Sovereign Health Care Priestley Cup Round Two review 2006

Posted: May 28, 2006

Second Division Bowling Old Lane are proving to be the the giant killers of the 2006 Sovereign Health Care Priestley Cup. They followed up their first round win over Farsley bydefeating Idle by 38 runs to claim their second Division One scalp.

The victory takes them into the quarter finals where they will be at home to fellow Division Two side Spen Victoria who defeated Lightcliffe by62 run.

Wicketkeeper Imran Mirza and opening bowler Malik Aftab played key roles in Old Lane's latest success. Mirza made an unbeaten 55 which enabled them to reach 145 all out after slipping to 45 for five. Amjid Khan (30) gave him good support as Andy Marshall (4-41) kept the batsmen under pressure.

Then Aftab struck with a devastating opening spell of four for ten as Idle plunged to 27 for six. Daniel Shuffe (25) and Marshall (25) tried to revive their side but their efforts were in vain as Idle were dismissed for 107.

Now Old Lane can look forward to a place in the last eight where they will be looking to avenge the one-wicket win Spen secured on the last ball of the match when the sides met in the league on the first day of the season.

Spen had former Yorkshire seamer Chris Elstub and young batsman Danny Lloyd to thank for their success against Lightcliffe. Spen looked to be in big trouble when they collapsed to 54 for five, but Lloyd rallied his side with a rousing knock of 74not out which enabled them to post a total of 156.

Lightcliffe's hopes of snatching victory looked good as long as Jonathan Wilson (48) was at the wicket, but once he became a victim of Elstub the picture changed dramatically. Elstub went on to take six for 12, just 24 hours after taking seven for 29 against Undercliffe in league combat. Lightcliffe plunged from 82 for three to 94 all out.

The third Second Division to make it into the the quarter finals is Manningham Mills. They made the day's biggest score of 323 for eight as they defeated Windhill by 55 runs.

Muenoddin Kadri (99) and Afsar Nawaz (91) both narrowly missed out on centuries as the Second Division leaders showed their batting strength.

To their credit, Windhill didn't surrender tamely. They made 268 for eight in reply with Avinish Aware following up his haul of three for 46 by making an unbeaten 56. Paul Wiseman (56no) joined Aware in a seventh wicket stand of 99. Adil Islam was the best of the Mills bowlers with three for 50.

Mills will play Hanging Heaton in the quarter finals. The Division One club scraped home by one wicket against bottom-of-the-table Keighley. They needed an unbeaten 33 from Nick Summerscales to see them home after a batting collapse looked like undermining their victory chances.

Replying to a Keighley score of 165 for nine, Hanging Heaton had been given a rousing start for the second successive day by Bandula Don - formerly known as Ranjit Don - who hit 86. Don struck four sixes and nine fours but the rest of his colleagues struggled against the bowling of Ashley Robinson (3-39) and Ross Towler (3-38) until Summerscales arrived at the crease.

Keighley's batting had again been disappointing. Richard Robinson (32) top scored but too many batsmen were dismissed cheaply as Chris Schofield took four for 28 and Umar Rehman (3-28).

There are two mouth watering ties in prospect in the top half of the draw. Pudsey St Lawrence will entertain Pudsey Congs and Woodlands will host East Bierley on June 18.

Gareth Clough took six for 34 for Pudsey St Lawrence

St Lawrence bounced back from their first league defeat of the season against Hanging Heaton by cruising to a ten wicket win over Brighouse. St lawrence dismissed their rivals for 95 with Nottinghamshire all-rounder Gareth Clough taking six for 34. Richard Barron top scored with an unbeaten 40.

St Lawrence were guided to their target in 18.3 overs with openers Alex Stead (52no) and Mark Robertshaw (41no) in commanding form.

Pudsey Congs won at Baildon for the second time in 24 hours. They followed up their four wicket league success with a three wicket cup win. Spinner Glenn Roberts had a big impact on their success taking three for 34 and scoring 29.

Baildon, as they did in the league game, batted first and were dismissed for 161. Once again they failed to use up their overs being dismissed in 43.5overs. Opener Simon Davies (44), Mushtaq Ahmed (38) and Matthew Duce (31) were the main contributors.

Congs looked to be struggling when they slipped to 27 for three, but skipper Matthew Doidge (33no), Andy Bairstow (29) and Roberts (29) ensured that Congs kept their hopes of a third successive cup win alive. Spinner Mushtaq Ahmed was the pick of the Baildon bowlers with one for 17 from his ten overs.

Woodlands, looking to reach the final for a fourth successive season, defeated Saltaire by five wickets. Opener Scott Richardson struck a fine 54 to steer them towards their success and skipper Tim Orrell made 33 against his old club.

Saltaire had made 166 for seven batting first with Gulsheraz Ahmed continuing his good form with 48. Left arm spinner Chris Brice bowled outstandingly to return the impressive figures of 10-4-8-2.

East Bierley were far too strong for Second Division promotion chasers Great Horton. Bierley powered their way to 317 for five and bowled out their rivals for 139.

Overseas star Jaffer Nazir gave an explosive display of hitting smashing 12 sixes and four fours in an unbeaten innings of 107. Grant Soames completed a good half century while Richard Gould (49), Ryan Bradshaw (37) and John Proud (32) added valuable runs.

Nazir followed up his batting exploits by taking three for ten as Great Horton struggled. Greg Lambert (3-36) was also among the wickets, but Abid Alishan brought some cheer to the Great Horton team by making his side's top score of 60.