2007 Juniors
Pudsey Congs U11’s v Farsley U11’s
at Britannia Ground
Cup Final – Earnest Jones Trophy
The climax of the U 11’s season was a place in the Cup Final against local rival’s Farsley at the Brittania Ground.
A good sized crowd had gathered at the Brit and expectations were high for the lads to pull off a win . Wasim Bashir won the toss for Congs and put Farsley in. Three over’s passed before Noor Ahamed claimed his first wicket clean bowling Farsley’s opener. Things were looking good for Pudsey as the bowlers pegged back Farsleys batsmen and made scoring hard work. Some good work in the field also built up the pressure and it was only a matter of time before more wickets came. Callum Murgatroyd picked up a wicket, and Wasim Bashir combined well with wicket keeper Barney Gibson who picked up another stumping. More sharp work in the field brought the lads another wicket running out a Farsley batsman. Reece Istiaq , Louis surtees ,and Bevan Sudano also bowled. Farsley batsman Nile Wilson arrived at he crease and batted with real intent playing some fine attacking cricket shots to help his side to reach a total of 247 from their 16 over’s.
Chasing 247, Congs openers Barney Gibson and Dale Spink once again set a solid foundation putting on almost 30 from their 4 overs. Congs second batting pair of Noor Ahamed and Reece Istiaq also made steady progress and despite losing a wicket built on the solid start. Wasim Bashir and Bevan sudano worked the ball around well and by the time their four over batting spell was complete, they had passed Farsley’s total . As always ,when playing Gordon Bowers rules the game was still in the balance when Cal Murgatroyd and Louis Surtees came to the crease. The pair held their nerve and despite losing a wicket steered the team to the finishing post and a famous victory to claim the Earnest Jones Trophy.
Pudsey Congs 268 for 2
Farsley 247 for 4
Pudsey Congs U11’s v Spen Victoria U11’s
at Britannia Ground
The last game of the Under 11 League Campaign was played at the Britannia Ground on a cold and dull evening. Both captain’s were eager to win the toss and bat before the light faded, Spen won and not surprisingly had a bat. Spen’s openers did not have much to do in the first over due to some loose bowling leading to 10 runs been given in extra’s. For once this season the Congs bowling attack struggled to find a good line and length early on, despite this the team were very bright in the field and as a result picked up four run outs over the course of Spens innings.
Callum Murgatroyd began his spell and was on the money from the start returning figure’s of 3 over’s – 5 runs for 1 wicket. Reece Istiaq also bowled well and and picked up 2 wickets from his 3 over’s. Spen finished their innings on 227 for 7.
As the light was fast fading Congs opening pair of Barney Gibson 15 not out and Dale Spink 3, put on 25 from their four overs. Noor Ahamed 10 not out and Alex Goodchild 2 not out, batted well and took the score past Spens total. The great thing about Gordon Bowers rules means a game can be turned on it’s head by taking a couple of wicket’s. Congs third pairing of Wasim Bashir and Reece Istiaq 6 not out lost three wickets meaning 24 runs were lost from the Congs final score. Despite this Congs still had a lead when Callum Murgatroyd 15 not out and Louis surtees went to the middle ,by this point the light was just not good enough to play cricket. This did not seem to effect young Murgatroyd as he dispatched two delightful cover drives to the boundary and help the team to what was in the end a very comfortable win. Credit also goes to our opponents tonight who’s team was made up of young players who are still eligible to play under 11 cricket next year. As for Pudsey Congs under 11’s, the team have finished their season unbeaten and win their section, a place in the Gordon Bowers play off final is their reward.
Well done to all the lads for a fantastic season !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pudsey Congs 260 for 6, Spen Victoria 227 for 7
Woodlands U11’s v Pudsey Congs U11’s
at Woodlands
Congs under 11s made the trip to Woodlands c.c. for this must win away fixture to maintain there 100% record and to keep there nose in front of Spen Victoria our nearest rivals who are a point behind us. Pudsey Congs won the toss and decided to field, the Congs attack kept their nerve against some aggressive batting, bowling a good line with Waseem Bashir getting the first break through taking the first wicket and returning figures off 2 overs of 11 runs for 1 wicket . Noor Ahmed 2 overs for 6 runs 1 wicket, Dale Spink bowled 2 overs 5 runs 1 wicket, Bevan Sudano bowled 2 overs 12 runs 1 wicket and Raees Ishtiaq bowled 3 overs 6 runs 1 wicket with the other bowlers bowling tight spells without any success. Leaving the home side on 224 for 5 wickets after their allotted 16 overs. Alex Goodchild took the field point for his fine catches. Opening pair of Dale Spink and Alex Goodchild got the Congs off to a good start with Dale scoring 18 not out. With Noor Ahmed, Waseem Bashir , Bevan Sudano, Raees ishtiaq, Callum Murgatroyd, Louis Surtees added to the total and put the game out of reach of a very determined Woodlands side which concluded another impressive win and created some breathing space against Spen Victoria with the last game against them. There should be no pressure on the lads.
Report by Abid Bashir
Pudsey Congs U11’s v East Bierley U11’s
at Fulneck
A backlog in fixtures meant Congs U11’s had to play their home tie against East Bierley at Fleck. Despite more rain on the day, the Fleck track held up well and was in good nick and fit to play. East Bierley won the toss and elected to have a bat. The Cong’s attack were on the money almost straight away with some good line and length bowling making scoring runs very difficult for the visitors. Alex Goodchild once again got the breakthrough taking the first wicket and returning figures of two overs, 4 runs for 1. Noor Ahmed also returned figures of two overs for 4 runs and 2 wickets from his spell. Wasim Bashir, Callum Murgatroyd, Bevan Sudano, Reece Istiaq and Dale Spink all bowled tight spells and with a run out and another stumping from Barney Gibson, helped Congs restrict the away side to 200 from their 16 overs.
Opening pair Dale Spink 17 not out and Callum Murgatroyd 12 not out, got the lads off to a solid start with some great running between the wickets to put on 29 for the opening partnership. Barney Gibson smashed 25 not out to move the Congs into a commanding position. Wasim Bashir 13 and Bevan Sudano 11 not out added to the Congs total and put the game out of reach for East Bierley. Noor Ahamed and Alex Goodchild saw the lads home to another impressive win and move ever closer to a place in the final of this season’s competition.
Pudsey Congs 280 for 3, East Bierley 200 for 4
Great Horton Church U11’s v Pudsey Congs U11’s
at Great Horton
It’s been a great start to the season for the Under 11’s so far but the clash against Great Horton Church was a must win game in order for the team to maintain a serious challenge for the league honours. Church won the toss and decided to bat. Both openers batted well and moved the score nicely in their four overs, hitting some great shot’s and boundries. The Congs young attack then got going and started to take wickets. Alex Goodchild got the breakthrough picking up the first wicket. Callum Murgatroyd, A Ahmed, Dale Spink and Reece Istiaq all picked up a wicket apiece. Cong’s also stayed focused in the field and gave little away, picking up a couple of run outs and a stumping to restrict Great Horton to 214 from their 16 overs.
Things started well for Congs with openers Barney Gibson (24 not out) and A Ahamed (3 not out) getting the lad’s of to a solid enough start. Church responded well taking 4 wickets from the Congs second pairing of Dale Spink (11) and Danny Dalton. Callum Murgatroyd (13) and Alex Goodchild (1 not out) batted well to get the Congs innings back on track. Although Church picked up a wicket from the final pairing, Wasim Bashir (10 not out) and Reece Istiaq (3) saw the team home to a comfortable victory.
This Result leaves the Congs in good shape in the league but still face a couple of big game’s in their section.
Great Horton Church 214 for 6, Pudsey Congs 256 for 6
Buttershaw U11’s v Pudsey Congs U11’s
at Buttershaw
On a cold and overcast night the Congs managed to play the fixture against Buttershaw St Pauls that was lost last week to heavy rain. Bowling first the Congs struggled to break down the Buttershaw openers who moved the score along nicely without losing a wicket. The Congs Bowlers soon found their rhythm and the wickets soon followed.
