2016 Third XI
Final League Position = 9th, 180 pts
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Pudsey Congs v Cookridge
At Fulneck
Saturday August 27th, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
Congs looked to bounce back against Cookridge after a 10 wicket defeat to Farnley Hill.
With players missing, Congs included 3 players playing in their first game this season. M.Gaunt lost the toss and Neil Bonnington chose to bowl. M.Gaunt on the back of hitting the first ball for 6 last week, hit the first ball of this match for 4. This was followed up by boundaries at the other end from G.Lewsley who dispatched short balls with ease. With a weak batting line up, on an up and down wicket, the pair began to dig in against some good bowling from R.Kerfoot.
The partnership was broken by R.Kerfoot who bowled a superb delivery through bat and pad to get rid of M.Gaunt. Dave Malpass came in and looked to attack however was undone by a great yorker. Gary Lewsley continued on his merry way as he became more and more fluent as the game went on. Rain came and the game was delayed, which resulted in Cookridge losing 15 overs and also an early tea which got compliments from everyone at Fulneck once again (Cheers Jayne!).
The game resumed and G.Lewsley brought up his first 50 since his return to Congs. Redders looked to attack and played one of his best innings this season. His slog sweep for 6 off K.Khan and 4 down the ground off G.Eckard were particularly great to watch. Unfortunately he couldn’t make his 50 as he fell caught and bowled to R.Ford. Congs got to 176 and G.Lewsley stayed there till the end making a brilliant 79 NOT OUT which considering the pressure put on the top order batsmen to perform today and the state of the pitch due to the weather this will go down as one of the better innings seen at Fulneck in recent years.
G.Lewsley 79* Redders 44
Cookridge opened up with the dangerous W.Ali and a pinch hitter in Z.Ahktar. The pinch hitting was less than successful as he only managed one 6 after going for the play and miss record, before falling caught behind off of G.Lewsley’s bowling R.Kerfoot came in and played a good knock as W.Ali for a change was playing second fiddle. The pair raced their way to 83-1 but rain came once again and this time it set in and the two captains shook hands and the game was abandoned.
A great effort from Congs to come away with more points than Cookridge considering the circumstance this week and Congs will go into their penultimate game of the season with Woodhouse.
Pudsey Congs v Bradford Moor
At Fulneck
Saturday August 13th, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
Congs lost the toss and Bradford Moor choose to bat. This looked to be the wrong decision as both J.Galvin and J.Chapman got deliveries to lift off a good and full length. However the Bradford Moor openers countered this bounce and rode their luck.
Congs were dealt a blow by an injury to G.Lewsley who split his webbing attempting a catch at slip. Moments later a catch was taken at slip by S.Jolly off the bowling of J.Galvin. J.Chapman then got the dangerous N.Andrabi. I.Sadiq and A.Mahmood rebuilt with a partnership of 59, with I.Sadiq making yet another 50 against Pudsey Congs, however he fell soon after to H.Jackson for 51. I.Nazir came onto bowl and looked to bowl tight. His tight bowling was rewarded with 2 wickets. Josh came back onto bowl and bowled his best spell all year. He removed four more batsmen in his last 6 overs as he looked unplayable. He bowled a great mixture of off cutters and yorkers which the Bradford Moor batsmen couldn’t cope with. J.Galvin finished the innings off dismissing M.Abbas as Bradford Moor were bowled out for 200 in the last over. A great effort from Congs in the field
J.Chapman 5-35 and I.Nazir 2-34
Congs started the chase aggressively as I.Nazir continued his great batting form. He put away loose short deliveries from M.Amin and M.Abbas. His opening partner M.Gaunt fell chasing a short ball, which brought D.Malpass to the crease. The pair continued to attack as they put on 35, with D.Malpass being the dominant of the two. Dave hit a huge pull shot for 6 before he was undone by S.Mahmood. This led to a procession of wickets with both M.Amin and Redders falling for 0 and J.Chapman fell soon after leaving Congs on the ropes at 67-5. I.Nazir was solid at the other end, removing his risky shots and working singles instead with the field back. S.Jolly offered him support and looked the best he has all season, hitting a glorious 6 over mid wicket. I.Nazir brought up his second 50 of the season as the youngster continues to improve week on week, well played Ishy!
He could not go on to make a big score as N.Andrabi got the danger man out and proceeded to get N.Bose and J.Galvin as well. However S.Jolly was not giving up just yet, he was partnered by the injured G.Lewsley as they got Congs to full batting points, doing so Stu brought up his 50. This was not enough as Congs fell 24 short.
S.Jolly 59 and I.Nazir 54
Another good effort from Congs in another close game but for the 4th game in a row Congs will see this as missing out on 20 points. Once again we can take positives from our young player’s performances, I.Nazir with bat & ball and J.Chapman with the ball. Congs have a big game next week against relegation rivals Farnley Hill
Pudsey Congs v Leeds Sikh
At Fulneck
Saturday July 30th, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
Skipper M.Gaunt won the toss again and choose to bat on a good looking Fulneck pitch. Macca got off to an aggressive start with 10 coming off the first over. However the entertainment ended quickly as he fell in the next over. I.Nazir stayed solid as wickets began to fall around. Chippers and G.Lewsley came and went as they both fell to S.Mehmood. M.Amin partnered I.Nazir once again and like last week, put on a big stand. I.Nazir played a patient knock whilst M.Amin was his usual attacking self. The pair milked Leeds Sikh’s pace bowlers during a stand of 68. However the stand was broken as M.Amin fell for 42 and I.Nazir fell for 33 soon after. At 112 for 6 Congs needed another partnership to make sure we got full batting points. The experienced pair of D.Malpass and Redders stepped up played smartly in a partnership of 42. Dave made 32 whilst Redders made 21 as they ensured Congs got full batting points. N.Bose, J.Chapman and J.Royce brought us towards 183 but once again Congs failed to bat all 45 overs which gifted Leeds Sikh an extra 2 overs
M.Amin 42, I.Nazir 33, D.Malpass 32
Congs got an early breakthrough with J.Chapman getting N.Degun well caught at slip by G.Lewsley. However Leeds Sikh rebuilt when skipper R.Chandrasekaran came to the crease. He and A.Kamboj made a strong partnership of 94 when up against good bowling from I.Nazir and J.Chapman.
