First team review May 13 2006

Undercliffe are the only winners as rain strikes

Posted May 13, 2006

Undercliffe were the only winners on a day when rain again wreaked havoc with the league programme. All seven matches in Division One were abandoned while five of the six in Division Two were disrupted by the rain.

The exception was the match at Bowling Old Lane which was reduced to a 25 overs a side contest after the start was delayed until 4pm. Undercliffe took full advantage to secure a 33-run win which earned them 13 points and took them up to second in the table.

Overseas player Arun Lal is the man they have to thank for their success. Lal made an unbeaten 52 and along with skipper Craig Hunt (42) helped Undercliffe make 139 for four batting first. Lal followed up by taking three for 42 as Old Lane were restricted to 106 for six. Tahir Khan top scored with an unbeaten 49.

Undercliffe leap-frogged over Great Horton who were the side most relieved to see the rain intervene. They were 29 for six at Bankfoot and deep in trouble after Nigel Hanson continued his fine start to the season by taking four for 12.

Leaders Manningham Mills looked to be heading for a fourth straight win when they dismissed Windhill for 74 with Muenoddin Kadri (5-33) and Nasser Jamal (5-36) doing the damage. Rain prevented Manningham Mills from starting their reply so they had to settle for a haul of seven points which actually means they have extended their lead from five to six points.

There were two fine individual performances in the match between Hartshead Moor and Esholt which was also rained off after the first innings. Shoaib Khan hit four sixes and eight fours in a superb knock of 84 for Hartshead Moor as they made 166 for six despite the tireless work of Ben Lister who took all six wickets to fall at a cost of 57 runs.

Play was halted at the same stage in the match between Lightcliffe and Spen Victoria. The visitors struggling to make 156 for seven after losing two early wickets. Matthew Speck (36), Chris Elstub (34) and Danny Lloyd (30no) were the main contributors.

The only match where no play was possible at all was at Gomersal where Yeadon were the visitors.

In Division One the rain drowned out Pudsey Congs' attempts to extend their 100 per cent start to five matches. They made 195 for seven in 40 overs against Morley, who batted doggedly for 25 overs in reply to make 38 for one. That meant Morley took five points to Congs' four. Matthew Doidge (36), Andrew Bairstow (35) and Andy Bethel (33) provided the bulk of Congs' runs.

Morley's dogged batting also enabled Pudsey St Lawrence to extend their advantage at the top to six points despite the fact that they only gained five points at Brighouse.

St Lawrence had made 46 for no wicket in eight overs in pursuit of Brighouse's score of 168 for six when the weather closed in. Brighouse again had their overseas Rizwan Ahmed (53) to thank for steering them to a respectable total after they had lost early wickets.

Safraz Ahmed was promoted to opener by Woodlands in a bid to try and force victory at Idle. Ahmed smashed two sixes and eight fours as he raced to a 26 ball half-century. Woodlands rocketed to 92 for one in just nine overs, but the weather had the last say. Idle had made 134 for nine with Paul Cumming (36) top scoring as Ahmed took three for 39 and Richard Pyrah (3-31).

Farsley youngster Callum Braddock was in the thick of the action in their incomplete match with Baildon. He chipped in with a valuable 36 to enable Farsley to total 162 for nine, and then took three for 24 as Baildon hit out in a vain attempt to force a result. Baildon made 105 for seven in 12.4 overs and with the batsmen going for their shots Chris Henry picked up four for 44 in his five overs

Opener Gharib Razak (59) and Khurram Maqsood (45no) were the main contributors for Saltaire as they were dismissed for 149 by Bradford & Bingley. They were undone by a touch of the young and the old. Young Chris Thompson claimed four for 48 while old stager Richard McCarthy collected three wickets for 39.

Bradford & Bingley finished on 122 for seven after experiencing early difficulties against the bowling of Mansa Khan (3-50).

East Bierley's hopes of getting their title hopes back on track with a win over bottom team Keighley were thwarted. An unbeaten 70 from opener Richard Gould had taken them to 135 for four after 28 overs when play was abandoned.

Former East Bierley wicketkeeper/batsman Mark Gill continued his good form with an unbeaten 86 as Cleckheaton made 208 for two in 36 overs against Hanging Heaton before play was abandoned. Fellow opener Adam Patel (51) and Khurram Shehzad (44no).