Pick of the bowlers was Bevan Sudano And Callum Murgatroyd who returned figures of 2 – 3 – 2 and 2 – 4 – 2 respectively. Wasim Bashir and Louis Surtees also returned great figures of 3 – 7 – 2 and 3 – 9 – 2 .Congs Keeper Barney Gibson also chipped in with 3 stumpings to restrict the visitors to 209 for 8.
The Congs opening pair set about chasing the Buttershaw total and put on 63 in the first four over’s with Barney Gibson 43 no and Dale Spink 20 no. Wasim Bashir also chipped in with 16 no. The rest of the Congs line up all played their part to help the team cruise to a winning total of 280 for 6 and record their forth win of the season. A special mention must go to 9 year old Mustafa Rafique who made his debut for the under 11’s and did very well.
Pudsey Congs 280 for 6, Buttershaw St Pauls 209 for 8
Lightcliffe U11’s v Pudsey Congs U11’s
at Lightcliffe
Congs under 11s made the trip to Lightcliffe for their first away fixture of the season. Once again the Congs won the toss and elected to have a bowl on what was a very nice looking wicket. The decision to bowl was justified with the Congs attack making the early breakthrough. Runs were hard to come by for the Lightcliffe batsmen due to some well disciplined line and length
bowling. As the pressure built, the wickets began to tumble. Pick of the bowlers was young Mohammed Addas. The 10 year old spinner bowled 3 over’s and took 3 wickets for only 6 runs. The Lightliffe innings finished on 201 for 9 from their 16 over’s.
Bowling figures: Dale Spink 15-1, Lewis Surtees 11-1, Wasim Bashir 8-0, Callum Murgatroyed 16-1, Ryan Handley 0-1
Congs openers Barney Gibson 11 and Dale spink 15 not out, got the lads off to a good start with some good stroke play and running between the wickets, the pair put on 25 in there four over’s. Lewis Surtees 8, Callum Murgatroyd 9 n o and Wasim Bashir 14 n o, all batted well to help the lads reach a winning total of 283 for 5. This made it 3 out of 3 for the youngsters who now go to Buttershaw for their next game in confident mood.
Lightcliffe 201 for 9, Pudsey Congs 283 for 5
Pudsey Congs U11’s v Pudsey St Lawrence U11’s
at Home
Congs played host to local rivals St Lawrence in their second league of the season. The Congs won the toss and elected to put St Lawrence into bat. Once again the lads put on a very disciplined bowling display making life hard for the opposition batsmen to score runs. Pick of the bowling figures came from Louis Surtees who took 2 wickets for 0 runs from his 2 over’s. Callum Murgatroyd 4-0, Wasim Bashir 4-1, Noor Ahmed 5-0, Bevan Sudano 7-0, Reece Ishtiaq 9-1 and Dale Spink 6-0, helped restrict St Lawrence to a modest score of 219 for 4. In the field, our wicket keeper took a sharp catch and a stumping. In reply Dale Spink 19 and Barney Gibson 13 opened the batting but found it difficult to dominate the St Lawrence bowling attack. Reece Ishtiaq 6 and Noor Ahmed 9 also found it tough to find runs easily. Because of Gorden Bowers rules, this meant the game was finely balanced. Wasim Bashir 23 and Bevan Sudano pushed the score along and put Congs back in the driving seat. Callum Murgatroyd 12, came to the crease and played a majestic cover drive for 4 off his first ball. Callum was well supported by Louis Surtees 9 no and the pair steered the Congs home to finish on 262-6.
Wasim Bashir Top Scorer 23
Congs 262 – 6
Pudsey St Lawrence 219 – 5
Pudsey Congs U11’s v Northowram Fields U11’s
Gordon Bowers Competition
at Home
Congs played host to Northowram Fields in their first game of the Gordon Bowers competition. Openers Dale Spink 26 nout out and Barney Gibson 22 not out got the lads off to a flying start. Noor Ahmed 24 not out and Ryan Handley added to the congs fine start. With the score ticking along nicely Bevan Sudano 12 and Wasim Bashir 10 continued to add to the total. Callum Murgatroyd 12 not out and Louis Surtees 9 not out batted well and helped congs finish the innings on 314 for 4.
A very young and inexperienced Northowram side took to the field and were put under a pressure from the start. All the Congs bowlers chipped in to return some great bowling figures. Noor Ahmed 4 wks for 3, Louis Surtees 3 wks for 6, Callum Murgatroyd 2 wks for 18, Ryan Handley 3 wks for 4, Bevan Sudano 4 wks for 0 and Wasim Bashir 2 wks for 3.
In the field Dale Spink took two great catches and wicket keeper Barney Gibson ended up taking 3 stumpings to finish off a great team effort.
Credit must also go to the young lads of Northowram who also showed great bravery and determination beyond their years in the face of what was a great bowling display.
Final Score:
Congs 314 for 4, Northowram 106 for 7
Pudsey Congs U11’s v Scarborough District U11’s
at Staxton
Just under 2 hours after the U13’s finished at the Britt, Stu Hardcastle had completed the 65 mile run to Staxton taking charge of his third game of the weekend arriving at the lovely picturesque Staxton ground bang on time!!
The Congs players would play to local rules. This meant playing “proper cricket” for the first time as many of the Congs boys are more used to the ‘Gordon Bowers’ cricket. A very talented Scarborough XI took to the field first and produced a remarkable display of high quality bowling. However the brilliant bowling was matched by the Congs batsmen enjoying the freedom of the unfamiliar rules. The Congs 30 overs with the bat saw them score a well earned 117-5, but the real damage would be done in the second innings. A wicket in Nour Ahmed’s first over started the ball rolling, followed by a devastating spell by 8 yr old Reese Ishtiaq taking three wickets with 5 balls removing the middle stump clean out of the ground twice in two balls. As Scarborough recovered slowly and closed in the 100 mark Man of the Match Alex Goodchild ended the innings with a spectacular diving catch. His day would end with the fielding point, bowling figures of 1-7-2, and a well crafted solid 15 batting at fourth in the face of bowling rarely seen at this age group.
And . . . . . . . after a long weekend of cricket! Finally a win for Stu, Third time lucky!!!!!!!!!!
Courtesy of Stu Hardcastle
Bradford junior Under 12’s
Match Reports 2007
Courtesy of Chris Murgatroyd
Pudsey Congs v Harden
September 16th, 2007
Playoff Final
Match Report by Chris Murgatroyd
Pudsey Congs completed a junior cricket double on Sunday, the under-12s adding the Gordon Bowers eight-a-side plate to the under-11 Ernest Jones Trophy they had won the weekend before. Congs, who also won the Bowers in 1987 and 1988, defeated Harden in the final on a sunny morning at Undercliffe. The boys from the Britannia Ground showed their discipline when batting, being dismissed only twice in their 20 over’s while racking up 109 runs (309-2). George Gill took both of the wickets for Harden, one being a sharp catch standing up by wicket-keeper Callum Hodson, but in general it was the batsmen who were on top as Ashley Slater (23), Barney Gibson (21), Keegan Moodley (14), Louis Surtees (13), Callum Murgatroyd (12) and Dale Spink (11) prospered. It was a different story when Harden went in, Spink bagging four for ten, including a hat-trick, as the first-time finalists totaled 307-14. However, they saved their best until last, Gill (14) and Hodson (29) finding a late spurt. Other runs came from George Bateman and Matthew Blanchard (16 each), captain John Hill (12) and Joe Bashforth (11). Surtees took three for eight, Murgatroyd two for 21, Moodley two for 24, Raeece Ishtiaq two for 30 and Tom Hufingley one for 13. Both sides impressed with their batting, bowling and fielding, as you would expect having come through a competition involving 36 teams.
Pudsey Congs v Great Horton Church
August 29th, 2007
Playoff Semi Final
Match Report by Chris Murgatroyd
After last years Semi Final defeat against Wakefield Thornes, the U12’s where determined to get the right result and reach the cup final. In our way was a strong Great Horton Church team. With the start delayed because of the heavy traffic, it was crucial to win the toss, which we did and elected to bat first.
The innings got off to a great start with Barney Gibson and Dale Spink scoring almost 30 runs without losing any wickets. After a great start for the Congs batters, Great Horton hit back with some tight bowling helped by some poor running between the wickets. Congs ended the innings on only 247 having lost 8 wickets. This was one of the lowest scores we had achieved all season.
