partners and was 9th out for an 87 ball score of 37 – a mature knock that showed patience and application when circumstances demanded. No one really got going, and when Hendy was stumped at 130 for 6 in the 34th, the strength of the top order was gone, and the side needed a very improbable 100 from 16 overs. The end was nigh. Requiring well over 6 an over for 16 overs was too much to ask from the last 4 batsmen in the lower order containing a 16 and a 14 year old, a bat borrowing pace bowler, and a now broken left arm spinner. Aside from George Leach who scored his first runs at this level, there was little to mention and the innings folded to a disappointing 160 all out.

From the 8 sides seen so far this season, Hartshead seem to have one of the better all round bowling attacks in the division. A genuine pace bowler who pushed the keeper half-way back to the boundary, 2 seamers that weren’t overly quick but had very good control, and a spinner who tested the batsmen on a wicket that aided spin with grip and 'late bounce' as Brookey would describe. Hartshead are a side that have 4 main bowlers that bowl the lion share of their overs week on week and this consistency of options will aid their push towards the top. Lightcliffe are still in the race but wins only just outnumber losses 4 to 3. Statistically speaking, and based upon previous table totals, Lightcliffe need to win 3 of the next 5 in the first half of the season, and then 8 or 9 of the second 12 (should all games be played). Lots of cricket still to play and there are fixtures against the lower half of the table on the horizon soon. The game next week against top of the table Hopton Mills is therefore a key fixture.