Yeadon CC v Farsley CC

Date: Saturday, June 27
Venue: Yeadon CC
Weather: Fine and Warm
Result: Farsley won by 4 wickets
Points: Farsley 18 : Yeadon 8
Scores: Yeadon 225-6 (50 overs): Farsley 227-6 (47.3 overs)

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Farsley at last showed much better batting form than on some other occasions this season.

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And their well paced victory at Yeadon was their first in the league when having to bat second and case an opponent's total.

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It was never going to be easy after Yeadon improved from a stuttering start 68-4 at heir own 'drinks' break but they had been rescued by Danny Shuffe (102) and Grant Soames who were both largely responsible for taking the home side to a formidable 225-6 at the tea interval, a very decent total on a big Yeadon ground.

Shuffe had made a fine 96 on Farsley's ground back in late April – when Yeadon had posted 282-7 only for the Rams to go so close in that match with a 279-9 reply.

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This was a welcome victory even though big hitter Shuffe had gone one better on this occasion by hitting a 'ton' as Farsley wilted in the second half of Yeadon's innings.

Farsley brought in newcomer Harry Anderson (no relation to Harvey Anderson who has left the Rams for pastures new), a 22 year old wicket keeper/ batsman who however was happy enough to do his share of running around the big ground on his debut.

Harry, a Leeds lad, played for Farsley some years ago as a teenager but has been playing at Stockton more recently.

Aayaz Akram was again missing from the Farsley ranks but skipper Syers lost his umpteenth toss of the season and Yeadon took first knock against Farsley's James Lee and Chris Henry on a warn, somewhat humid day.

Henry from the High Street end, made an early in road by having Dave Leather caught in gulley by 'Enzo at 14-1 to continue Farsley's regular early wicket taking, particularly via Chris Henry's bowling.

Chris went on to grab Farsley's first 3 wickets and a slow start by the home side had them at 38-3 after 15 overs, young Joe Greaves pouching another in the gulley and Chris gaining an LBW to leave Yeadon with plenty to do for the remaining 35 overs.

Dave Syers introduced the left arm spinner 'Enzo Ingram at the High Street End at the 18th over but Bozza at the other Dam Lane end, on for Lee, looked out of sorts as a number of fours were clattered off the Rams' quickie. Right on 'drinks' however he gained some reward when a neat slip catch gave Farsley's 4th wicket at 68.

It had ben the Rams' first half by a long chalk, but things from here on did begin to go down hill for the Villagers, Bozza Thornton's wicket winning him a longer spell than his bowling at this stage really merited and Shuffe and Soames both moved serenely on from their team's earlier 68-4 disappointment to take command of the Rams' attack.

The talented pair went past the one hundred mark – Syers dropping a non-too-easy catch which his Farsley followers swear he would have taken last season and some occasional less-than-Syers'-quality keeping had leg byes adding to the Rams' woes. A simple dropped outfield catch by Joe, albeit with the sun positioned possibly in his eyes, also didn't help and the Yeadon side moved on to 128 before Soames was given run out – a decision he clearly did not like. Shuffe went on to 50 however out of 131-5 at which point some stick was handed out to any Farsley bowler who wished to bowl at him.

At 143-5 there were 9 overs remaining and, importantly, 35 maximum minutes in which to bowl them or suffer a penalty point to boot. The Rams would at this stage have happily settled for a total within a target of 200 but instead saw the home side score 62 runs in a blitzkrieg last 5 overs, 20 of them coming off one Chris Henry over as sixes and fours disappeared off full length half volleys from the otherwise reliable quickie. Chris's first 3 wickets of the game must have seemed light years away by now. James Lee had hardly shone either with the ball and 'Enzo had easily been Farsley's best on this occasion and he gained some reward when Syers' stumping eventually saw off the hard hitting Shuffe who had gone to his very fine 'ton' just a little earlier out of 208.. His wicket at least gave the Rams a third bowling point and everyone went for tea in the knowledge that Yeadon had been 'let off the hook'. The home side no doubt confident of another victory and Farsley sure in the knowledge that some improved batting from their batsmen rather than their bowlers was needed if the match was to provide a fourth League victory of the season and what would be their first win batting second.

Shabbs (Shabir Rashid) and Harpal (Harpal Ryatt) were this weeks choice opening batsmen as Syers, not gifted with a magic wand, sought to fin a partnership at the top order which would provide a decent platform for those who followed. It was, sadly, not to be this week either.

Harpal was quickly gone, caught at mid wicket off an unnecessary and too early an attempt at hitting the ball out of the ground and then Gareth Phillips, in at three, also left for an early shower, caught also at mid wicket. The Rams were once again looking to chase the game from a 30-2 scoreline.

'Enzo now coming in at number four in a general reshuffle, joined Shabbs at the wicket and the pair each did well. Before we knew it the Rams were 71-2 in the 15th over and looking good to progress. Shabbs went to his first 50 of a disappointing season for him out of 91-2 and we were all sitting back waiting the pair to go on and on, such was the quality of both batsmen's batting. Unfortunately an unsighted and badly positioned umpire gave Shabbs run out with even some of the Yeadon players themselves were embarrassed about – and home fans sitting square with the relevant wicket said Shabbs was well in - and then when an unsettled 'Enzo went next ball, LBW, Farsley were 111-4. Shabbs having made 63 and 'Enzo 37, both good knocks.

Drinks came at 114-4 but an-out-of-form Metcalfe (who admits to having an injury problem) then departed straight after the break at 115-5, a caught and bowled seeing off the Rams stalwart in disappointing fashion.

James Lee, fresh from a successful mid week match for Yorkshire Seconds – and his match winning 74 not out in the week before in the Cup win over Pudsey Congs – announced his arrival with two lusty fours which scorched the grass on their missiled way and he followed up with a quite magnificent six which must have registered on nearby Yeadon Airport's traffic control monitors as it disappeared into outer space to be lost forever.

Dave Syers was playing a fine anchor role to near perfection as he and Jimmy moved Farsley on from their earlier stuttering start 115-5 to 201 when Jimmy's fine knock at last ended with the hands of a nearby clock showing 7.30pm. Although the day was now looking bright for Farsley the evening had turned gloomy grey with an odd spot of very light rain beginning to threaten Farsley's hoped for victory.

Newcomer Harry Anderson announced his own debut for the Rams with four quick classy fours as he and skipper Syers (37 not out at the end) eased the Rams home with more than two overs remaining.

The Farsley faithful – and indeed many of the home supporters, all showed their appreciation as Syers and Anderson walked off at the end of another absorbing and entertaining Bradford League encounter, the promise of a much improved second half of the season the obvious conclusion to be hoped for from this splendid second half batting performance.

Lee (54), Shabbs (63), 'Enzo (37), Syers (37 not out) and newcomer Anderson (21 not out) had each done well in an excellent Rams victory.

It's just possible of course that these two well matched sides might meet again for the third time this season – in the Priestley Cup Final at Bradford and Bingley on Sunday August 30th !