Delph & Dobcross experienced a bruising time facing their former player Arron Lilley as Hoylandswaine mercilessly demolished the Lancashire-based side to keep their two point cushion intact at the top of the table. Lilley strode in with hosts Swaine once again needing to rebuild the innings having lost their top batsmen before a foothold could be made. The Leicestershire player hit a completely chanceless century as he combined forces with his County teammate Harry Dearden (62) in an irresistible partnership of 121 runs. Lilley (135) cleared the ropes 13 times and also scored 4 fours in his quickfire 66-ball appearance, although it’s fair to assume Hoylandswaine will have to lose him when the T20 Blast starts up. The hosts piled on 318ao from their innings which was curtailed on the penultimate ball with Delph bowler Umer Yaqoob (5-87) taking his first five wicket haul of the season. As has often been the case, Hoylandswaine’s potent pace attack clinically extracted any sting Delph may have had after they reduced them to 13-3 in a short sharp shock during the beginning of the reply. Alex Peters (49) fell agonisingly short of a half century but the game was virtually over by the time Muhammad Shakir (50) - who also played a season at Swaine in 2018 - converted his in a spirited knock. Another former Delph man Waqas Maqsood (5-45) put them through the ringer with the ball as the visitors were bowled out for 200 resulting in back-to-back defeats for Delph on the road.
