Short and sweet win lifts spirits at Rotherham Town

SKIPPER Arslan Tariq says there is all to play for in the second half of the season after Rotherham Town got their promotion tilt back with a brisk local derby victory.

Bowled out for 97 by Upper Haugh at Clifton Lane, Town then skittled their opponents for 65 to complete a win that had seemed unlikely earlier.

And with two teams above them in Division One of the Yorkshire Southern Premier League falling to defeat, it was a profitable day.

"It’s a bit of a tough division this year because everyone seems to be beating each other,” said Tariq.

HAUL: Five-wicket Harbal Ashad in action for Upper Haugh against Rotherham Town

"We beat Tickhill and Tickhill beat Darfield and Darfield beat us. Then on Saturday both Darfield and Conisbrough lost.

"Those sorts of things help put us back on track because we’re not so many points away from the top two now and we have to play those two, plus Oughtibridge, in the second round of fixtures.

"We are hoping we can get the deficit down to nothing.”

Haugh’s efforts to climb into the top half of the division were boosted when they dismissed Town cheaply, Habil Arshad taking five wickets. Only Hussnain Hussain (36) really got started.

Jawad Saleem bats for Rotherham Town against Upper Haugh. Photos by Kerrie Beddows

The reply never got going either, Tariq mopping up three wickets and the league’s leading wicket-taker, Anees Hussain, taking four to wrap up an early finish.

“It was a funny game but we got points off it,” added Tariq. "They dug themselves a bit of a hole, blocking, and kept losing wickets at the same time."

Town, fourth in the table, need to back up the win up with another away to lowly Elsecar seconds on Saturday.

Added Tariq: "We lost our overseas but we have a couple of other lads back like Jawad (Saleem) and Hedar (Rasool), our main batters, so we probably have our strongest squad going into the second half of the season.”