What followed was the best fielding performance of the season. The Congs bowlers where in a different league. Callum Murgatroyd returned figures of 2 wickets for 10 runs, Dale Spink had 3 wickets for 13 runs and Louis Surtees was top bowler (with his special brand of bowling) with 4 wickets for 2 runs. The other bowlers, Hisan Ahmad, Raees Ishtiaq, Tom Huffinley and Ashley Slater also had excellent spells, restricting the visitors to 194 for 9 wickets.
The game was won with a great fielding performance, tight bowling, quick stumpings and excellent catches.
Our reward is a place in the Final to be played on the 16th September at Undercliffe CC versus the winner of the Harden or Thackley match, 10.00 am start.
New Farnley v Pudsey Congs
August 15th, 2007
Playoff Second Round
Match Report by Mark Gibson
Only 48 hours after the Under 13’s were beaten in the Semi Final, six players from that team were back in Cup action with another big game against New Farnley. The opposition batted first and made steady progress with the first batting pair putting on 10 without loss from their 4 overs. Pudsey bowled some good stuff in the next 4 over spell and built some good pressure that led to a run out. More good bowling from the Congs attack made finding runs hard. New Farnley’s last pair came to the crease needing to put some runs on the board and they ended strongly with A Baldwin 15 not out and R Sharrocks 15 not out to help their team to reach a very competitive 262 for 1 from sixteen overs.
Pick of the bowling: Louis Surtees 2 overs for 4 runs, Wasim Bashir 2 overs for 5 runs, Matthew Humpleby 2 overs for 6 runs.
In reply for the Congs, Barney Gibson 15 not out and Dale Spink opened the innings for the Congs but lost a wicket early on and lost 8 runs from the total. Wasim Bashir 17 not out, played some fine attacking cricket to move the score along. At this point the game was going in the favour of New Farnley and Congs could not afford to lose anymore wickets and suffer an 8 run penalty. Congs third batting pair of Ash Slater 10 not out and Matt Humpleby did suffer a run out early in their four overs but managed to steady the ship and leave the final batting pair with 13 off the last four overs to win the Cup tie.Hissan Ahamed 9 not out and Louis Surtees 4 not out, played really well to edge ever closer to the winning total. Congs had already passed the New Farnley total by the last over but because of Gordon Bowers Competition rules, the game could still have gone either way because of the eight run penalty. It was left to Louis Surtees to see off the last over. Louis creamed the second ball of the over through the point area for 4. New Farnley then moved all there fielders close in around the bat. Louis kept his nerve and blocked out the remaining balls of the over to secure a winning result and book a place in the Semi Finals with a home tie against Great Horton Church.
Pudsey Congs 268 for 3
New Farnley 261 for 1
Pudsey Congs U13’s v Undercliffe U13’s
Sunday August 12th, 2007
Congs played host to Undercliffe for their final league game of the season on what was once again not the best of days in terms of weather. Ash Slater won the toss for the home side and decided to have a bat. Taz Matharu scored 8 off the fist 3 balls of the innings before being bowled trying to pull a good length ball. Stephan Robinson joined Ash Slater at the crease and both players settled things down and played some good shots, both players made their way to 25 before retiring. The team then suffered a batting collapse with only 18 runs been added to the final total with the loss of 5 wickets. Congs innings finished on 98 for 6.
Undercliffe’s opener Carter played some nice shots and looked very dangerous from ball one. Hissan Ahmed did take the wicket of A.Hussain to leave the visitors on 13 for 1. After that it was one way traffic as the Undercliffe batsmen dominated the Congs bowling attack and punished some poor bowling .Undercliffe raced to the Congs total and hit the winning runs with some eight overs to spare. Credit must go to a very good Undercliffe side who have only lost one league game all season. This was not ideal preparation for the lads who had to pick themselves up and prepare for a Cup Semi Final with Keighley the following day.
Pudsey Congs 98 for 6
Undercliffe 100 for 3
Pudsey Congs U13’s v Bankfoot U13’s
Sunday August 5th, 2007
At last , the sun shone down on the Britannia ground as the under 13’s played host to Bankfoot.
After winning the toss the Cong’s decided to give the visitor’s a bat. The Bankfoot openers started at a steady pace and were 15 without loss after four overs. Taz Matharu broke the deadlock with a wicket from the first ball of his spell. Ash Slater was soon in the wickets, bowling the other Bankfoot opener and leaving the score on 21 for 2. Reece Istiaq picked up a wicket to leave the visitors on 31 for 3. Andrew Hewitt picked up two wickets from his spell to leave the away side in real trouble. Nathan Dalton grabbed 3 wicket’s in quick succession, returning figure’s of 2 overs 3 runs for 3 wickets. Bevan Sudano had the Bankfoot numbe rTen caught in the covers by Stephen Robinson to leave the away side on 57 for 9 from their innings.
Taz Matharu and Ash Slater opened for the Congs and set about knocking off the runs. Both batsmen played sensible cricket and soon got the scoreboard ticking over nicely. Both batters were punishing any loose bowling from the Bankfoot openers. Taz reached 25 first and retired. Barney Gibson, 8 not out, joined Ash Slater, 22 not out, at the crease and saw the home side home to a very comfortable win.
Bankfoot 57 for 9
Pudsey Congs 60 for 0
Congs win by 10 wickets
Pudsey Congs U13’s v Cleckheaton U13’s
Sunday July 15th, 2007
Congs batted first and scored 94 for 7 with Stephen Robinson the top scored with 25 not out.
Cleckheaton reached the target with three balls to spare finishing their innings on 97 for 3.
Sunday morning’s game against Northowram at home has once again been washed out.
Pudsey Congs U13’s v Bradford & Bingley U13’s
Cup Competition – Round 2
Monday July 9th, 2007
At last the eagerly awaited Quarter Final Cup clash against Bradford and Bingley was finally played at the Britannia Ground on Monday night. Congs won the toss and put Bradford into bat. A bright start from the opening pair pushed the score along before Ash Slater had Johnson caught leaving Bradford on 8 for 1. The next partnership started to score runs freely and moved the score along to 34 and looked like they were taking control of the game. A devastating spell of bowling from Dale Spink turned the game around taking 3 wickets for 9 runs and putting the Congs back in the driving seat. Reece Istiaq picked up a wicket thanks to a magnificent diving catch in the cover’s from Callum Murgatroyd that Paul Collingwood would have been proud of, it was that good. Bradford struggled for the rest of their innings with Hissan Ahamed, Jamie Kemp and Stephen Robinson all picking up wickets to leave Bradford posting a score of 85 for 9 from their allotted 20 overs.
Congs Openers Ash Slater (26 not out) and Stephen Robinson (25 not out) moved the score along to 53 for 0 off thirteen overs. The game then turned in favour of Bradford after taking 2 quick wickets. Jamie Kemp came to the cease and added 11 before being trapped LBW. The game was on a knife edge and the tension around the Britannia Ground was building. Barney Gibson (5 not out) pushed the singles along and the score crept nearer Bradford’s total of 85. The game went down to the last over with the Congs needing 3 to win. The tension was almost to much to bare. A wide and a single from Gibson left Matt Humpleby needing to score 1 off the last ball to win the game. Matt held his nerve and pushed a single to win the game and send the crowd wild. Congs now look forward to a place in the semi finals on July 23rd.
Bradford and Bingley 85 for 9
Pudsey Congs 86 for 5
Spen Victoria U13’s v Pudsey Congs U13’s
Sunday July 8th, 2007
After a couple of weeks of games lost to the rain the Congs made the trip to Spen Victoria and finally managed to play some cricket. After winning the toss Congs decided to have a bat. The going was quite tough with the pitch offering plenty of variable bounce. Ash Slater (5) was the first Congs batsman to go with the score on 18.