G.Lewlsey came onto bowl and contributed four wickets in his 12 over spell. He got A.Kamboj for 70, well caught one handed diving forward by D.Malpass. Another good catch, this time by Redders diving to his left gave G.Lewsley his second. At 131 for 5 the game was in the balance. S.Mehmood came to the crease and was dropped early on and he went onto punish Congs. He blasted 34, hitting some big sixes over the trees at Fulneck. This innings swung the game as Leeds Sikh won by three wickets in the 1st over we gave them by not batting out our overs.
Again disappointing to see the opposition win the game in overs they gained from us. With six games game left and in the bottom two, Congs need some wins and quickly if we are going stand any chance of staying in the A Division.
Thornbury v Pudsey Congs
At Daleside Road
Saturday July 23rd, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
Congs won the toss and choose to bat at Daleside Road.
Congs welcomed back Gary Lewsley to the team, he will be an essential part to the Congs side for the rest of the season.
Congs got off to a bad start as skipper M.Gaunt fell early, bowled by the impressive U.Munir. I.Nazir and G.Lewsley looked to rebuild as they put a partnership of 29 together. G.Lewsley was looking good after playing a couple of beautiful pulls and cover drives, but was undone by a top ball from U.Munir which swung in to hit top of off. Redders was U.Munir’s 3rd wicket, this brought M.Amin to the crease who didn’t hang around, he hit his first ball for 6! He and I.Nazir put on a partnership of 91. I.Nazir was playing gloriously, his cover drives in particular were brilliant to watch as he made his maiden senior 50. Well played young man! M.Amin followed him in quick time as he hit the balls to all parts. His 50 was long overdue as he has looked very good recently. Well played Mani.
I.Nazir was unable to go on as he fell for 58. This led to a collapse as Congs went from 151-4 to 199 allout. M.Amin fell for 87 as he tried to bat through as he fell 13 short of a 100.
M.Amin 87 and I.Nazir 58
Thornbury got off to a blistering start as their opening batters got to 33 in no time. J.Chapman got the breakthrough, he got A.Sheikh well caught by C.Sharp. J.Chapman continued to impress as he got the other Thornbury opener caught and bowled.
Y.Javed and H.Khan rebuilt with a partnership of 47. Congs spin twins G.Lewsley and I.Nazir were brought on and began to tighten the screw. G.Lewsley getting a wicket first ball on his return caught by C.Sharp. The combination of bowled Lewsley caught Sharp worked again as G.Lewsley got his second.
W.Abbas then ran himself out after great work from I.Nazir. At 103-5 the game could swing either way. Thornbury skipper was at the crease and looked to make it swing his way but he lost K.Hanif bowled beautifully by I.Nazir. K.Ali and U.Munir steadied the Thornbury ship as they made a partnership of 58. U.Munir dug in whilst K.Ali looked to punish loose balls. J.Chapman broke the partnership with a superb slower ball which did U.Munir all ends up.
C.Hill then inspired Congs in the field with a great stop and throw at point to run out M.Humzah. R.Shabbir was his usual defensive self and K.Ali was still at the crease as he made his 50. We entered into the overs we gave them and when scores were level there was another run out, again by I.Nazir as he removed the Thornbury skipper for 68.
1 wicket needed to tie and 1 run needed to win, this was tense stuff! Two balls from C.Hill were kept out, until young F.Ali pushed a quick single which gave Thornbury the win.
J.Chapman 3-49, G.Lewsley 2-32, I.Nazir 1-43
With players missing, this was a great effort once again from a young Congs side. It’s disappointing to lose a game in overs we awarded to the other team, but positives can be taken from gaining full batting points for the first time in a while.
Halifax Direct v Pudsey Congs
At Karmand Centre Ground
Saturday July 9th, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
The forecast again did not look good as Congs travelled to the Karmand Centre. However only 3 overs were lost from both teams innings as the game got under way 30 minutes late. N.Khan won the toss and with one eye on the weather, he choose to bowl.
M.Gaunt got off to a great start once again as he proceeded to hit the first 2 balls to the boundary for 4. I.Nazir at the other end also looked to be aggressive as cut and swept numerous boundaries. The pair put on 48 but both fell in a quick space of time as they both scored 22. J.Chapman was pushed up the order but was unable to score the runs he had at 7. R.Kettlewell snr and M.Amin look to rebuild. Mani was in his belligerent mood depositing 6s to all parts. R.Kettlewell Snr also looked to attack as he hit spinner M.Iqbal back over his head for 6 as he cleared long on. At 88-3, 2 batsmen set and plenty of overs to go, Congs were well set to score an imposing total. However this was not to be as again batsmen set failed to go on and score a big score. This led to a lower order collapse as D.Malpass, S.Jolly and Redders went without making that many runs.
It was a combination of poor batting and impressive bowling from J.Iqbal, who finished with impressive figures of 8-44. His final wicket of J.Turnbull on 3rd team debut was a beauty pitching on leg and hitting middle. It went from 88-3 to 129-9, however there was time for some entertaining cricket from the last wicket pair of C.Hill and C.Nelthorpe. Under 13 C.Hill on his 3rd team debut scored 13 Not Out, he even tried to hit his first ball for 6, which led to calls by the opposition that C.Hill was skipper M.Gaunt’s son!
