Bradford League 1st Team

Wibsey Park Chapel v Pudsey Congs

At Haycliffe Lane

Saturday May 18th, 2013

Report by Alastair Goodchild

Hot off the press. Today's 4th team game v Wibsey Park Chapel conceded by Wibsey as they can't raise a team - Bradford City are in the play off final at Wembley so a number of players down. Congs get 15
points!

Pudsey Congs v Undercliffe

Cawthorne Cup First Round

At Britannia Ground

Sunday May 12th, 2013

Match report by Alastair Goodchild

Although playing against a team in a higher division, the 4ths went into this Cup game with optimism. What followed was a game played with spirit, fight (in the right sense), determination and no lack of skill – from both teams!

Undercliffe’s skipper called correctly at the toss and batted first. Mark and Ahtsham opened the bowling and bowled tight opening spells. After looking settled the first wicket fell to a run out, after good work by Nav in the field. Holden batted well and built a good innings, passing fifty with some fluent off drives. Robin kept encouraging his troops and it took a great catch on the boundary by Macauley (outstanding in the field all afternoon) to get rid of the opener. Just as the batsmen seemed to be getting on top, the Congs bowlers managed to peg them back. Some good running between the wickets at the end saw the score creep over the 200 mark.

Undercliffe 207-7 (40 overs)

J. Holden 65

S. Jolly 8/0/30/2

At the break it was generally felt that this was a score that could be overhauled especially with the batting depth on offer. Robin and Mark took to the crease knowing that a repeat of yesterday’s batting display from the pair was needed. They did not disappoint. Both batters used the good wicket to their advantage in finding gaps, running well and playing their shots – much to the chagrin of the Undercliffe bowlers.

As the weather started to get worse, both sides agreed to try to finish the game on the day. The fifty partnership was brought up only for Robin to miss a slower delivery and was bowled for 19. Mark continued to keep the scoring rate up and brought up his individual 50. When he fell for an excellent 73 and Ahtsham and Nav went in quick succession, Stuart Jolly became the linchpin of the innings. Unfortunately, his free striking was cruelly limited by a twisted ankle sustained as he slipped on the greasy wicket. He soldiered on with Ahtsham as his runner. A seventh wicket partnership with Alastair started to turn the tide back towards Congs, only for an enforced bowling change to bring the demise of Goodchild. As Stuart started to run out of partners he continued to hit as many balls as he could to the boundary. Dave (also struggling with an injured knee) and Jacques came and went. The tension mounted as Congs passed the 200 mark in the last over. With one ball left and six needed to win the game the only sound to be heard was the rain falling. Stuart swung the bat but could not connect… The Undercliffe players were mighty relieved – they had been given a real test.

4ths 202-8 (40 overs)

Mark Ferguson 73

Stuart Jolly 38 not out

The Congs players, although disappointed, realised what a good performance had been put in by all the team as well as those mentioned above. Hopefully this signals further success in the rest of the league games to follow.
Many thanks to the fantastic support from Congs members, players et al. It was heartening to see so many watching on a wet Sunday afternoon.

A very windy and showery afternoon greeted the players for today’s C Division encounter – only 10 players able to take the field. The visitors, an under strength Cookridge "C". Shorn of a number of their players from last season’s second place finish in the division.

Another won toss and Robin sent Cookridge into bat. The wicket looking good, but expecting a less then strong batting line up. It took a marvelous diving one handed at full stretch caught and bowled catch from James Galvin to take the first wicket. At the other end Mark was producing some hostile deliveries to unsettle the batters. The wickets began to fall and it was not until the number six Khalid Mahmood started to open up, although dropped on the boundary early in his innings, that any score looked possible. When he fell to Pete for 49 the rest of the batters offered little resistance, though the opening bat lasted for thirty five overs he only scored three runs! The last wicket fell to James with one over remaining. A good bowling performance by all four bowlers.

Cookridge "C" 86-9 (43.4 overs)

M. Ferguson 12/5/29/1, J. Galvin 10.4/4/24/4, P. Huffinley 10/5/11/2, S. Jolly 10/2/22/2

In reply Robin and Mark had little difficulty with the Cookridge bowlers. The evergreen Ron McKenzie and the all rounder Mahmood tried in vain to induce a loose shot, but did not succeed. Some well timed cuts and drives by Mark was especially pleasing on the eye. All over in less then twenty overs.

PCCC 87-0 (19.3 overs)

R. Kettlewell 31 not out and M. Ferguson 45 not out

20 points

A good win, but a sterner test tomorrow in the Cawthorne Cup at the Brit against Undercliffe awaits.

Congs 4th's this week were away to so far unbeaten Shipley Providence “B” at the Salts Sports Association ground in picturesque Saltaire.