Spen soon got their second wicket with Stephen Robinson (11) bowled by Danny Cross. Cross soon got his second wicket bowling Callum Murgatroyd for one. The heavy rain we have had made for a very slow outfield and made scoring boundries very difficult. Barney Gibson made 10 before being caught trying to pull one over mid wicket. Dale Spink made good progress with the bat and made his way to 26 before retiring. Matt Humpleby pushed the ball around nicely for 12 before being caught by Hoscroft. Tom Huffingley (6 no) and Nathen Dalton (4 no) combined well together to help Congs reach 98 – 5.Once again good bowling and sharp fielding was the order of the day in order to defend the total.
The Congs attack responded in the second over with Stephen Robinson removing Spen’s opener. Ash Slater had D Cross caught to leave Spen on 4 for 2. A great spell of bowling from Dale Spink left Spen in trouble after he returned figures of 9 -3 -3. Wasim Bashir picked up a wicket with Tom Huffingley taking a fine one handed catch. Callum Murgatroyd also made a brilliant diving catch at point to leave Spen in real trouble. Sharp play in the field also accounted for two run out’s. Tom Huffingley also had Ali Zafer stumped by Barney Gibson. Young Louis Surtees also bowled well on his under 13 debut. Reece Istiaq bowled a tidy spell to help Congs bowl out spen for 53.
Pudsey Congs 98 – 5
Spen Victoria 53 all out
Pudsey Congs U13’s v Bolton Villas U13’s
Cup Competition – Round 1
Sunday June 10th, 2007
After the disappointment of Sunday, the Congs were back in action playing host to Bolton Villas at the Britannia ground in a Monday night cup clash. Batting first the Congs openers Keegan Moodley 25 not out and Stephen Robinson set about building a competitive score. Robinson made 8 before being given out LBW. Hissan Ahmed joined Moodley at the crease and also made his way to 25 not out before retiring. Jeevan Bazzra also reached his 25 to help Congs edge towards the 100 mark. The Congs finished the innings on 104 for 2. It was important for the lads to perform well in the field in order to defend the modest total.
The team responded in a positive way and almost immediately had Villas in trouble. Congs removed the openers for just 1 run on the board with a run out and a smart catch in the covers from Callum Murgatroyd off the bowling of Hissan Ahmed. Another smart piece of fielding from Murgatroyd saw the visitors in real trouble on 3 for 5. S Robinson and Ash Slater also picked up a wicket a piece to leave Villa’s reeling on 5 for 8. Jamie Kemp making his debut for the under 13’s, took a wicket with his very first ball for the club. Murgatroyd also chipped in with the ball and bowled Villa’s no 7. Just when you thought it could not get any better, Reece Isthiaq took 2 wickets in 2 balls leaving himself with a chance of a hat-trick. Unfortunately he did not quite
pull it off but finished the Villas innings off just a few balls later with a truly brilliant spell of bowling. This left the the visitors innings in tatters with the score on 29 all out.
Well done to all the team for putting the disappointment of the day before behind them and producing such a comprehensive win.
Pudsey Congs 104 for 4
Bolton Villas 29 all out
Cleckheaton U13’s v Pudsey Congs U13’s
Sunday June 10th, 2007
The U13 made the short trip to Cleckheaton for what was always going to be a tough encounter.Cleckheaton won the toss and decided to have a bat. Despite some good bowling from the Congs opening bowlers, Cleckheaton’s opening batsmen made steady progress and managed to move the score on nicely. Although the Congs did manage to take wicket’s during the innings, the side let themselves down with some poor fielding resulting in 36 extra’s being added to the Cleckheaton total. The home side finished their innings on 141 for 8 off the allotted 20 overs.
Congs got off to a solid start with Stephen Robinson hitting 25 not out. Callum Murgatroyd also contributed with a gutsy 22 to help Congs push towards their target. Cleckheaton’s bowlers then found a good line and length and slowed down the Congs good progress. In the end Cleckheaton’s bowlers managed to do just enough to put the game beyond the Congs who finished the innings on 118 for 5.
Bowling figures: S Robinson 1 for 15, D Spink 2 for 16, C Murgatroyd 1 for 7, T Huffingley 2 for 10
Batting figures: S Robinson 25 not out, C Murgatroyd 22, A Ahmed 12, W Bashir 10 not out
Cleckheaton 141 for 8
Pudsey Congs 118 for 5
Northorwam U13’s v Pudsey Congs U13’s
Sunday May 20th, 2007
Congs U13’s were on the road this week to Northowram and were keen to get back to winning ways after an up and down start to the season. On a lovely sunny Sunday morning, the Congs won the toss and elected to have a bowl.
Dale Spink made the early breakthrough taking a nice catch off his own bowling. A good bowling spell from the Congs attack tied down the Northowram batsmen and made scoring difficult. A sharp piece of fielding from Jeevan Bazzra with a direct hit on the stumps left Northowram struggling on 10-2. Wasim Bashir had the batsman in trouble and Callum Murgatroyd snapped up the catch. The rest of the Congs bowling attack continued to apply the pressure and after another mix up between the batsman, the Congs got their second run out of the innings. Matt Humpleby combined well with wicketkeeper Barney Gibson to produce a stumping and leave Northowram in real trouble on 35-5. Northowram did not add much more to their total and finished on 39-5 off their 20 overs.
Congs openers Stephen Robinson 22 not out and Jeevan Bazzra 19 not out set about knocking of the modest total with real intent and reached the Northowram score in just 5.2 overs.
Well done to all the lads for a great team effort and a very comprehensive 10 wicket win.
Northorwam 39-5
Pudsey congs 42-0
Pudsey Congs U13’s v Lightcliffe U13’s
Sunday May 13th, 2007
A strong Lightcliffe under 13’s expertly lead by a young but knowledgeable captain, dominated this game from the start. The Cong’s bowlers had few answers as five of the visiting batsmen reached retirement totals. The bowling was by no means to blame, some good batting was met by some uncharacteristically poor fielding as our visitors scored a magnificent 153.
The Cong’s reply started positively with Taz reaching retirement, but with Steven Robinson brilliantly caught behind the run rate slowed. Matty Humpleby and Keelan Milner looked good in the middle as some really tight bowling made runs hard to find, although wickets remained intact. Cong’s reaching 85-6 at the end of the allotted 20 overs.
Lightcliffe 153 for 3 – M Kelly 25, K Sharples 25, E Edwards 25, A Finn 27
Pudsey Congs 89 for 6, S Robinson 21, T Mathaiol 27
Lightcliffe Wins
Pudsey St Lawrence U13’s v Pudsey Congs U13’s
Sunday May 6th, 2007
The Under 13’s bounced back from last weeks defeat to Spen with a crushing win over the old enemy from up the road. The young Congs bowlers were in devastating form as St Lawrence were restricted to just 74 all out with only one lad hitting double figures, M.Hodgeson 16.
In response the Congs came out all guns blazing, the tone been set by Steven Robinson, faced 3 balls, hit 3 boundaries. Hissan Ahmed at the other end made his way to retirement a little slower but with both openers retired on 28 each it was left to Andrew Hewitt 5 not out to hit the winning runs.
Pudsey St Lawrence 74 for 8, Pudsey Congs 77 for 3
Congs Win
Pudsey Congs U13’s v Spen Victoria U13’s
Sunday April 29th, 2007
Fourth eleven captain Stu Hardcastle was in temporary charge as the U13’s started the season at home to Spen Victoria. It looked a daunting task as Spen’s talented openers scored a well struck 51 in just 6 overs. However with H.Edwards and A.Dowling back in the hut retired on 25 and 26 respectfully, the Spen order collapsed with the next highest scorer on two.
Spen Victoria 64-All Out.
R.Ishtiaq 2-6-3, I.Ahmed 2-2-2, L.Ahmed 1-0-0.1, A.Hewitt 1-3-1, H.Ahmed 0-13-3, S.Robinson 0-36-3
A bad start would see both Congs openers dismissed in a double wicket first over maiden from M.Haley. The Congs boys would however recover and with all the batsmen chipping in with a few runs each, they would find themselves edging ever nearer victory. Sadly just 8 runs short, a slightly controversial run out, ended the fight back.
Spen won by 8 runs
Bradford Junior Under 15’s
Match Reports 2007
Courtesy of Michael Brook
Farsley v Pudsey Congs
August 5th, 2007
The Congs travelled the short distance to neighbours Farsley this weekend for the final league game of the season and were blessed with a hot sunny day and perfect conditions in which to play cricket.