C.Nelthorpe AKA’ The Pudsey Lara’ wasn’t going to be out done as he rolled back the years to play a wonderful cover. The fun was ended as the last wicket pair got Congs to 141, well played you two!
M.Amin 28
Like the reverse fixture of this game early on in the season, C.Nelthorpe opened the bowling and he caused problems to the Halifax Direct batters straight away. The top 3 batters all fell to the experienced bowler who went from the Pudsey Lara with the bat to the Pudsey Warne with the ball. His first wicket was of the dangerous F.Ali, I.Nazir with a great catch. Redders then caught the other opening batsman on the boundary and things went from bad to worse as D.Malpass took a great one handed catch. At 25-3 the current champions were in trouble. A.Shah and J.Iqbal looked to rebuild as their partnership of 41 was what was needed against the tight bowling of C.Nelthorpe and I.Nazir. But C.Nelthorpe wasn’t finished at 3 wickets!
He got another breakthrough, this time well caught by C.Hill who was having a great game! His 5for was completed by another catch from another under 13, J.Turnbull taking the catch on the legside boundary with ease. C.Nelthorpe got his 6th, this time the big wicket of M.Chariwala. 87-6 the game well and truly on thanks to C.Nelthorpe’s superb bowling. It brought skipper N.Khan to the crease, he and H.Patel brought the much needed calm which was lacking from the innings.
Redders got N.Khan for 26 but there was to be no more wickets as H.Patel’s 35 Not out saw Halifax Direct home.
C.Nelthorpe 6-48
Again Congs fell short and they were lacking another 30 or 40 runs and the game would have been theirs. 4 out of the top 5 got starts and got out, which has been the story all year. However it was a spirited effort in field by Congs, especially when lacking bowlers due to injuries and players missing. To get the current champions 7 down with only 141 on the board was a superb effort and a brilliant performance from C.Nelthorpe who was well backed up by good catching in the field.
Pudsey Congs v Woodhouse
At Fulneck
Saturday July 2nd, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
Woodhouse were the visitors to Fulneck, a side which were level on points with Congs near the bottom of the table. Forecast for the day didn’t look good but the game got underway on time with Congs bowling first.
With J.Chapman unable to bowl, J.Royce opened the bowling with H.Jackson. Both bowled well and created chances, H.Jackson had Q.Shezad put down at slip which proved to be a costly miss as the opening bowlers failed to get the breakthrough.
Spin twins I.Nazir & Redders came on and bowled tight. Both bowlers were backed up by great fielding, in particular from Stu “Jonty Rhodes” Jolly and M.Gaunt. The spinners turned the screw but Q.Shezad & M.Bhatti were now well set to kick on as Congs didn’t take their chances. Q.Shezad made his 50 and then took Redders for 32 off 1 over, brutal hitting. He also took a liking to M.Amin as he quickly moved onto his 100. He finally fell as I.Nazir bowled him down the Fukneck slope through the gate. How many times we seen that this year from I.Nazir?
This began a bizarre period of play from Woodhouse, they decided to gift us 4 bowling pts in the last 12 overs of the game. Wicket after wicket fell as H.Jackson & S.Jolly got rewards for tight death bowling. Some great catching from Congs, J.Royce and T.Huffinley taking catches on the boundary with ease! Also mention to Wicketkeeper D.Malpass who took a superb 1 handed catch.
A good total of 224 from Woodhouse however it could have been much more and much less if Woodhouse applied themselves with the bat and Congs took chances which were offered in the first 20 overs.
H.Jackson 4-50, S.Jolly 2-24, I.Nazir 1-16
Congs top order got off to their usual aggressive start. Both I.Nazir and M.Gaunt stroked 4s with ease and were looking like again set to stay there for a while, however M.Gaunt chased a wide bowl and walked after feathering behind to the keeper. I.Nazir fell soon after him looping one to cover.
D.Malpass and M.Amin continued the aggression, both hitting huge sixes to their favourable areas. Again both batsmen looked set until D.Malpass was yorked LBW and M.Amin was run out trying a second to Woodhouse’s best fielder.
Redders looked to steady the ship but wickets continued to fall on regular occasions. S.Jolly and T.Huffinley came and went and Redders who looked set also walked feathering one behind to the keeper. Congs picked up a couple of batting pts but at 109-7 the win was out of sight. J.Chapman and J.Royce got us to 125 until J.Royce was run out.
H.Jackson who goes away to Nepal for 4 weeks will be missed with the ball, but didn’t trouble the scorers today as he became the 3rd batter to feather behind and walk. Dales Council fair play award looking promising this year? The game finished with another run out this time C.Nelthorpe after he hit his first ball for 4.
In the field we were much better but need to take chances early on as batsmen in the Dales usually make teams pay. Our top 5 all made starts (17, 10, 17, 21, 17) with a bit more application at the crease these starts can be converted into 50s and 3 run outs is very careless, improvement needed. A good win for Woodhouse in the context of the relegation fight, however still a long way to go.
Cookridge v Pudsey Congs
At Smithy Lane Ground
Saturday June 18th, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
Congs again were without a myriad of players, with again injuries above meaning Chippers and Huffers were up in the 2s and Stu being unavailable for game. So Congs welcomed 2nd team scorer and under 15 J.Stolarski to the XI for the 3s trip to Smithy Lane.
