Baildon CC v Farsley CC

Date: Saturday, August 8
Venue: Jenny Lane, Baildon
Weather: Warm
Result: Farsley won by 1 wicket
Points: Farsley 18: Baildon 7
Scores: Baildon 195 all out : Farsley 198-9

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In by far the most absorbing game of Farsley's League season, relegation threatened Rams beat top of the League Baildon in a game of high drama and by the narrowest of margins, a 4th ball boundary of the last over of the match giving Farsley a victory nobody had quite expected.

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An unfinished last wicket partnership of 29 priceless runs between regular X1 player Ryan Lumb and the ever reliable Robert 'Bozza' Thornton eased the visitors home to a magnificent 18 valuable points which cost Baildon their leadership of Division 1 but brought relief to a Farsley side who had only recently suffered their worst defeat of the season against bottom team Manningham Mills. Such is the game of cricket!

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The win – Farsley's 7th League victory of the season – was all the more remarkable by the fact that the Rams were missing three regular 1st Team players in Ashley Metcalfe – summoned by his County Cricket employers to work at the Headingley Test, Aayaz Akram who was unavailable and David Syers, Farsley's elected skipper who is missing due to his football commitments with Farsley Celtic AFC. David's season has been a hotch-potch sort of affair and one he will not be recalling with any degree of satisfaction, albeit if he plays in the Priestley Cup Final he still has a chance of a little glory at the end of it all!

The heroes for Farsley on the day were all rounders James Lee (a fine 4-49 double shift, particularly his 2nd one) and West Indian Lorenzo Ingram whose magnificent 4-38 full shift was later supplemented by an excellent 69 – remarkably his first half-century of the season – whose innings held Farsley's brittle batting together when a good few others around him were falling.

Not far behind of course wer the last pair Ryan and 'Bozza' without whose application and contribution at the death would have resulted in the Villagers going largely unrewarded from a game they deserved to win in truth.

After their previous week's 'blank' Saturday the Rams travelled to Leaders' Jenny Lane ground keen to pick up as many points as possible to stay clear of the threatening relegation pack. Baildon of course wanted points for a quite different reason – their cause was at the other end of the League Table which they led going in to this game by 11 points from East Bierley, Farsley's Cup Final opponents on 30th August.

The Rams had knocked out Baildon at Farsley earlier in the season in that farcical Priestley Cup 'ball out' carried out in the rain which would have led to Gene Kelly staying in doors and certainly not 'singing in the rain' but Baildon had beaten Farsley in the earlier League encounter by 5 wickets after bowling out the Rams for a modest 155. The game this Saturday therefore, had a bit of a spice to add to the mix, as Ian Philliskirk – one of 3 former Farsley players in the Baildon team even though the 4th – Craig Hitchenor – was missing through injury. A fine dry, warm afternoon saw Philli win the toss from acting Farsley captain Chris Henry and not surprisingly choosing to bat on a good looking batting wicket.

Jimmy Lee began proceedings for Farsley from the score board end but it was Chris Henry, once again, who made the first and early breakthrough, having opener Tabbi Bhatti neatly caught by that man 'Enzo. Baildon 1-1. Philliskirk came in at his traditional number 3 slot to join Reynolds and each batted well in moving the home side to 49-1 after 12 overs when 'Enzo actually floored a difficult chance which is about as rare as a MP's blank expenses sheet. 'Bozza' came on for Jimmy at 58-1 but Philliskirk, in impressive looking form, clattered the Rams' quickie for a mighty 6 and then a scorching 4 to quickly take himself too 44 out of a total of 70-1.

Fortunately for Farsley, Philli's aggression didn't last much longer when Chris pinned him for 44, LBW playing forward but looking plumb, Baildon 82-2 and looking plenty more but Reynolds then departed when young Joe Greaves held on at deep point off 'Enzo's bowling (on for 'Bozza') to make the home team 84-3.

Jimmy dropped a sitter of a catch off Chris Henry or it could have been 84-4 and Baildon went for drinks on a healthy looking 103-3, Ashraf (who bated well at Red Lane) looking for another decent score. 'Enzo was bowling well but some untidy fielding spoiled much of the Rams' otherwise good work but with 16 overs remaining the talented West Indian grabbed another wicket Ashraf going caught and bowled, Baildon 148-4.

This became 151-5 when 'Enzo claimed an LBW decision against Baildon's number 6 but some loose stuff off teenager Joe Greaves' leg spin, which cost the Rams a lost ball in a distant field and then a blistering 4 by Ahsan Butt (an eventual 59 not out) in one unfortunate over, looked to be letting the home side off the hook at 175-5 with still 10 overs to go.

