Keighley v. Farsley


Date: Saturday, June 7

Scores: Keighley 211 - 7 : Farsley 162 : Keighley won by 49 Runs

Points: Farsley 5 – Keighley 19

Venue: Keighley CC

Second placed Farsley travelled to third placed Keighley with a nice 16 points gap between the two sides but returned home to Red Lane with a gap narrowed to a mere two after a disappointing 49 runs defeat at Lawkholme Lane.

Skipper Syers had an unchanged side at his disposal after a week's previous victory over Windhill, but surprisingly elected to bowl first on what looked like a belter of a batting wicket. With the present League bowing system benefiting sides who bat first, his gamble back fired badly when his bowlers largely failed to stem the runs – Metcalfe and Ingram excepted – and then his batsmen – himself and Shabbs again excepted – failed the test before them scoring 212 runs for victory, not an exceptional target of course.

Keighley's experienced Richie Robinson opened the batting and the talented left hander was quickly into batting mode with some sweetly struck boundaries before Bozza removed the home side's other opener with an LBW decision which the departed one did not like, Keighley 20 – 1 in the 6th over.

Robbo and fellow left hander Stu Radcliffe then moved the Lawkholme Lane side on at a brisk pace, the pair enjoying the bowling of Bozza, Henry and Lumb to take Keighley to 102 – 1 by which time Robinson had moved past his own fine half century and the Rams were left pondering where their next wicket was going to come from in the game's 20th over.

The act of Metcalfe and Ingram's double bowling change by Skipper Syers thankfully did the trick however when the West Indian clean bowled Robinson for 54 and the next 5 overs produced only another 10 runs as the Rams two spinners tightened their grip on what had been a bit of a runaway Keighley run bus before Robbo's dismissal.

A 'drinks' score of 112 – 2 still posed problems for a Farsley side whose own travelling spectators thought would have been batting rather than bowling but Radcliffe did eventually fall to another LBW off Metcalfe's bowling, Keighley 130 – 3, the big left hander just failing to notch his own half century but receiving warm applause from the Keighley supporters in any event.

With 18 overs remaining, Keighley still in the driving seat but Ash and Lorenzo both bowled well in tandem, the latter grabbing Farsley's 4th wicket via a catch by the former, Keighley 165 – 4, which became 182 – 5 when Ingram took his own 3rd wicket of the afternoon with only 4 overs remaining for Keighley to make hay. Poor Ronnie Duffield (Farsley's stalwart treasurer) had to watch in dismay however as one six smashed through car his windscreen but, that apart, there was little smashing as Keighley were finally held to a tea time 211 – 7, Ash claiming his 2nd wicket (bowled) and Syers snapping up number 9 batsman behind the sticks off Lorenzo Inghram (his 4th of the afternoon) to send both sides to tea, Keighley thinking they should have scored quiet a few more runs after their fine beginning and Farsley probably glad to have got away with a 212 target when a 260 one seemed more likely after 20 earlier overs.

The Rams needed a good start but got a disastrous one instead. The fired up 6'3" tall Ross Towler tore in from the scoreboard end to mop up Harvey Anderson before his tea had even settled, and then had Ingram playing on, first ball, to stun the Rams at 4 – 2 in the very first over, Keighley players doing a jig of joy at the outcome.

The talented Jamaican all-rounder has followed his blistering debut at Spen Victoria two weeks ago with scores of 7 and now a "duck" to bring the young man back down to earth. Keighley's opening bowler Davidson – ironically to play next day at Farsley's Red Lane ground for the Leagues White Rose side – was also bowling well and causing problems for Dan Clayton.

Shabbs though his answer was to hit both bowlers off their game and several nicely sprinkled boundaries and one or two across-the-line swipes got the Rams' score ticking along from their 4 – 2 start. His too ambitious approach cost him his wicket however, as an ill-advised swish got him caught behind for an all too brief 35, Davidson the bowler, Farsley 41 – 3.

Ashley Metcalf, sporting a new haircut but no runs, then played on and Dan Clayton was also caught behind to leave the Rams stuck in the trenches, seemingly in line for their second defeat of a so far successful season 45 – 5.

Syers might well of joined his mates for another early shower but was dropped behind by the diving 'keeper as the skipper and Will Kitchen tried to put right the earlier wrongs. They moved the score with some sensible batting to 89 – 5 at which time matters turned worse for the struggling visitors when Law 36 – the dreaded LBW one – made another appearance to send David on his way after making a battling 35.

The tall Barry Frankland again was caught LBW at 94 – 7 which was disturbing for Farsley.

Big Will Kitchen departed after a hard-worked 14 and at 101 – 8 Farsley's faithful were beginning to pack their bags and lock up their daughters as another Saturday night approached but then Chris Henry and Bozza Thornton held up the Keighley proceedings and any other personnel's evening ambitions.

The pair each batted well to show some of their earlier colleagues how to bat and battle, and a valuable 53 runs were added to give the Rams two valuable batting bonus points which at least keeps the visitors two points ahead in the League of their hosts. Both departed to leave Farsley all out for 162, a better total actually than they had looked like making from their earlier 41 – 5 debacle.

Towler, Davidson and veteran Reape each bowled well for Keighley in sharing the Farsley wickets but this was a below-par performance from the Rams which they will be looking to put right as Morley are the next opponents on June 14th at Red Lane.