Cookridge won the toss and choose to bat on a good looking pitch and N.Bonnington was partnered by Z.Ahmed rather than W.Ali who was missing from the Cookridge XI to Congs delight. However Cookridge got off to a solid start with a partnership of 46 with Congs young bowlers J.Chapman, I.Nazir and H.Jackson bowling tight and all 3 unlucky not to get wickets in their 1st spell.
The breakthrough came from J.Stolarski who’s two wickets early in his spell, in particular the wicket of R.Ford, a great outswinging delivery caught well at gully by Redders. H.Jackson then got Q.Naqvi again caught well this time by M.Amin.
At 62-3 Congs were looking set to bowl Cookridge out, however skipper N.Bonnington played a smart knock and didn’t give Congs any chances as he made his way to 50 as he was well supported by D.Wyatt. Early tea was called as the rain came and the game restarted, but Congs definitely did not restart in the field as early standards disappeared. N.Bonnington batted through and fell for 89 with 4 balls to go and R.Kerfoot looked to add momentum to the Cookridge innings as they made a strong total of 216-6 after 45 overs.
J.Stolarski 3-34, H.Jackson 2-33
M.Gaunt and I.Nazir opened the batting again, with rain forecast M.Gaunt looked to either win the game as quick as he could or pick up as many batting points as possible. This tactic started off well with ball one going for 4 and ball two going for 6!
Skipper Gaunt did not stop there; he took opening bowler R.Wells apart hitting three 6s off him as he ended with figures of 2 overs for 27 runs. M.Gaunt did ride his luck as M.Wilson dropped him over the boundary for 6. I.Nazir played an intelligent hand, supporting his opening partner as he played no loose shots and waited to dispatch any bad balls in his innings of 15 not out. B.Holmes and M.Wilson bowled well, but M.Gaunt was in no mood to let any bowler settle for too long.
J.Gulzar and R.Kerfoot also were dispatched to the boundary by M.Gaunt as he brought up his second 50 of the season off only 36 balls. Congs gained the first batting point and in a strong position to win the game, the rain came with Congs on 81 off 13 overs.
M.Gaunt 57 Not Out
This however was to be the last of the cricket for the day unfortunately for Congs who looked favourites to win with M.Gaunt set for a big score, I.Nazir looking solid and plenty of batting to come. It again was a good display by our young bowlers, especially J.Stolarski and H.Jackson. Though our fielding was good before the first lot of rain, it worryingly deteriorated when we came back on. Another big game to come next week against Woodhouse who are level on points with us
Pudsey Congs v Farnley Hill
At Fulneck
Saturday June 18th, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
After last week’s big defeat against Bradford Moor, Congs were looking to bounce back. With 1s/2s short, Congs 3s were without Chippers and T.Huffinley but welcomed J.Chapman back into the side. Skipper M.Gaunt won the toss again (starting to get the hang of this) and choose to bowl after looking at the pitch earlier in the day with Ralph.
Our two young seam bowlers H.Jackson and J.Chapman opened the bowling and bowled tight lines as Farnley Hill’s openers struggled to get used to the pitch. Somehow both bowlers went without a wicket in their first spells, but built pressure as they kept the scoring rate at 1 an over! Though they didn’t get a wicket, when young Dedders came on he got a wicket 3rd ball, caught well by S.Jolly at short extra cover.
This brought one of the better batsmen in the league G.Beaumont to the crease and he looked to bully Dedders as he raced to a quickfire 59. With the score rate increasing, spin was brought on at both ends with I.Nazir and Redders getting good purchase off the wicket. After C.Sowden swept the ball at some pace at skipper M.Gaunt whilst he was fielding at short leg, I.Nazir got pay back by bowling the Farnley Hill opener. Redders then joined in the fun by getting 3 wickets, 1 being the important one of G.Beaumont (Redders clearly not impressed with the batters treatment of his son Dedders bowling).
I.Nazir picked up another wicket as both spinners finished up with impressive figures. Congs two young opening bowlers came back onto bowl and both got the wickets they deserved. Josh in particular came into his element as he thrives off bowling at the death as the impressive allrounder continued to go at 1 an over. Farnley Hill ended up with 144-9 after an impressive bowling display from Congs young bowling attack. Also it has to be mentioned the fielding display was much better than last week when drops were clearly costly. Well played lads!
R.Edwards 3-22, J.Chapman 2-16, I.Nazir 2-25, H.Jackson 1-20, D.Edwards 1-54
Skipper Gaunt found himself with another opening batsman, this time in the form of I.Nazir. The pair complimented each other well as I.Nazir dug in whilst M.Gaunt played his usual aggressive hand. The two openers made a partnership of 46, with M.Gaunt being the dominant as he peppered cow corner on regular occasions.
When I.Nazir was well caught at slip, D.Malpass came to the crease and played a cool hand. When M.Gaunt fell for 37 and M.Amin departed soon after, Congs were 71-3 and Farnley Hill felt they may be able to get back into the game. However D.Malpass was joined by S.Jolly and the experienced pair made solid contributions. Dave’s 23 and Stu’s 31 were vital in chasing down the total of 144. With the win in sight a couple Congs wickets fell and nerves began to kick in. However J.Royce and J.Chapman ensured there was no drama at the end of the game. Joe looked to dispatch wayward deliveries and Josh hit a huge pull shot for 6 over midwicket as the pair saw us home.
M.Gaunt 37 and S.Jolly 31
After four defeats on the bounce this was a big win against a side near us in the league. Every member of the team played their part in this game and again our young bowling attack impressed. Another big game next week against Cookridge, where we hope to get another win.
Pudsey Congs v New Wortley
At Fulneck
Saturday June 4th, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
On a rare occasion for skipper Gaunt, he had 15 players to pick from. What a luxury! The 3s also welcomed back Mani into the side, who would bolster the batting line up.