The Congs skipper, Thomas Brook, won the toss and asked Farsley to bat first on what looked to be a good flat wicket. The Congs opened the bowling with Chris Doey and Josh Purser and both bowled with pace and movement giving the Farsley openers few opportunities to score. Both batsmen struggled to cope and the breakthrough soon followed as a good piece of fielding saw a run out in only the third over. Thomas rotated the bowling, ensuring as many players had the opportunity to bowl as possible, and yet the wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Pick of the bowlers was Adam Patrick who bowled a very impressive 3 over spell taking 3 wickets for only 7 runs and he was well supported by Mohammed Aleem who only bowled the 1 over of spin but still managed to take 2 impressive wickets. The Congs fielders supported the bowlers well and Thomas and Chris Ingham both took fine catches. The Farsley innings finally closed on 71 – 9 wkts after the allotted overs
The Congs were very confident of reaching the target but were also aware of the struggle they had last week when chasing an even smaller target. Young Keegan Moodley retained his opening spot and was joined by Chris Doey who was given his first opportunity to open the innings. Both batsmen played with confidence from the start and runs came at a quick rate. Keegan grew in stature and played some aggressive shots whilst Chris, not normally known for his patience, played very sensibly!! Farsley soon realised they were not going to win this game so in turn gave all their players a chance to bowl, including a young 11year old playing his first game at short notice. The Congs kept their heads and runs came easily and Chris scored the winning boundary with nearly 9 overs remaining.
This was a comprehensive victory and a very pleasing way to end the season but credit must also go to a young Farsley side who played the game in good spirits. This match was the final game of the season and the players should take a great deal of credit for producing some excellent performances throughout the season and their were certainly some memorable moments which saw the team finish in the top 3 of the 1st division for the second year running and also reaching the quarter finals of the cup. Well done to all concerned and I look forward to seeing you all at the presentation evening later this year when we can celebrate another successful season
Match Summary:
Farsley: 71 – 9 wkts (20 overs), A Partick 3-1-7-3, M. Aleem 1-1-0-2
Pudsey Congs: 75 – 0 wkts (11.2 overs), K Moodley 36 n.o., C Doey 33 n.o.
Pudsey win by 10 wkts
Pudsey Congs v Yeadon
July 29th, 2007
For once the weather actually suited a summers day and the Congs were able to welcome Yeadon to a sunny Britannia ground for the last home game of the season. Both sides were under strength, with Yeadon actually short of a player, but both teams were looking forward to playing cricket.
Yeadon batted first on a dry wicket that appeared to have recovered well from the recent deluge of rain. The Congs opening bowlers, Chis Doey and Raheel Ahmed, posed problems from the outset with Chris generating real pace and Raheel significant swing. The Yeadon batters struggled to cope and it was no surprise when Chris clean bowled the opener and he was also a little unlucky with a couple of very close LBW appeals. Raheel then picked up the wicket of the Yeadon skipper thanks to a smart catch at square leg from Omar Mahmood who held on to a stinging shot. The Congs skipper, Thomas Brook, rotated the bowling to ensure everyone had the chance to bowl and the wickets were well shared out with everyone making a contribution. Special mention again goes to Mohammed Aleem who kept his nerve, despite the batsmen trying to target his leg break bowling, and he was rewarded with a couple of victims. The Yeadon innings was finally ended on 51 all out well inside their allotted overs.
The Congs were obviously in confident mood and decided to rotate the batting line up to give players who haven’t had much batting opportunity this year a chance to score some runs. Unfortunately, this policy didn’t go to plan as Kamran Ahmed was out very first ball skying a catch to mid on. The skipper, Thomas, retained his place at number 3 in the order and immediately took the attack to the Yeadon bowlers producing some excellent cover drives and moving the score board along at a good rate. However, both Thomas and Keegan Moodley fell in quick succession, trying over ambitious shots, and the Yeadon players grew in confidence even though they didn’t expect to win. The inexperience of the Congs batters showed as several were dismissed playing expansive shots on a wicket that was actually keeping very low. However, a target of 51 was never going to cause too much of a problem and Omar and Chris saw the Congs home with 7 overs still remaining.
The Congs made hard work of chasing such a low target but still deserve credit for the bowling and fielding display. However, special credit also has to go to a young Yeadon side, short of players, who played the game in good spirits and still had a smile on their faces at the end of the game.
Match Summary:
Yeadon: 51 all out – Wickets shared.
Pudsey Congs: 52 – 7 wkts (13 overs) – T. Brook 17.
Pudsey Win by 3 Wkts
Cleckheaton v Pudsey Congs
July 15th, 2007
The Congs travelled to Cleckheaton hoping to get back to winning ways and had a fairly strong squad despite the missing Theren Moodley and Adam Patrick.
The weather forecast was not promising and the outfield was still wet from the recent downpours although the pitch had been covered and was therefore dry and in good order. The Congs skipper, Thomas Brook, won the toss and had no hesitation in bowling first in the hope that his opening bowlers could make an early breakthrough. However, despite some quick aggressive bowling once again from Chris Doey, the Cleckheaton openers dug in and then played some fine attacking shots of their own. The score was progressing at a steady rate so the Congs rang the changes with the bowling and this immediately paid dividends as Josh Purser produced a fine delivery to clean bowl the opener. At the other end Tyler Gill again produced another incisive spell of bowling picking up 3 key wickets in quick succession to leave Cleckheaton in real trouble. The remaining Cleckheaton opener was starved of the strike as the Congs pressed home their advantage and he eventually played one big shot too many and was caught at mid-on. The Congs introduced Chris Ingham into the bowling attack in only his third appearance for the club and he responded by bowling a tight line and picking up 3 late wickets and the Cleckheaton score was restricted to a modest 79 all out in less than 18 overs.
The Congs reply got off to a steady start against some accurate bowling from Cleckheaton but in the third over, as the weather started to deteriorate, Jack Murgatroyd tried to hit over the in field but was well caught at mid – off. Cleckheaton kept both opening bowlers on to try and exert pressure but Keegan and Raheel played well and kept the scoreboard ticking over. However, the rain started to fall so the Congs batters realised they would have to accelerate in order to finish the game off and this unfortunately resulted in Raheel being dismissed. Chris Doey was moved up the batting order to try and inject more pace in the run chase and this worked well with 20 runs coming off the next 2 overs. However, with the score on 39 – 2 from 9 overs the umpires were forced to liaise regarding the worsening weather. All players wanted to continue, particularly the Congs who were now in a very strong position, but the groundsman was concerned over the potential to damage the wicket so play was reluctantly abandoned.
This was ultimately a disappointing end to the game but it had at least allowed the Congs to demonstrate some improved form.
Match Summary:
Cleckheaton: 79 all out (17.5 overs) – T Gill 4 – 0 – 11 – 3, C Ingham 1.5 – 0 – 8 – 3, C Doey 4 – 1 – 9 – 1.
Pudsey Congs: 39 – 2 wkts (9 overs) – K Moodley 10 n.o., C Doey 11 n.o.
Match abandoned as a draw due to rain
Pudsey St Lawrence v Pudsey Congs
Quarter Final Cup Match
July 9th, 2007
Monday night saw the Congs travel to local rivals PSL in the pick of the quarter final draw with the winners strong favourites to press on and win the competition and the Congs knew they would be in for a tough game as the home side welcomed back a trio of Yorkshire players for this encounter.
The home side won the toss and elected to bat first on a dry pitch that had been protected from the earlier rain. The Congs openers, Chris Doey and Raheel Ahmed, again bowled very well with Chris generating real pace and Raheel plenty of swing and movement. The batters looked far from comfortable although showed their class in spells by dispatching any semi loose ball to the boundary. Unfortunately, the Congs fielding in the opening few overs failed to support the bowlers and the dangerous PSL batsman, Nial Colman, was given 2 lives in the same early over off the unlucky Raheel. These chances were soon to impact on the game as he played some very aggressive shots and went on to retire 50 not out. The Congs bowlers did maintain their discipline to keep the Congs in the game but the fielding continued to be varied and despite some excellent stops by Chris Doey and Chris Ingham in particular, another couple of difficult chances were missed allowing PSL to amass an impressive 147 – 4 wkts at the end of the 20 overs.