The late withdrawal of Adil due to injury meant a call up for Ross Kettlewell. After inspecting the track – a varied mixture of colouration and texture – Robin won the toss and inserted the opposition. There was also a strong cross wind to contend with. Mark Ferguson opened the bowling and within a very short time managed to find the ideal line and length to bowl. Unfortunately for Abid behind the stumps it also meant a dislocated finger and Dave Malpass taking over the keeping duties for the rest of the afternoon. Mark and James bowled well in tandem and their hostile pace reaped the reward with Mark clean bowling the first four Shipley batters. Only Kasim Naqvi stood firm and started to build the innings. When Mark bowled him for 46 Congs looked to have broken into the middle order. Stuart and Pete came on as first change and continued to keep things relatively tight. Pete picked up a couple more wickets. When James and Mark came on for the second spell’s the Shipley innings had passed the hundred, Mark got his fifth wicket – a steepling caught & bowled - and James also bagged one. However in the end the last wicket just would not fall. A total of just over 150 still looked gettable.

Robin had plenty to think about at the interval, chiefly who he would open the batting with. Mark was deemed the appropriate option to gain as many quick runs on a large outfield. And so it proved. Both openers ran very well between the wickets and when Mark played on for 17, they had scored 39 runs. Goodchild senior thrashed at a few before yorking himself and Robin went lbw for 20 shortly after. Oops, a middle order wobble? Not a bit of it. Messsers Malpass and Jolly reaped the reward of good weekly net sessions and proceeded to flay the Shipley bowlers to all parts. The fielding and bowling looking increasingly ragged. The pair timed the ball impeccably. The score raced on and in the 30th over Dave hit the winning runs to fall agonising two runs short of fifty and one short of an unbroken hundred partnership. A great knock by both batters nonetheless.

PCCC 4ths 156-3 (29.3 overs) D. Malpass 48 not out, S. Jolly 32 not out

Congs win by 7 wickets and take 19 points.

Two home games await next weekend, the second being a Sunday cup game on the Britannia. Let’s hope the team can take this form forward.

The 4th's first home game of the season welcomed Thornbury B to Fulneck. Having had to concede their opening fixture due to player shortage, they only managed to raise 9 for this fixture.

On winning the toss Robin opted to bowl first on a well prepared wicket, though damp and soft due to the morning rain. The 4th's had Mark Ferguson back after his 3rd team appearance last week. He opened with Ahtsham. After a few overs it was clear that Hassan Khan – fresh from his fifty last week for Thornbury’s B Division side – would be the main obstacle for the Congs bowlers. He duly bludgeoned his way to 50, with little support. When he was bowled by Adil, who had come on in place of Mark, the Congs bowlers, now on top, started to roll through the Thornbury batters. Only Wilson & Thackery’s last wicket partnership of 24 held the innings together. When Wilson was yorked by Ahtsham for 18 the innings closed on 104. Most of the Congs’ bowling figures looked good – Adil with 5/1/12/3, and Pete’s short spell of 3/2/1/0.

With a low total and lots of gaps in the field the opening pair of Kettlewell and Ahtsham looked to finish procedings early. When the latter’s innings was cruelly cut short on 28 – a poor caught behind decision – the pair had made 71. The skipper concentrated well against some poor bowling and duly made his first 50 of the season, ending up on 51 not out. Game over, 105-1 after only 26 overs.

A very different game to last week and a little frustrating with players not having a knock. Next week’s away game against Shipley Providence “B” should provide better opposition.

Due to the withdrawal of two teams from the league shortly before the start of the season, the 4ths opening game pitched them against the new “B” Division side, Bradford Moor in an Inter Divisional fixture. A tough game was anticipated.

The short trip to the Karmand Community Centre ground in the Bradford suburbs revealed a very nice facility – smart changing room and a flat playing area. Robin had no hesitation on electing to bat after winning the toss, the Bradford Moor side this season is made up of mostly players who were playing “A” Division cricket last season. Chasing leather was not seen as a good idea to start the season. The opening pair of Robin and Joe faced the medium pace of Khan and Hanif. The partnership did not last long as Joe spooned a catch to mid on – deceived by the slow wicket. Robin followed shortly after, caught at point. The debutant Ahtsham Ahmed looked at ease; even though he did not get reward for many of his shots, he stayed resolute. His gritty innings held firm whilst all else crumbled. After seeing off the opening bowlers, the change bowling was easier to score off. Alex Goodchild formed a decent partnership and when Bashir was called to the crease, he took advantage to score 22. When Ahtsham finally fell for 26 he had done a great job for the team and virtually used up most of the 45 overs. The tail did not wag as Khan finished with a 5 wicket haul for less then ten runs. Extras, including over 20 no balls, accounted for much of the 101 final tally. Possibly a defendable total on such a slow wicket.

The second half was preceded by the skipper advising his young opening bowlers that the right line and lengths could reap rewards. Harris and debutant Adil opened up. Unfortunately the opposition batsmen got too many easy balls to hit and were soon on their way to overhauling the Congs’ total. The introduction of Ahtsham, Jacques and Pete could not slow the scoring, even though Jacques did pick up one wicket and the Congs fielders stopped many scoring shots. In the end, seventeen and a half overs was all the Bradford Moor batsmen needed to close proceedings.

Not a doom and gloom start to the 2013 campaign by any means. Two promising young players to only get better, more training and nets to go to, plus two or three players to join up with the 4th team squad from next week. Roll on the next game against Thornbury “B” at Fulneck next weekend.