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Monday, 22nd March 2010

Farsley Cricket Club in touching distance of league title

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Published Date: 19 August 2008
By Boundary Edger
The Rams in touching distance of the Bradford League Division Two Championship after beating lowly Windhill.
Windhill v Farsley

Date: Saturday, August 16
Scores: Windhill 134: Farsley 135 for 3: Farsley won by 7 wickets
Points: Farsley 15 – Windhill 2
Weather: Fine
Venue: Busy Lane, Windhill CC

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The Rams' second visit of the season to Windhill's Busy Lane ground – the visitors won their Priestley Cup First Round game here back in May – turned out to be an 'as you were affair'

The Rams once again finished up seven wicket winners, just as they had done in the Cup Tie.

Throw in a 6 wicket win in the corresponding League game at Red Lane, also back in May, and one can safely assume that the Busy Laners were glad to see the backs of the Farsley side, some time around 7pm.

Those with an eye for cricketing coincidences might also like to know that Shabbir Rashid, Farsley's number 4, also made a half century at the this same ground in the Cup encounter ad took his runs very well indeed in making another unbeaten one on this occasion.

David Syers was without David Clayton – young Joe Greaves standing in – and when he won the toss he had little hesitation in inviting the home side to take first knock on a wicket that promised to be a slow run grind – out-your-runs-type of surface, the lanky Neil Johnson and the not so lanky Paul Mosey facing Bozza Thornton from the score board end and the Fiery Chris Henry who had a remarkable 8-45 bowling stint when the last time he played on an opponents' ground two weeks ago. It was the slow-paint drying stuff early on, Neil Johnson unluckily playing on in the tenth over with the Windhill score on no more than 10 which quickly became 11-2 when Mosey also fell LBW to Chris Henry, then 11-3 when wicket keeper Syers took off horizontally to hold on to a brilliant behind-the-sticks catch, off Bozza, to see Windhill's overseas player Amar Mahmood out for a 'duck'.

This all looked easy-peasy for the Rams at this early stage of the game but several dropped catches let the home side back into the game, Shabbs the first guilty of one letting slip a regulation slip catch which Geoff Boycott would tell you his mother could have caught in her pinny. A harder chance flew out of Ash's grasping hands not much later at gulley and after 20 overs Windhill had ground their way to 44-3, a recovery of sorts for those Windhill folk still managing to stay awake.

As if to compound what might be turning in to a bad day at the office, no other than Enzo then spilled a decent caught and bowled opportunity after he had replaced Bozza and then disappeared for a 6 and a 4 off successive balls before Baz held a missile of a catch off Ash to make Windhill 60-4 which became 60-5 two balls later when a bizarre 'bowled' went Ash's way when the unwary batsman watch the spinning ball slowly dislodge a bail, the Rams back in the driving seat.

Windhill had sent in regular 'tail-ender' and big hitter Darren Drake at number 3 in the absence of other regulars and the stocky quickie soon showed his supporters what he could do with his long handled, fashioned from oak bat as he and his opening bowling partner Iqbal Khan decided to put bat to ball in some huge big hitting, the like which is rarely witnessed on a League Cricket ground.

Enzo and Ash soon became victims of some massive hits from one or other of the pair – one smite smashed a roof tile on a house about 2 miles away, another huge smack disappeared in the general direction of Liverpool Docks and Drake went to 50, about par with the total runs he had scored all season, with a cheeky single and a bat waving exercise in celebration. Great stuff to watch if you are a Windhill fan.

The pairs frolic eventually ended when drake miscued of big Matthew Lumb to be caught by Enzo by which time the pair had added 52 valuable runs to put the home side at 112-6, Drake having smote 5 sixes and 3 fours in his big hitting 57. There were still l18 overs to go however and the game had now changed somewhat to bring a few frowns on the Farsley faithful faces and when Enzo dropped another half chance at cover at 117-6, and Khan smacked another mighty blow out of sight of 'muscles' Lumb (123-6), the visitors had visions of perhaps having to chase a 160-ish total on a day when the Rams were not looking their best in the field, it has to be said.

Farsley are not top of the table for nothing of course and they had a will to win and a fighting spirit about the team which again surfaced as Bozza pouched a neat boundary edge catch of Lumb, 124-7, Enzo then grabbed a decisive LBW, 125-8, then the West Indian then bowled number 10, Windhill 130-9. Bozza got his bowling act together again when Ash casually took a neat slip off the home grown quickie and both teams went into tea with Windhill all out for 134 and Farsley having 57 overs of varieties to get them in.

The pair of big hitters are clearly sponsored by firms of local roof tillers and glaziers and their fire-works lit up Windhill's otherwise moribund innings, their respective departures each being loudly applauded by some half cooked home supporters.

Drake's big hitting 57 was clearly the top score for the home side, Khan's 39 (4 sixes and a four) coming next with only Richard Claw (15) able to do much else in Windhill's cause. Farsley's wickets were all nice shared out, Chris Henry's 2-18 in 13 overs taking the eye, Enzo grabbing 2-24 in 6, Bozza another useful 2-27 in 11.1, Ash 2-29 in 5 and Matthew Lumb taking 2-31 in his 7 overs. Game on!

Harvey Anderson's season is not one he will be particularly writing about in his future autobiography and he was again quickly gone after he and big Will Kitchen had tried to get the Rams off to a good start. A mis-hit to mid off saw Harvey off for the proverbial early bath at 22-1 but Enzo and Will eased the visitors to 50 when Will read the wrong line or the wrong script, shouldered arms and saw one of his pegs disappear. Will is another popular early order batsman who has promised much but who, to, has had an up and down sort of season and one who unfortunately is rumoured to be leaving the Club and this area any way at the end of the season.

When Enzo surprisingly departed, caught behind to great whoops of delight from the home team for 21, the Rams were an uncomfortable 52-3 in the 16th over with still much to do in order to go on and win their 15th League game of the season. There can be few better pairs of Farsley batsmen on their day to change the course of the game however than Shabbs and Ash – Enzo and Dave spring readily to mind of course, as being another pair – and each batted with great responsibility and no little quality to the game to pull the game round Farsley's way with an unfinished, uncluttered and largely unfussed alliance which was not always easy at first but which grew in confidence as the pair eased, caressed, drove, pulled or simply chipped runs when available. Shabbs chose the ariel route rather more than Ashley but the Windhill heads and hearts had dropped or sunk respectively long before the unfinished partnership of 83 runs brought home the Rams at 135-3 and another 15 points to add to their existing 261 total, Shabbs ending on 55 not out and Ash on a quality, measured, 25 not out.

All top 6 second Division Clubs won their games and obviously all the bottom 6 lost theirs, so Keighley arrive at Red Lane on Saturday, August 23 as second placed side, with Gomersal (at home to Lightcliffe) each with still much to play for, as indeed have Farsley as the Championship of Division Two is now in sight.

Three games to go and the Fat Lady is rumoured to be now definitely rehearsing her singing………………..but cricket can be a funny game.

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  • Last Updated: 19 August 2008 3:35 PM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Leeds
 
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