The Congs knew they would be in for a torrid time in the opening overs as they faced a formidable bowling line up that included several bowlers with Bradford League senior and representative team experience. Theren Moodley and younger brother, Keegan, only 12 years of age, opened the innings in deteriorating light and, as expected, were greeted with a hostile spell of pace bowling. Both played well and Keegan showed great determination in protecting his wicket against the excellent bowling attack. Runs did come, particularly from Theren who demonstrated good technique but Keegan was finally undone by a quick yorker delivery to be cleaned bowled. Unfortunately, both Raheel and Thomas Brook were also dismissed in quick succession leaving the Congs in real trouble. However, Chris Doey joined Theren at the wicket and both played well and sensibly to rebuild the innings and regain some respectability to the score. Theren was finally out trying to force the pace but Chris Doey continued to play well and managed a couple of “lusty” shots, including a fine straight six, to keep the scoreboard moving. The remaining Congs players also played their part and although they realised that the target was out of reach they were determined to at least make the PSL bowlers work hard. The innings finally ended at 9.15pm in gloomy conditions on 102 – 6 wkts with Chris Doey carrying his bat for a very impressive 39 not out.
This was a competitive performance by the Congs who were faced with an exceptionally talented PSL side that boasts many fine representative standard players and who will now be strong favourites to win the competition.
Match Summary:
PSL: 147 – 4wkts (20 overs) – C Ingham 3 – 0 – 14 – 2
Congs: 102 – 6wkts (20 overs) – C Doey 39 not out, T Moodley 18.
Pudsey Congs v Saltaire
July 8th, 2007
The weather finally relented to allow this clash to go ahead between 2nd placed Saltaire and 3rd placed Congs. The sun was shining but the recent rain meant that the pitch was damp and the outfield very heavy in places.
Saltaire won the toss and unsurprisingly asked the Congs to bat first. The Moodley brothers got the innings off to a steady start with few alarms although runs were hard to come by due to some steady bowling and the slowness of the pitch. Theren did manage a couple of nice boundaries before he was cleaned bowled by a delivery that kept very low and he was soon followed by his brother who mis-timed a pull shot and was caught at mid-wicket. Unfortunately, further disaster soon followed as the normally reliable Thomas Brook was also dismissed cheaply being trapped LBW to another low delivery. The innings was finally given some impetus by Raheel Ahmed and Chris Doey who ran well between the wickets and played some aggressive shots but again both fell in quick succession trying shots that were not really on given the condition of the wicket. The lower order, particularly Kamran Ahmed did press on but were only able to achieve a score of 80 at the end of the allotted 20 overs.
At the start of the Saltaire innings the Congs knew they would have to bowl and field well if they were to have any chance and they were given the perfect start by an impressive opening over by Chris Doey and the wicket of the classy Saltaire opener in Raheel’s opening over. Both bowlers maintained the pressure and were very unlucky with a couple of very close appeals for LBW when the score was still below 20. Saltaire managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over but never looked comfortable and a tight finish was on the cards as the pressure began to tell. Unfortunately, a loose over near the end allowed Saltaire to press home the advantage and although the Congs kept fighting it was Saltaire who emerged victorious with 7 balls to spare.
This was a below par performance on the whole from the Congs who therefore missed the opportunity to overtake Saltaire for 2nd place in this premier division.
Match Summary:
Pudsey Congs: 80 – 9 wkts (20 overs), R Ahmed 27, T Moodley 13.
Saltaire: 81 – 4 wkts (18.5 overs), R.Ahmed 4 – 0 – 14 – 2, C Doey 3 – 1 – 6 – 0
Pudsey St Lawrence v Pudsey Congs
June 23rd, 2007
The Congs travelled the short distance to meet their local rivals in a top of the table clash this weekend in confident mood despite the late withdrawal of the in-form Raheel Ahmed who earned a late call up to the Under 17’s Joe Lumb team.
The home team won the toss and elected to bat first on a track that was in good order having been covered from the overnight rain. Chris Doey opened the bowling for the Congs and produced a fantastic first over that included a “wonder” ball that sent the openers off stump flying out of the ground. Congs other opener, Josh Purser, also bowled well but a couple of straight deliveries were still despatched to the boundary by the prolific PSL batsmen. Both teams wanted to win this match and the atmosphere intensified as the Congs managed another breakthrough with a fine catch by Adam Patrick and PSL attempted to counter with some aggressive stroke play. Some good cricket was played by both sides as the Congs bowlers maintained their discipline but some aggressive, and at times very lucky, shots by PSL produced more boundaries. All the Congs bowlers chipped in with wickets and they were well backed up in the field by some tidy work and a couple of excellent catches, the pick of which came from Thomas Brook who held a bullet of a shot at mid wicket from the hard hitting batsman. The final few overs brought further boundaries and wickets and the home side closed their innings on a competitive 129 – 6 wkts at the end of the 20 overs.
The Congs started their reply knowing that they needed a strong confident start if they were going to chase down this target against a strong bowling attack. However, disaster struck in only the 3rd over as Theren Moodley was needlessly run out attempting a run that was never really there. Further misfortune soon followed as Jack Murgatroyd attempted to go on the attack but mistimed his shot and was caught off a leading edge and he was quickly followed by young Keegan Moodley who spooned a shot to cover leaving the Congs on 12 – 3 wkts off 5 overs. Thomas Brook looked to hold the innings together but he saw Chris Doey superbly caught at cover as the run chase further faltered. The runs were only being scored slowly as the Congs attempted to get a foothold in the game but eventually both Thomas and Kamran Ahmed started to accelerate and finally a few boundaries started to flow. However, the damage had been done by the PSL opening bowlers and the target of 129 proved beyond the Congs. Both Thomas (25) and Kamran (17) played well but perished late on attempting to raise the score but the Congs reply ended on 88 – 8 wkts after the allotted 20 overs.
This was a disappointing result but I’m sure we will bounce back next week.
Match Summary:
Pudsey St Lawrence: 129 – 6 wkts (20 overs) – C. Doey 4-0-21-2
Pudsey Congs: 88 – 8 wkts (20 overs) – T. Brook 25, K Ahmed 17
Pudsey St Lawrence win by 41 runs
Pudsey Congs v Allerton
Cup Match Second Round
June 18th, 2007
The Congs were at home on Monday night in the 2nd round of the cup and were entertaining an in-form Allerton side who had a reputation of being a big hitting side capable of scoring lots of runs – a good game was expected by all.
Allerton won the toss and elected to bat first on a wicket that looked in good order despite the recent deluge of rain. Both openers looked to score freely and played some expansive shots from the start. However, the Congs openers, Chris Doey and Raheel Ahmed, bowled to a game plan and tied the batsman up giving no width at all. The pressure soon told as Raheel produced a wonderful spell of bowling and cleaned bowled the opener and number 3 in quick succession. Allerton still played their shots but the bowling and fielding from the Congs was exceptional on the night and Raheel tore through the top order, including 2 wickets in 2 balls, to leave them in disarray at 36 for 6 wkts at the half way stage. The remaining Congs bowlers, led by Josh Purser, continued the good work and managed to take the remaining wickets in good time to leave Allerton all out for 54 in the 18th over.
The weather was closing in quickly so both sides agreed to a quick “turn round” at the half way stage in an attempt to beat the rain. However, as the innings started so did the rain and conditions were far from ideal. The Congs openers, Theren Moodley and Jack Murgatroyd, played aggressively in an attempt to score the runs required before the rain forced play to be abandoned. Theren tried one big shot too many and was bowled for 8 runs so Thomas Brook joined Jack at the wicket. Both players threw the bat and runs came quickly although the conditions at this stage deteriorated further and play was becoming almost impossible. After only 8 overs the Congs had reached 40 runs but it was becoming obvious that play could not continue as “puddles” were starting to form on the outfield and the playing surface was very slippery. The managers conferred and Allerton graciously conceded the game acknowledging it was a lost cause and not wanting to return another night for the matter of only another 15 runs being required.
