Joe Billings' effort proves in vain as Wakefield Thornes lose out to leaders Doncaster Town

After Town reached 142-8 from 32 overs Thornes were given a revised target and will have been confident at the start of their reply.

They were quickly reduced to 12-2, but a stand of 65 for the third wicket between Joe Billings and Shubham Sharma (20) had the Wakefield side on track.

Billings and Jawad Akhtar (23) then came together to take Thornes to 120-4, but the dismissal of Billings after he had made 63 from 69 balls, including nine fours, proved the turning point.

The last six wickets went down for 12 runs and Thornes were all out for 132.

In Doncaster’s innings Matty Taylor (3-36), Akhtar (3-26) and Sharma (2-33) did most to restrict the leaders.

The result left the Wakefield team down in seventh spot and they are 28 points behind Doncaster Town, but comfortably ahead of the relegation zone.

Thornes’ seconds were also up against league leaders when they took on Ackworth in a YSPL Division One match and a 90-run defeat saw them drop down to fifth place.

After being put in Ackworth made 164-7 from 30 overs as Luke Townsend hit an unbeaten 51 and A Nasar led the Wakefield attack with 3-25 while R Stephenson took 2-28.

Thornes never got going in their reply with only Nicholas England (15) and Junaid Yousaf (14) reaching double figures as they were all out for 74.