Congs won the toss and choose to bat, with Mani and Macca starting off in their usual aggressive style as boundaries flew. This was put to an end when M.Gaunt showed little footwork to a straight ball and was bowled and soon after Mani was run out. This led to a precession of wickets with Z.Mahmood, S.Jolly, Chippers and Redders all falling in quick succession. J.Chapman and T.Huffinley looked to rebuild as they steadied the flow of wickets. J.Chapman looked as solid as he has all season and T.Huffinley looked to dispatch loose balls from the spinners whenever possible.
Their partnership was broken as J.Chapman (17) missed a straight one. T.Huffinley continued to play some shots as three slog sweeps went for 6 during his innings of 28. Once he fell it was down to I.Nazir and the tail to make sure we made it to 100. I.Nazir played calmly during his innings of 14 and was well supported by J.Galvin and H.Jackson as Congs batted 44 of their overs as they made 107.
T.Huffinley 28
Congs got off to a superb start with the ball with both opening bowlers bowling tight lines and beating the edge of the bat on regular occasions. J.Galvin bowled a brilliant nine over spell, getting three wickets for 12 runs. This was best I’ve personally seen James bowl, his carry and shape away from the batsmen was unplayable at times! J.Chapman at the other end kept the pressure up, only going for 17 runs in his 7 overs, he was very unlucky not to get a wicket. Well bowled both!
J.Galvin’s 3 wickets left New Wortley 19-3 and gave Congs a sniff of victory. However U.Tahir (39) and B.Rasool (32) dug in and rebuilt the innings. Their partnership of 53 looked to have given New Wortley the win comfortably however I.Nazir and Redders came onto bowl and both got 2 wickets each. At 93-7 Congs surely couldn’t steal this game? This was not to be as New Wortley’s tail saw their team home for the three wicket win
J.Galvin 3-12, R.Edwards 2-12, I.Nazir 2-22
A much better all round performance compared to previous weeks. Though Congs did bat out 43 overs , we were about 25 – 30 runs short today, the top order needs to contribute a lot more. We go again next week away to Bradford Moor
Pudsey Congs v Thornbury
At Fulneck
Saturday May 21st, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
With the forecast not looking good, Congs were hoping that Fulnecks superb drainage would come to their aide. That it did with Congs getting a 40 over game after a half an hour delay. Team news saw Gary Eckard make his return and after strong demand for to ‘Get Gedge In’, Nick Gedge came into the side.
M.Gaunt won the toss (finally) and choose to bowl on a bowler friendly track due to the weather. However this decision was not vindicated as Congs opening bowlers C.Nelthorpe and J.Chapman struggled early on as the Thornbury openers looked to attack. A.Shaik and A.Halim put on 72 for the first wicket with them scoring 41 and 40 respectively. Congs fought back after H.Jackson and I.Nazir were brought into the attack, surprise surprise I.Nazir getting the breakthrough bowling A.Shaik. On a pitch that assisted him, I.Nazir bowled as well as he has all season taking three wickets. N.Gedge took a smart catch at silly mid off and M.Gaunt catching a fine knick behind to give him his 3 for. Does I.Nazir ever have an off day?
H.Jackson at the other end bowled brilliantly, he had an early chance dropped by his skipper but M.Gaunt made up for it catching H.Jackson’s two wickets as the young swing bowler kept it tight with impressive figures of 2-23. With Congs taking wickets, it was down to K.Ali to get Thornbury to a big total and, on a tough pitch with some good bowling, the Thornbury captains 33 looked vital for them. N.Gedge and G.Eckard came onto bowl on their returns and both looked good picking 1 wicket each. With Congs lacking a senior seam bowler hopefully these 2 can be the missing pieces to the bowling attack for the rest of the season.
J.Chapman came back into the attack and bowled much better in his second spell as he claimed 2 wickets, one being of the impressive K.Ali well caught again keeper M.Gaunt diving to his left. Thornbury finished on 156 which looked pretty good after to being put into bat, this would take a great effort from the Congs to chase this down.
I.Nazir 3-21, H.Jackson 2-23, J.Chapman 2-56
M.Gaunt opened with a R.Kettlewell snr and Congs got off to a disastrous start as the latter got out LBW for a duck to the impressive U.Munir. It got even worse when Redders (0) was adjudged caught behind, dubious umpiring it has to be said. U.Munir didn’t stop there as he then got S.Bhatti (3) who had scored 50s in his last 2 innings. This was a combination of great bowling, a bowler friendly pitch and brainless cricket from the top order. Congs were even deeper in trouble as they fell to 18-5 after K.Hanif claimed T.Huffinley (0) C & B and he also got I.Nazir (0) who played a lofty drive straight to the man at cover first ball.
With M.Gaunt at the other end dealing in inside edges to fine leg it was looking like only rain could be our saviour today. The skipper did try to counter attack, with the bat hitting the shot of the day a pull shot down the ground baseball style for 6 but it was all to no avail as he got out after being dropped by B.Wilson twice, it was not 3rd time lucky as he was out for 21. Though again it looked like poor umpiring as the full toss looked quite clearly above waist height.
G.Eckard and J.Chapman looked to build a partnership, the former looking pretty solid considering his lack of practice time this year. After looking solid, the partnership was broken as J.Chapman was given LBW, again dubious and a set G.Eckard (20) was at the wrong end of a shocking LBW decision, not the best day at the office for the officials. After getting max batting points so far this season, Congs were unable to get a single batting point as they finished 68 all out. An impressive win for Thornbury on a day which looked destined to be overshadowed by rain.