This was an excellent display by the Congs who bowled superbly and displayed a good intensity in the field and obviously special praise has to go to Raheel Ahmed who finished with 5 wickets.
Well done to all concerned and also thanks to Allerton who were willing to concede the game in these circumstances.
Match Summary:
Allerton: 54 all out (18 overs) – R Ahmed 4 -1- 9 – 5, J Purser 3 – 1 – 7 – 2
Pudsey Congs: 40 – 1 Wkt (8 overs) – J Murgatroyd 22 n.o.
Rain stopped play – Game Conceded by Allerton
Pudsey Congs v Farsley
June 17, 2007
The Congs entertained near neighbours Farsley this weekend and were thankful to some great work by the groundstaff that enabled the match to go ahead following the deluge of rain over the previous days.
Farsley won the toss and elected to bowl first on what looked to be a green and damp wicket. The Congs openers knew they would need to be watchful and this was proved early on as Jack Murgatroyd mistimed a shot giving a return catch to the bowler. Young Keegan Moodley was joined at the wicket by the in form Raheel Ahmed who immediately looked to press on with the scoring. All went well until Raheel edged a catch to the keeper and a further wicket soon followed leaving the home side in some trouble with 3 wickets down for under 50 runs at the half way stage. Stand in skipper, Chris Doey, joined Keegan at the crease and both played intelligently and the runs started to flow at a good rate. Unfortunately, Keegan was finally out trying to look for more boundaries but this brought Omar Mahmood to the crease for his first real bat of the season and he took full advantage striking a few “lusty” blows to the boundary and along with Chris they scored freely at the end to raise the final score to a very respectable 127 at the end of the 20 overs.
The Farsley reply started in dramatic fashion as Chris Doey, opening the bowling for the Congs, cleaned bowled the opener with the first ball of the innings. The bowlers all kept a disciplined line and the young Farsley batsmen really struggled to score any runs. It was soon apparent that Farsley would be unable to chase the Congs score so it was possible to allow all the back up bowlers another opportunity to impress and this included young Wasim Bashir, standing in at short notice, to bowl a couple of very tidy overs. The fielding was a little mixed but Farsley still struggled to score and were happy to survive the allotted 20 overs although they only managed 64 runs. This was another comprehensive victory for the Congs but they will expect a much stiffer test in Monday’s quarter final cup match against Allerton.
Match Summary:
Pudsey Congs: 127 – 4 wkts (20 overs) – C. Doey 29n.o., K Moodley 27, R Ahmed 25.
Farsley: 64 – 4 wkts (20 overs) – C.Doey 3 – 1 – 6 – 1, K Ahmed 1 – 0 – 7 – 2.
Pudsey Congs win by 63 runs
Yeadon v Pudsey Congs
June 10th, 2007
The Congs travelled the short distance to Yeadon last Sunday to face, what appeared on paper, to be a tough game. However, the hosts were without 3 or 4 of their regular players and Congs were hoping to take advantage.
Yeadon won the toss and asked the Congs to bat. The wicket was very dry and it soon came apparent that there was low and uneven bounce. Despite this the two openers, Theren Moodley and Jack Murgatroyd, played aggressively and looked to push the score along at a rapid rate with the only problems occurring as a result of the wicket. However, disaster struck when another misunderstanding in running between the wickets saw Theren needlessly run out for 24 runs. Thomas Brook joined Jack at the crease and both looked to score freely, particularly Jack who played some fluent strokes until he was well caught at midwicket for a fine 44 runs. Raheel Ahmed came to the wicket and produced a wonderful array of shots despatching the bowlers to all parts of the ground. Thomas was bowled for 17 runs trying for a big hit so Chris Doey joined Raheel for the final few overs and both scored freely to produce a final score of 163 – 3wkts at the end of 20 overs, Raheel top scoring with a stylish 48 not out.
The Yeadon response started slowly and it was soon clear that they would not be able to mount a serious challenge to the Congs score. It was therefore a good opportunity for the back up bowlers to be given a chance to stake a claim for a regular bowling spot. All players were given a couple of overs in turn and they did not disappoint as they all chipped in with wickets or accurate spells. Chris Ingham, making his debut for the club, bowled well to take 2 wickets for 3 runs in two overs and he was superbly supported by Adam Patrick who also had identical figures. Special praise however goes to young Aleem Mohammed who bowled 2.3 overs of spin taking 3 wickets for only 2 runs. The fielding throughout was also very good and was highlighted by Tyler Gill who won the fielding point with two stunning catches.
Match Summary:
Pudsey Congs: 163 – 3wkts (20 overs) – R.Ahmed 48 n.o., J Murgatroyd 44, T. Moodley 24, T Brook 17
Yeadon: 52 all out (16.3 overs) – A. Mohammed 2.3 – 1 – 3 – 2, C. Ingham 2 – 0 – 2 – 3, A Patrick 2 – 0 – 2 – 3.
Pudsey Congs win by 111 runs.
Pudsey Congs v Keighley
03/06/07
The Congs welcomed Keighley to the Brit this week on a hot and sunny day.
The Congs won the toss and elected to bowl first on what appeared to be yet another fine wicket. The opening bowlers again bowled well and in particular Chris Doey who produced 3 excellent and hostile overs to give the batsman plenty to think about. The scoring rate was kept well in check until the Keighley batsmen decided to risk all and “throw the bat” at every delivery. This approach brought some quick runs but the bowlers kept their nerve and wickets also began to fall. The openers returned for the final few overs and Chris Doey gained some reward for his earlier bowling by claiming two wickets in his final over. The Keighley innings ended on 100 – 6wkts at the end of the 20 overs.
The Congs reply got off to a tremendous start as both openers took a liking to the bowling and runs came at quick rate. However, the introduction of slower bowlers caused more problems for the batters and both Jack Murgatroyd and Raheel Ahmed perished in quick succession. The scoring rate also dried up and Keighley began to sense an opportunity for an unlikely victory. However, an aggressive innings from stand in skipper, Thomas Brook, along with some excellent running between the wickets saw the Congs reach their target with 1 over to spare.
Match Summary:
Keighley: 100 – 6wkts (20 overs), C.Doey 4 – 0 – 11 – 2wkts
Pudsey Congs: 104 – 4wkts (19overs), T. Brook 29 n.o. J Murgatroyd 24
Congs win by 6 wkts.
Lightcliffe v Pudsey Congs
Cup Match First Round – May 22nd, 2007
The Congs travelled to Lightcliffe on Monday night in confident mood following their fine win the previous day.
The Congs won the toss and, batting first, came up against some fine, accurate and hostile bowling from the Lightcliffe bowlers. A couple of boundaries kept the momentum going but the bowlers maintained the pressure. Unfortunately, both openers were out in quick succession and although the batters tried to keep the scoreboard ticking over wickets continued to fall. The one batter who managed to keep control was Raheel Ahmed who played sensibly and with increasing aggression as the innings progressed. The other batters all tried to rotate the strike and this allowed Raheel to push the score along until he retired on 52 n.o. in the final over and the score was pushed up to 98 after the allotted 20 overs.
Although this was not a daunting target the Congs opening bowlers, Chris Doey and Josh Purser, produced a wonderful spell of bowling that kept the runs down to a trickle. The batsman tried hard to increase the run rate but some good back up bowling by Raheel maintained the pressure. Tyler Gill eventually made the breakthrough but this was the signal for the fine opening bat from Lightcliffe to take the attack to the bowlers and the run rate steadily increased. The light was deteriorating quickly making batting and fielding difficult but both teams maintained excellent standards with runs and wickets occurring at regular intervals. The final two overs saw Lightcliffe requiring 15 runs to win but excellent bowling by Chris and Josh saw lightcliffe fall 6 runs short.
This was a good game of cricket with some excellent bowling and fielding from both teams – well done to all involved.
Match Summary:
Pudsey Congs: 98 – 9 wkts (20 overs), R Ahmed – 52 n.o.
Lightcliffe: 92 – 6 wkts (20 overs)
Pudsey Congs win by 6 runs
Pudsey Congs v Cleckheaton
Sunday May 20th, 2007
Due to Yorkshire trials, the Congs hosted Cleckheaton with a changed side lacking some of their more experienced players. However, the weather was sunny and warm and a tight game was anticipated.
