Piece of Cake*

Saturday 23rd June could well be the day that real belief in Riddlesden cricket club's promotional aspirations became widespread. Yes, we'd had a good start to the season. And yes, big totals were being scored with regularity. And yes, the great performances were being spread throughout the team, not just one or two star players. But this weekend we had four players unavailable and had to draft in someone new, someone old(er - sorry Mr Bailey) and someone who hadn't played for us in a year just to make a full team! Yet the runs still flowed, the bowling was top notch and the win was brought home with aplomb! Still top of the table - do we dare dream yet?

The match itself - well done to Zain for winning the toss and electing to bat. Again our strength shone through in this department as Mick Cryer (35) and Mohammad Qadeer (17) laid a sound foundation of 44, Mohammad Shahnawaz continued his fine form of the season with another 47 runs - I'm informed he was unfortunate to be out as he was playing beautifully. The score was now on 107 as Akeel Rashid entered play, fresh from his unbeaten century last week. Once more he proved what a good batsman he is as he scored another 81, batting alongside Ibrar, new guy (sorry - don't have his name but I'll update it when I do!) who smashed 57 on debut and Zain. Zain himself then went on to record his first half century (59 not out) and the returning Shehryar Hussain struck a rapid 29. Bilal Bashir (7) came in late to help push the score to a massive 374-7

To their credit Hepworth & Idle came out swinging rather than plod along holding out for as long as possible. But the twin attack of Shanny (5-47) and Qaddy (4-43) was simply far too much for a side facing the sort of total we had posted - Shanny picking up a wicket in the first over and then wrapping up the victory in the 15th over. A mammoth victory by 266 runs and a show of the depth we have in the squad. Some selection headaches to come for the captain(s) over the coming weeks I suspect - never a bad thing really!

Thanks also need to be given to Miles Timperley of Eldwick & Gilstead for stepping in as our umpire to allow Stephen Bailey to don his whites for the team one more time - another example of the mutual benefits our arrangement with them is having,

This week Riddlesden will be at home against third place Barrowford - win this and at the midpoint of the season we will be top of the division! Sounds good doesn't it?

* The title is not a reflection on the game (though that appears to have been pretty straight forward in its own right), but an actual piece of cake and Mr Ian Brown being artfully outmanoeuvred by Joe McCool... Ask him about it, he thought it was hilarious...

Finally, I will be away for the next three weeks so the blog probably won't be happening for a while. I know you're all disappointed by this news, so I promise that if I find a wi-fi signal somewhere in the vast Canadian wilderness, I'll do what I can - if not, better still be top when I get back!