M.Gaunt 21 and G.Eckard 20
Bad day at the office for Congs, though decisions did not go our way we fully deserved that beating as our batting just did not look up to much today. Thornbury’s opening partnership of 72 was the winner in the end as after that only K.Ali looked comfortable at the crease for them. A learning curve for the lads but we go again next week and look to replicate our last ball win against Leeds Sikh from last year.
Drighlington v Pudsey Congs
At Station Road
Saturday May 14th, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
Congs returned to league action with Dave Malpass coming in for R.Kettlewell Jnr who was given his 2nd team debut. With Drig being one of the two newly promoted sides, Congs knew this was a winnable game but also were aware from previous encounters, there were a few dangerous players in their team.
For the 5th toss in a row, skipper M.Gaunt lost and Congs were asked to field first. J.Chapman and Col opened the bowling again and the former got the breakthrough as opener J.Gamble looped one to mid off. B.Loveday and H.Aftab looked to rebuild, as the Drig batsmen were more patient with Col’s bowling unlike Halifax Direct the previous week. After tight bowling from our opening bowlers, I.Nazir and H.Jackson were brought on to get another breakthrough and they did just that. I.Nazir getting another classic off spinners wicket, with the ball sneaking between bat and pad bowled, excellent stuff from the young bowler. This brought the dangerous B.Mistry to the crease who has the ability to take the game away, however Harry got him early on caught superbly by Col diving forward from mid wicket. Skipper M.Waller came into bat and he and B.Loveday dug in to make sure they made the most of their overs. They put on 32 until Redders came on and his loopy off spinners got the Drig opener for a well made 41 and his skipper soon followed him back to the pavilion again succumbing to Redders after some good glove work from D.Malpass. A couple of cameos from A.Mitchell and U.Iqbal, pushed the scoring rate up for Drig, but smart bowling from Redders and a brilliant second spell from J.Chapman made sure the last four wickets did not give Drig max batting points. Josh again showing how well he can bowl at the end of an innings as his full length got him another two wickets and Redders ended with four wickets.
R.Edwards 4-49, J.Chapman 3-27, I.Nazir 2-29, H.Jackson 1-22
With no Ross, Redders opened the batting with skipper M.Gaunt (apparently a big fan of Eurovision) Congs 3s skipper looked to finish the game a bit too quickly as he was dropped 1st ball trying to hit it for 6. This did not put him off playing his shots as he hit a 4 and 6 in the second over. He was given another life as he again tried to go big, and again was dropped and after a couple more boundaries his Afridi esque cameo was finally finished for 28.
Redders and I.Nazir both fell for double figures and T.Huffinley was bowled by a peach first ball leaving Congs 55-4 with still a lot of work to do. S.Bhatti who was on the back of a 50 in the cup stepped up to the plate and made it his job to finish the game, and that he did. The aggressive batter continued his form from Sunday and played a superb knock waiting to dispatch the bad balls. He was supported by S.Jolly who played his role superbly working the strike for S.Bhatti to attack. A partnership of 65 from the two was just what Congs needed. S.Jolly got out for 22 just after he’d hit a great six to mid wicket. This however was not going to be enough for Drig with S.Bhatti still at the crease as the boundaries continued to flow as he brought up back to back 50s, well played S.Bhatti!!! J.Chapman (15) and D.Malpass (8 not out) helped S.Bhatti finish the game as Congs picked up 20 points for the second time this year!
S.Bhatti 64 Not Out, M.Gaunt 28, S.Jolly 22
A great win for the Congs. With our young bowling attack continuing to impress, our batting is as solid as ever this year and a much improved fielding performance also has to be mentioned. With that win we go 2nd in the league, as we continue to surpass expectations this year.
Let’s hope we continue these excellent performances!
Pudsey Congs v Baildon
PPM Cup First Round
At the Strikes CS Britannia Ground
Sunday May 8th, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
At the time of writing this skipper M.Gaunt was making his usual train journey back to Liverpool only a few hours after playing. His emotions were a mixture of deep frustration and more importantly immense pride.
After a Baildon’s Bradford League fixtures were called off earlier in the season, a number of their Bradford League first teamers were able to qualify for the Pool Paper Mills trophy by playing one Dales Council game, meaning our cup tie went from a Dales Council A v B division clash to a Dales Council A division side v Bradford League 1st/2nd team game. This gave Baildon a massive advantage as they piled on 263 runs on a superb Congs track in the baking heat, Bradford League 1st teamer D.Wilson making an effortless 100.
With an unlikely chase on the cards, this Congs 3rd team battled to the very end, with nothing to lose they had a go. S.Bhatti made a brilliant 75, depositing Baildon 1st team overseas opening bowler (on the back of a 5 for the day before) back over his head for 2 huge 6s! S.Jolly, R.Kettlewell Jnr, Chippers and D.Malpass all made good contribution as Congs fell 23 runs short.
In the end it seemed that Baildon were embarrassed that they only just won the game. Although Baildon did not break any rules, I would personally question whether it was in the spirit of the game for Baildon to put so many Bradford League 1st teamers in the XI of a cup which is meant for Dales Council First teamers? A debate I’m sure that will be brought up to the league, who will hopefully look to reform the rules to stop this situation from happening again.
However that being said we put up such an amazing effort I can only thank the lads for all they put into a game which clearly was going to be an uphill battle from ball one and no one ever thought the game was gone. To fall only 23 runs short is a heroic effort from the Congs players. I have never been prouder to captain this Congs team
Pudsey Congs v Halifax Direct
At Fulneck
Saturday May 7th, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
For the second time this season the 3s were finding it hard to get 11 men after a mixture of lack availability of a few players and injuries from teams above. It meant that Colin ‘legend’ Nelthorpe and C.Sharp came in for their first game for the 3rds this season.