Cleckheaton batted first on what looked to be another good pitch and the two openers had to play well against some accurate pace bowling by Chris Doey and Josh Purser. The openers bowled well, beating the bat on a number of occasions, but the two opening batters played some good shots too and kept the scoreboard ticking over. The first breakthrough didn’t come until the score had reached 48 but once achieved the Congs bowlers pressed on and made in roads into the Cleckheaton side. The main wicket taker was Tyler Gill who bowled his four overs in succession taking 4 wickets for only 17 runs. The Cleckheaton opener, C Stotty, remained at the crease and scored an impressive 50 runs before retiring but unfortunately for Cleckheaton, the remaining batsmen couldn’t match his ability and they eventually closed the innings on a respectable 103 – 7 after 20 overs.
The Congs started their reply with the Moodley brothers, Theren and Keegan opening, but suffered disaster in the first over as a mix up saw Keegan unluckily run out by a direct throw from the boundary. This brought Thomas Brook to the wicket and the two Congs batters then produced a wonderful display of batting, both playing fluently and with aggression as well as running well between the wicket. The pair went on to create a second wicket partnership of 101 runs in only 14 overs and it was only broken by Theren retiring on 50 not out. Unfortunately, Chris Doey perished with only 1 run required but Thomas was undefeated on 41 runs when the winning run was scored with more than 5 overs remaining.
This was a much improved performance, both in the field and with the bat and sets the team well for a trip to Lightcliffe in the first round of the cup on Monday night.
Match Summary:
Cleckheaton: 103 – 7 wkts (20 overs) – C. Stotty 50 n.o., T. Gill 4 wkts / 17 runs
Pudsey Congs: 104 – 2 wkts (14.5 overs) – T. Moodley 50 n.o., T. Brook 41 n.o.
Pudsey Congs win by 8 wkts.
Saltaire v Pudsey Congs
Sunday May 13th, 2007
Congs travelled to Saltaire with a slightly depleted side due to illness and the unavailability of their skipper to play a strong Saltaire side. The wet weather overnight had subsided to allow play on Sunday but the pitch had been badly affected and it was no surprise that Saltaire elected to bowl first once they won the toss. The Congs openers, Jack Murgatroyd and Keegan Moodley, played watchfully at first and again developed a good partnership. Scoring quickly was difficult as the pitch played very slow and unfortunately Jack lost his wicket whilst trying to force the pace. Keegan and acting skipper Thomas Brook followed in quick succession and it was left to Raheel Ahmed and Chris Doey to finish the innings strongly. Both batted with aggression in the last few overs and with good running between the wickets managed to push the score to a very respectable 117 – 3 wickets at the end of the 20 overs.
Saltaire also began their innings watchfully against some good Congs bowling but it was clear that the wicket was drying out quickly and scoring was proving a little easier. The Saltaire batsman ran well, if a little luckily, between the wickets and forced errors from the Congs fielders. Different bowlers were tried to break the partnership and this eventually worked with Adam Patrick and Tyler Gill making breakthroughs. Unfortunately, the dangerous Saltaire opener was given a couple of “lives” and he took full advantage to score a decisive 50 before retiring. The Congs tried to exert pressure to the new batters and were able to take three further wickets but Saltaire held their nerve to win with 1 over remaining. A more disciplined fielding performance may well have brought victory and this is an area they need to improve.
Match Summary:
Pudsey Congs: 117 – 3wkts (20 overs) – J Murgatroyd 31, K Moodley 17, R Ahmed 42 n.o., C Doey 13 n.o,.
Saltaire: 119 – 4wkts (19 overs) – A Patrick – 2/22 in 3 overs
Pudsey Congs v Pudsey St Lawrence
Sunday May 6th, 2007
The Congs hosted their near neighbours at the weekend in what turned out to be a very tight contest between two committed teams. The visitors looked to be a very strong outfit with several representative players in their ranks so the hosts knew they were in for a difficult game.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bowl first. The Congs openers were cautious at first against some accurate, quick bowling but appeared to be comfortable until a mix up resulted in the skipper being needlessly run out. Undeterred, Jack Murgatroyd and Keegan Moodley then built a very useful partnership at a steady rate and applied pressure to the fielding side. Jack played some elegant shots and Keegan again showed maturity well beyond his 12 years to keep the score board ticking over. Both players tried to up the rate as the overs passed and Keegan selflessly sacrificed his wicket trying an extravagant shot against the change bowler. Raheel joined Jack at the wicket and both played aggressively until Jack was also out stumped to the slow bowler for an impressive 48 runs. A late charge for runs by the Congs was only partly successful but they still managed a competitive score of 118 at the end of their allotted 20 overs.
The visitors had a very strong batting line up but were faced by a superb opening spell of bowling by Raheel Ahmed and Chris Doey who both bowled aggressively and with great accuracy to leave the batsman struggling for runs. However, although the run rate was slow the visitors managed to keep their wickets in tact and then looked to speed up against the Congs’ change bowlers. Theren Moodley and Tyler Gill finally grabbed a wicket each to keep the visitors in check and this lead to a tense last few overs. However, the last over arrived with the visitors needing only a further 6 runs for victory which they managed with 4 balls remaining.
This was a game played between two good sides and the Congs’ should take heart from pushing such a strong side so close – well done to all involved.
MATCH SUMMARY:
Pudsey Congs – 118 – 4wkts (20 overs) – J.Murgatroyd – 48, R Ahmed – 19 n.o., K Moodley – 16
Pudsey St Lawrence – 120 – 2wkts (19.2 overs) – N Coleman – 49 n.o.
Mount v Pudsey Congs (Under 15’s)
Sunday April 29th, 2007
A much changed U15 side travelled to new opposition this weekend without their captain and opening bat, Theren Moodley, who was away on Yorkshire trials. However, the relatively young side travelled with confidence despite facing a potentially difficult game against strong opposition.
Thomas Brook, acting captain, won the toss for the Congs and elected to field first on what appeared to be a very green wicket. The Mount openers were watchful at first and rode their luck against a good spell of bowling from both Raheel Ahmed and Josh Purser. However, the wicket played true and with relatively small boundaries the runs began to flow. All bowlers stuck to their guns though and despite a couple of dropped catches (both very difficult) they kept themselves in the game. The breakthrough finally came when Tyler Gill clean bowled the hard hitting opener and this helped slow the run rate considerably. Mount had reached an impressive 90 runs by the half way point but consistent bowling by the back up bowlers, Tyler Gill, Josh Kirby and Adam Patrick, kept the Congs in the game and a tight spell of bowling at the end by the openers and Chris Doey restricted Mount to a very competitive 142 at the end of their 20 overs.
This was always going to be a tough target to reach but the Congs openers, Jack Murgatroyd and Keegan Moodley, were in optimistic mood as the innings began. The first over brought 12 runs due to 3 boundaries from Jack but from then on runs were slightly harder to come by. Unfortunately, Jack was caught at square leg trying for another boundary just as he was starting to push the scoring rate along. This wicket brought Thomas Brook to the wicket and along with Keegan, the pair began to milk the bowling and kept the scoreboard ticking over. However, despite a 2nd wicket partnership of over 50 runs, at the half way stage the score was below the asking rate. Both players tried to up the strike rate as the overs passed and both ultimately sacrificed their wicket in doing so, Keegan scoring a composed 23 and Thomas 24 runs. This brought Raheel Ahmed and Chris Doey together for the last few overs with an asking rate of over 9 runs per over. The pair batted aggressively but also with intelligence and in doing so managed to pressurise the bowlers into making mistakes. Moving into the last 3 overs the Congs required only a further 23 runs and despite the loss of Raheel, the Congs reached their target with 2 balls to spare!!
An excellent game of cricket, enjoyed by all, and a good start to the season for a side that showed commitment and a positive attitude – well done to all.
Summary:
Mount – 142 – 4 wkts (20 overs)
Pudsey Congs – 144 – 4 wkts (19.4 overs)
K Moodley – 23, T Brook – 24, C Doey – 26 n.o.
Pudsey win by 6 Wkts