Saltaire CC v Farsley CC

Date: Saturday, July 18
Venue: Roberts Park, Saltaire CC
Weather: Cool
Result: Farsley won by six wickets
Points: Farsley 15: Saltaire 2
Scores: Saltaire 78 all out: Farsley 79 - 4

Farsley's visit to Saltaire's Roberts Park have not been very fruitful in recent years.

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No visit at all was made last year when we were playing 2nd division cricket but this our sixth league victory of the season was sweet revenge for the defeat inflicted on the Rams by Saltaire back at Red Lane on May 2.

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The first obstacle anyone visiting Saltaire's headquarters these days is finding somewhere to park because massive refurbishment of Roberts Park is not lending itself to convenience of out of town visitors.

Rather more encouraging news for Farsley however was that the home side's best bowler – Tim Linley – was away playing for Surrey in their current game against Essex, and doing well by the way, but the lanky based quickie would have been a real handful today.

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Heavy overnight rain resulted in a late 2.30pm start, the home side's groundsman rumoured as having been on the ground since 5am – or at least that is what he told his good lady wife – but whatever the poor chap had been up to there is ample evidence much time had been spent trying to cut a decent wicket for the match.

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Farsley were without Gareth Phillips – and will be, along with Ashley for next weekends' double header – but Harpal Ryatt returned to the Rams' ranks and James Lee was seen licking his lips in eager anticipation when skipper David Syers – in recent good toss winning form – triumphed again and with a smile on his face invited the home side to take first knock on a wicket which looked decidedly dodgy for batting on, whatever the amount of time having been expended upon it.

There was a minute's silence as both teams lined up in memory of Farsley's Ex-President Ronnie Duffield who passed away recently and the Ram's players each wore black arm bands in memory of a past stalwart of the Red Lane Club.

The game started disastrously for the home side with a second ball run out for one of Saltaire's opener who must have wondered why he had bothered to turn up and, in truth, things got no better at all as wickets fell at both ends against a Farsley side with recent playing records of four wins in their last 5 matches and now playing with confidence not evident in their earlier season's matches.

A slip chance went begging or it could have been 2-2 soon afterwards but with 26 runs on the scoreboard the home side did lose their second wicket when Chris Henry made his customary early inroad by having the Saltaire number 2 caught by 'keeper Anderson. Just about the worst shot of this or any Bradford League season then got Farsley another wicket when what would have been a wide was chased by Saltaire's number 4 to give a dolly catch to cover point, the Roberts Parkers now 31-3, the wicket charitably going to James lee lucky chap.

Javid Umaji, Saltaire's well travelled number 4 was then clean bowled by Lee, now bowling a bit like Aussie Brett Lee, 36-4, the home side hoping for young Slater (a centurion on debut at Red Lane in May) to fashion something from the developing Saltaire crisis.

After fishing one of Farsley's balls out of the adjacent River Aire – and a couple of trout, a carp and an over fed roach as well – Farsley showed their gratitude by running out the son of the chap who saved Farsley a £25 cricket ball, an accurate boundary edge throw from the evergreen Metcalfe landing neatly in to Anderson's waiting gloves, Saltaire 39-5, Ash chuffed to bits and the rest of us wondering what Ash had had for breakfast.

Jimmy Lee must have found bowling on this wicket a bit different from his recent effort down at Taunton for Yorkshire against Marcus Trescothic and company and he grabbed his third wicket of the afternoon when 'Enzo pouched an easy catch to put Saltaire on 57-6 with 23 overs of the original 40 still in the bank.

Drinks (after 20 0vers) were taken at 65-6 and Aayaz Akram introduced himself straight after them by clean bowling number 8 at 66-7 and the ex-Bowling Old Lane medium pacer then displayed the merits of bowling straight and to a good length by having Saltaire's next man caught behind by the impressive Anderson at 71-8 with the home side now almost down and out against a rampant Rams.

Three years ago Saltaire's then last pair added a magnificent 108 against the Rams – only 7 short of a League record – when George hicks and Imran Arif became local heroes and respective nominations to having their statues erected at the side of the famous Sir Titus salt (which would have overlooked the ground if someone had turned it around by the way) but there was no such heroics today from George or anyone else for that matter. Aayaz grabbed his 3rd wicket of the afternoon and 'Bozza' chipped in with the last man's to leave Saltaire 78 all out after quite a disastrous afternoon's work if you were a Saltaire follower but a great display if you were a Farsley faithful.

Persistent and irritating nearby Church bells were hardly being tolled in celebration of their local cricket team's display and Fraley went to tea in high spirits, James Lee's 3-32 in a 12 over shift leading the way but Aayaz's remarkable late 3-10 doing the late, late damage, 'Bozza' Thornton and Chris Henry had to settle for a wicket apiece and the two run outs provided the Rams with maximum bowling bonus points, Saltaire all out in 30 overs.

The Rams were batting at 5.00pm with 50 overs to reach a target of 79, this week's opening batting short straws were drawn by Ash and Harps as Saltaire bowlers wound up to rescue an almost impossible situation. The pacy Nadim Mohammed from the scoreboard end was in particularly fierily mode as Ash quickly found out to his cost, caught at slip, Farsley 11-1.

The pacy one then grabbed another wicket when Harpal lobbed to mid on, a lumbering Umaji finishing on the grass like a beached whale in taking the catch, Rams 22-2 which then became a slightly worrying 28-3 when the disappointing Shabbs departed LBW. 'Enzo however had settled well today but lost his skipper Syers whose season is beginning to slip away before it has even started what with Farsley Celtic football commitments looming shortly and the Rams still had a job to do at 44-4.

David's departure came as a result of another mis-timed shot to mid-on which had the soft underbelly nature of a wicket to blame for several dismissals rather than actual poor shot selection it has to be said and if Saltaire had managed another 40 or 50 runs on this particular track that sort of total would have been a very difficult one indeed to beat.

As it was 'Enzo (a slightly lucky escape, again over mid-on) and newcomer Anderson each applied some sensible bating, 'Enzo clocking a magnificent 4 and 6 to ease the Rams home in style at the end, the Jamaican finishing with a very creditable 31 not out which must have been worth double on this sort of deck. Anderson's cameo role was also a useful knock just when needed and Harry's keeping and gritty batting look to be useful gains to Farsley's First Team.

The Ram's group stages of their successful 20/20 Dyson Insulation Cup Season – they are top of Group 1 having won 7 out of their 8 matches – ended on July 21st against Manningham Mills at Red Lane. The first of Farsley's Quarter Final stage games – assuming they finish as winners of their group – will be played at the Bradford & Bingley Ground (venue for their Priestly Cup Final game on August 30th) on Monday August 10th when they play the runners up from Group 4.