With the combination of another superb wicket and a hot day, the Congs players were hoping skipper finally would win a toss. He as expected failed and the current champs Halifax Direct unsurprisingly choose to bat. Skipper Gaunt earlier in the week toyed with the idea of opening the bowling with Col and his idea was put into practice after S.Jolly had a similar thought. What an idea it was! 12 overs straight through with the new ball Col claimed 3 wickets at 3 an over as the champs had no idea how to play his deceptive bowling. First a smart bowled using the Fulneck slope, second a thin nick caught behind and a third caught by Redders at point. Inspired captaincy and even better bowling, well played Col!
At the other end J.Chapman built the pressure, bowling a superb first spell, offering no width and bowling at a lively pace. The young left armer showed his worth. I.Nazir and H.Jackson came on and the Halifax batters looked to counter attack on a very good deck.
M.Chariwaza looked particularly good scoring at a fast rate. H.Jackson’s good bowling was awarded with a wicket as another young Congs player stepped up and did a job. Halifax Direct was looking like they’d score 270+ but I.Nazir had other ideas. He claimed 5 wickets varying his pace and using the slope to his advantage as the ball clattered into the stumps on many occasions. Even skipper Gaunt got a stumping off I.Nazir which is a very rare combination as I.Nazir is the harshest critic of the skippers glove work! Josh came back on and bowled even better and faster than his first spell, drying up the runs at the end. Unfortunately he didn’t get a wicket today but it has to be said it is the best he has bowled. The young lad bowling with the new ball and at the death only went at 3 an over on an absolute road against one of the better teams in the league. His pressure at his end definitely resulted in many wickets today. Well bowled J.Chapman.
Halifax Direct ended on 238-9, a great comeback from our boys as they toiled away in the heat!
I.Nazir 5-62, C.Nelthorpe 3-45
M.Gaunt looked to attack from the word go, with the first over going for 10. However he fell two overs later and the second wicket of I.Nazir fell soon after, leaving Congs looking suspect at 13-2. R.Kettlewell Jnr and S.Bhatti looked to rebuild, the former looking as solid as he has all year waiting for the balls that drifted onto his pads. S.Bhatti unfortunately fell for 15 after he looked set, but T.Huffinley came in and added some impetuous to the innings, taking a likening to the Halifax spinner (Slog sweep for six was pretty naughty). However a cramp ridden T.Huffinley was unable to continue, leaving Congs looking unlikely at this rate not going to be able to get even full batting points. Never fear though as R.Kettlewell Jnr was making sure his side batted out his overs. He and Redders dug in and made a partnership of 55 runs. R.Kettlewell Jnr made his maiden 50 for Congs, bringing it up with a majestic 6. Well deserved, very much one of the most improved cricketers in the club, his batting has come on astronomically over the last 2 years.
With Redders and R.Kettlewell Jnr getting out it was down to J.Chapman and the lower order to make sure we got full batting points. This was never in doubt as J.Chapman loves a red inker, his 21 NOT OUT made sure we got maximum batting points.
R.Kettlewell Jnr 58, J.Chapman 21 Not Out
Another loss for Congs but again by no means a bad loss, as we showed ourselves to be a tough opposition even with players missing against the best teams in the league! We continue to show we are a great batting side and our young bowlers performing superbly in tough conditions, particularly J,Chapman, I.Nazir and H.Jackson today and C.Nelphorp’s bowling was unbelievable. Again great batting from R.Kettlewell Jnr who has deserved this 50 and more will definitely come, sooner rather than later.
Woodhouse v Pudsey Congs
At Meanwood Road
Saturday April 30th, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
After rain and snow all week, luckily the sun came out on game day allowing the 3rds to get a full game in, when the other two Congs teams were called off. The 3s were strengthened with Max Backhouse, Chippers and Harry Jackson coming into the side.
Skipper M.Gaunt lost the toss and unsurprisingly was put into bat on a bowler friendly looking pitch. With the ball popping up off a length and some tight from the Woodhouse bowling, chances were offered by both R.Kettlewell Jnr and M.Gaunt, fielding practice clearly not on the top of the Woodhouse player’s priorities. The Congs openers looked to cash in, M.Gaunt looking his cavalier self, hitting two 6s, but soon fell for 26 after his second six. R.Kettlewell Jnr was looking solid at the other end, looking more like a senior player rather than a junior. He waited to punish anything that strayed onto his pads. He and M.Backhouse continued the scoring on a difficult pitch but soon after R.Kettlewell Jnr fell for a well played 35.
M.Backhouse worked hard for his 49 runs and glimpses of his quality was seen in his mid on drive for 4 and his straight 6 in particular, no wonder Max has been in the 2nd team this year! S.Bhatti played some deft touches on the offside but went for 19 and T.Huffinley and Redders also followed him back to the pavilion after both making starts. J.Chapman continued his batting form making a positive 24 NOT OUT, ensuring the Congs finished strongly as they got full batting points on their way to 196.
M.Backhouse 49, R.Kettlewell 36, J.Chapman 24 NOT OUT
After the sun had been shining all day and a quick roll of the pitch, the Woodhouse deck became a much more batting friendly deck, so Congs knew they’d have to work hard to defend 196.
Woodhouse’s openers got off to a great start with some positive shots coming from U.Shakir and M.F.Bhatti. However H.Jackson on his 3rd team debut got the breakthrough, with a delivery nipping back in which could only be gloved to Redders. Two further wickets came from J.Chapman, both bowled as he finally got his line right. At 55-3 there was a chance for Congs to get back to back wins but I.Mizra had other ideas. The heavily built Woodhouse batsmen played a typical bludgeoning Dales knock, looking to punish Congs spinners I.Nazir and M.Backhouse.