Harry Smallwood was also chipping in usefully (a fine 33) and a gutsy cameo from the League's smallest player – Baildon's keeper Wilson – was proving difficult to shift until James Lee bounced back on to the scene with 3 wickets in one telling over.

Wilson went LBW at 180-6, another unfortunate had his stumps re-arranged, 184-7, and another victim was caught at gully of a fearsome lifter suddenly leaders Baildon were 184-8 with the previous smiling faces in their absence at Jenny Lane enclave.

'Enzo chipped in again – for his fourth wicket – when the impressive Anderson pouched a 'caught behind', Andy Walker the batsman this time, and James Lee finished matters with his own 4th wicket shattering the stumps of Baildon's last man, the home side allout for 195 which must have been a big disappointment to the home fans, having been at one time 148-3. The Rams had four extra overs to get a not insurmountable 196 for victory but it was still a score Farsley have only passed on three occasions this season, twice against Yeadon and once against Manningham Mills, but game on!

'Harps' (Harpal Ryatt) and 'Gazza' (Gareth Phillips) opened the Rams' reply and were going well at 32 for no wicket when 'Gazza' was dropped but he didn't benefit at all when he was out the very next ball, caught at mid wicket, Farsley 32-1, 2nd Team bowler Kinsey (replacing Craig Hitchenor) the bowler. Andy Walker was peeling off his left arm quick's from the scoreboard end and gained an LBW against 'Harps' at 52-2, Farsley still very much to do but, thankfully, 'Enzo looking to be in batting mode today at one end. Shabbs setted in with the Jamaican to take the Rams to drinks at 92-2, an encouraging start to the visitors' response but someone must have replaced Shabbs' drink because he was out soon after at 103-3, Mushie Ahmed's left arm spin doing the damage, caught at point.

Philli and Mushie were bowling well and keeping the Rams' run down in impressive fashion, Barry Frankland finding it hard to get the ball off the square such was the determination of the two bowlers. Barry's useful cameo knock came to an end when Philliskirk found a way through his defence, Farsley now 129-4 with 14 overs remaining and no sign of any spectator leaving the ground as the game unfolded in what was becoming an absorbing game of top class Bradford League cricket.

The importance of 'Enzo staying in against a keen as mustard attack was obvious to everyone on the ground but some of Lee's previous bating heroics were absent today as he was quickly gone, giving the talented 'Mushie' the charge, missing the ball completely and seeing his stumps re-arranged before the keeper would have stumped the County 2nd Teamer anyway, Farsley 138-5.

'Keeper Harry Anderson joined 'Enzo who was still playing more of an anchor role as the overs began to peter out and Philliskirk chipped in again with his "bowling of allsorts" by bowling the 'keeper at 143-6 with now less than 9 overs to go and still 53 runs need for victory. Phew!

Joe greaves then completed a very disappointing personal game by getting a 'first baler' – Mushie wining the LBW decision – The Rams now looking decidedly rocky at 144-7 but at a point where the game now changed dramatically in Farsley's favour. Philli bowled very well but 'Enzo took the decision, with overs and colleagues running short, to go for the ex-Farsley Skipper and two huge 6's which disappeared out of sight, a 2 and a single saw the Rams taking 15 off the over, 'Enzo to (remarkably) his first half century of the season the Rams now 161-7 with 6 overs remaining. Nobody move from your seats!

More drama was to follow as Walker replaced Mushie but 'Enzo smashed another couple of blistering boundaries before a huge final hit ending with a boundary edge catch. 'Enzo had gone for 69 and so it seemed had Farsley's last chance of victory when Chris Henry quickly followed, Farsley 169-9, Walker the triumphant bowler once again.

Farsley have had several last wicket partnerships already this season but none in the League as important as this was required to be but Ryan Lumb and 'Bozza' Thornton settled in to play some very sensible last ditch cricket – which 'Bozza' highlighted with a glorious 6 and with 4 overs remaining the Rams were 178-9 now just 18 runs short of victory – if you said it quickly!

A scampered single here, a well run 2 there, eased Farsley nearer their victory target and another mighty 6, this time from Ryan's flailing bat, held everyone in their seats at 189-9 with now just 2 overs left but only 7 needed for what would be an outstanding victory.

Walker added to the tension by peeling off 5 'dot balls' in the penultimate over but a no ball at the end of it lifted Farsley's hopes a little more and with the last over to come Farsley needed just 4. Cricket lovers of both sides had been richly entertained as a 4th ball boundary from Lumb won the game, the plaudits, the joyous team celebrations and a very valuable 18 points in a game to remember.

Table positions at the bottom:
8th Gomersal 176 points, 9th Farsley 173 points, 10th Woodlands (last years Champions) 163 points, 11th Yeadon 161 points, 12th Manningham Mills 155 points, 13th Hanging Heaton 135 points