However the batsmen at the other end began to fall, with I.Nazir getting 2 quick wickets leaving Woodhouse looking a tad suspect at 129-5. However T.Iqbal came in and batted with similar aggression to I.Mizra. Mizra finished on 91 NOT OUT and T.Iqbal finished 39 NOT OUT with the chase unsurprisingly ending with a huge six over long on.
Ultimately the toss was key to this game; it was a good effort from Congs but ended up a game of two halves. Plenty of positives again, some good batting from R.Kettlewell Jnr and M.Backhouse and wickets for I.Nazir and J.Chapman once again. We go again next week, two big fixtures against current champions Halifax Direct in the league and the first round of the cup against Baildon at our main ground, so let’s hope for 2 wins!
Pudsey Congs v Cookridge
At Fulneck
Saturday April 23rd, 2016
Match Report by Macauley Gaunt
The 3rd team started their season at Fulneck against Cookridge, a side that last season bowled us out for 93 as they won the game by 10 wickets.
Surprisingly even without a 4th team this year we were struggling to get 11, with skipper M.Gaunt having to call up junior T. Pickering and make R. Kettlewell Snr wait a little longer for his cricketing retirement.
Captain Gaunt lost the toss and was put into bat on a good looking batting surface prepared by G.Curtis and R.Middlebrook (Thank you once again!). After an aggressive start from R.Kettlewell Jnr and M.Gaunt, N.Bonnington’s decision look to be the right one as R.Kettlewell fell bowled off his bat, then pad, then onto his stumps, very unfortunate. He was quickly followed by I.Nazir and S.Bhatti back to pavilion after some smart use of the Fulneck slope by opening bowlers R.Holmes and R.Kerfoot. Would be 4th team skipper Tom Huffinley came to the crease and looked to be positive, and after a sublime cover drive, it looked like he would stay with M.Gaunt for some time. However J.Gulzar came into the attack and straight away caused problems, making T.Huffinley chip one to mid on. At 47-4 it was seemed like 93 all out was on the cards again, however on Shakespeares birthday ‘to be or not to be?’ was the question, and today it was not to be. Redders came to the crease and looked solid from the off and at the other end M.Gaunt looked to stay positive, playing some trademark hits back over bowlers R.Holmes and R.Wells heads. Captains knock from M.Gaunt as he made 50 just before drinks.
Once the spin of R.Khan came on, Redders started playing his shots, specifically the sweep about 5 times for 4 as Neil Bonnington didn’t choose to put protection on the legside boundary. The partnership was broken as M.Gaunt walked for 70, after a thin edge behind well caught by his opposing skipper. At 125-5 the platform was set for incoming batsmen J.Chapman and Redders to launch and that they did. Redders brought up his 50, which showed why the experienced cricketer will be vital to the side this year. J.Chapman at the other end was looking classy as he pulled a couple of 6s to the big leg side boundary. Redders fell for 59 and S.Jolly came in and got a quick 11 as Congs ended up on 234-9, J.Chapman ending up on 46 NOT OUT. A much needed knock by the junior, well played.
M.Gaunt 70, R.Edwards 59, J.Chapman 46 NOT OUT
Though we posted a strong total of 234, our bowling attack looked depleted, with only one frontline seamer in the team in the form of J.Chapman. M.Gaunt was going to have to rely on his spinners I.Nazir, S.Jolly and R.Kettlewell Jnr.
Neil Bonnigton came to the crease with W.Ali (Who plundered a quick fire 50 last year against us) looking for a solid start to the big chase. Josh Chapman sent the Cookridge skipper on his way, well caught by 3rd team debutant T.Pickering at point. Though there was an early break through, this did not matter one bit to W.Ali, who once again looked ominous smashing the ball to all parts. However with I.Nazir opening the bowling he tied down one end, bowling 12 overs straight through, taking 3 wickets all cleverly bowled by the young spinner who used his pace and the Fulneck slope smartly to his advantage.
I.Nazir finishing with figures of 3-33, another matured performance from a Congs junior, well bowled. S.Jolly came onto bowl, looking to get rid of the dangerous W.Ali who passed his fifty yet again at Fulneck! The game looked in the balance at 131-4 and W.Ali at the crease on 80, but the game swung in Congs favour as a tactical chest high full toss from S.Jolly to W.Ali could only find the fielder J.Chapman on the boundary who took a superb catch under pressure on the edge of the boundary. R.Ford who stayed with W.Ali took over the scoring for Cookridge, this game was not over yet. R.Kettlewell Jnr game on to bowl and he got the big wicket of R.Ford for 47. A well worked out wicket, R.Kettlewell Jnr told M.Gaunt to stand back as he darted his first ball in. R.Ford clearly thinking it was going to be an over of Yardy styled darts, R.Kettlewell Jnr gave his next one some flight and R.Ford could only find R.Kettlewell snr at mid wicket.
A flurry of wickets and runs proceeded as M.Gaunt ran out K.Khan with the slowest throw in Dales history and though J.Gulzar showed some resistance with a well made 25, S.Jolly and R.Kettlewell Jnr cleared up the tail. Congs win by 28 runs!
R.Kettlewell Jnr 3-32, I.Nazir 3-33, S.Jolly 2-84
A great performance and a great team ethic brought the 3rd team through today. Some great batting from M.Gaunt and Redders and some great bowling by our young bowling attack. Again it is brilliant to see young players like J.Chapman, I.Nazir and R.Kettlewell Jnr perform vital roles with bat and ball. Looking like it could be a positive season for the 3rd team.