2012 Juniors
Under 9’s
Fixture List and Match Reports 2012 (Group 3 Gordon Bowers)
Manager Tom Brook and Coach Joe Royce
Finall League Position Group 4 = 1st, 8 Points
Season Review
Well, what a season it has been. People often moan that the cricket season is too short. But let me tell you, I can’t even come close to remembering those early days at Crawshaw in February. They seem an eternity away.
The reason for this isn’t purely the passage of time; much of this comes from the fact that I can’t remember the cricketers that most of the children were back then. They have all achieved so much over the past 6 months. It is undoubted that every single one of them has improved immeasurably since those early days.
Every child, whether they have played or trained has played a part in the season that we have had. As a coach, seeing a child catch or bowl properly for the first time is equally as important to seeing a child perform well in a match situation. For me the joy of being a coach at an under 9 level is the variety of experiences and skills each player possesses. Seeing any player improve gives me immense pleasure, and I am certain that each player who has attended a session down at the club this year has become a better cricketer. I can only hope they have enjoyed it as much as I have.
As a squad of players, I can safely say that the 22 children I have coached this year are the best I have ever come across in my time as a player/unsuccessful village hacker or a coach. The spirit between all the players is phenomenal and while the sun is shining and the weather is warm (around twice a year) there is no better place to be than down at the Britannia Ground running a training session. I would like to thank all of them for their behaviour and attitudes this season; they have been perfect in every regard and a pleasure to coach. If they can keep up this attitude throughout their careers some of them definitely have the potential to go far within the game.
Unfortunately, record books do not always tell the full story of a season and this is a real shame. For this year, they show that we did not improve on last season and this is simply not true. I am very proud of how every single player who played for the club performed, especially with the aforementioned team spirit. My mind is immediately taken back to several highlights- Liam Holgate hitting the stumps twice with direct throws, Alex Taylor being on a hat trick and Frankie Gibson hitting every single ball of an over for four. In truth, I could pick any of 100 highlights of this season; this shows the quality of the cricket that has been on show from all who have performed.
If I had to choose a favourite game, I’d pick the victory over Pudsey St Lawrence up at Tofts Road . There are obvious reasons why this would be a season highlight. But, rivalries aside, this was simply the best all round cricket performance I have ever seen by a side at this level. We simply outclassed and dominated the Pudsey St Lawrence team in every department (see match report for full details).
It is a shame that the season ended with a defeat away at Rastrick. It is always a hard pill to swallow when you get beaten in the knock out stages of a cup competition but I think the players should take great credit for how close they came against a very good and undefeated Rastrick team and the great deal of heart they showed during the game.
It will be sad to see some players move on this season. These players have given a great deal to the team this year and I thank them greatly for it. However, it is important that to remember that because of this, chances are available for places next season and there are certainly several people challenging for them and I know from the work that they have put into their training that they will not let me down.
Finally I would like to thank everyone who has been involved this season, especially all of the parents and carers. Without all of your help it would have been impossible to organise all the games that have been rearranged through rain. I would also like to thank Graham and John for preparing some absolutely fantastic wickets this season. These thanks are also extended to Mick Hirst and Mike Brook for their input in running the Junior Section. Anyone who has worked in the hatch or behind the bar also deserves thanks for keeping everyone fed and watered. Especially anyone who has watered me and Joe after a session or game. That quickly became the most important drink of the week!
Well done everyone for this season. I have loved every second; I look forward to seeing you all in February. Like I say, I can only hope you have enjoyed it half as much as I have.
Have a great winter,
Tom.
Match Reports 2012
Rastrick v Pudsey Congs
Wednesday September 5th, 2012
Match report by Joe Royce
Pudsey Congs travelled to group 3 champions and currently undefeated Rastrick for the Quarter Final of the Under 9 championship. As ever, and not spoiled by the big occasion, Frankie lost the toss and, somewhat unexpectedly given the fading light conditions, Rastrick chose to bat first.
Given the strength of the batting unit they were facing, the team bowled extremely well. The ever reliable Lewis Gunner being the pick of the bowlers taking three early wickets, two of which were well caught by Alex Taylor at square leg. Jonathan also bowled very well, conceding no runs from the bat, just two wides and no ball against his name, once again proving that he could be a quick bowling star of the future. Alex Taylor took the Congs’ last wicket with his first ball; however he was bowling against the hard hitting final pair of Sam and Jax Sangi, Sam top scored for Rastrick with 16 and Jax added a further 14. So after a great start for Pudsey Congs, taking early wickets and restricting the run rate, Rastrick rebuilt and scored heavily with the final pair to post a very tough total of 282/4.
Lewis Gunner 2-0-6-3 and Jonathan Dissanayanka 2-0-6-0
Having regularly scored 290+ runs this season, the players knew what they had to do and even though they faced a skilful bowling attack, they knew they were in with a chance if they performed to the best of their abilities. Expanding on this, and giving great morale to the team, the Congs got off to a good start with Frankie hitting 14, alongside Jonathan who managed to skilfully rotate the strike well. Under extreme pressure due to the quality of the Congs batting line up, Rastrick gifted 40 runs in wides. However, it is also important to remember that this also restricted the amount of deliveries that could be sent to the boundary. Due to this, the middle order was restricted to very few runs which turned the game in favour of the hosts. This meant that the final pairing of Liam Holgate and Will Holmes needed a mammoth 36 runs from the final 4 overs. Unfazed by the challenged they faced, they both took advantage of every opportunity to keep the scoreboard ticking. The dynamic duo running on almost every ball, including running a four! However, despite this, the Congs came up a mere 5 runs short, finishing on 277/4 after a very spirited effort by all. A very unfortunate end to a simply amazing game of cricket.
This was a fantastic team performance, and all the team should be very proud of themselves; they should all be very proud, only missing out on a bit of luck on the day. Also, a massive thank you to John for doing the scoring at such short notice. There will be a pint waiting for you behind the bar!
Will Holmes 16 , Frankie Gibson 14 , L ewis Gunner 8 , Liam Holgate 7
Idle v Pudsey Congs
At Idle
Friday August 3rd, 2012
Match report by Tom Brook
After several hastily rearranged games, the Congs finally got the chance to travel to table topping Idle in a battle for the top spot in the group in what promised to be another fascinating encounter. Unfortunately, they were greeted with heavy rainfall but nevertheless, the game and the toss both took place in the steady rainfall and it was the Congs who were to bat first.
Immediately, Idle proved why they were top of the table, bowling very little down the leg side and restricting scoring shots in every pair. However, they were wayward on the offside and the Congs batsmen/woman were very cleverly leaving the ball and allowing the extras to pile up and create scoreboard pressure. In addition to this, the running between the wickets and calling of the Congs team was also exemplary, taking runs at every opportunity and not presenting Idle with any run out opportunities. Once more, the team also stuck to the plan, keeping the ball on the floor and not giving Idle any chances to take wickets. This resulted in the Congs not losing a single wicket in their innings; a fantastic achievement from any team. It was clear that Idle would have to play very well against a highly motivated Congs team to keep their spot as the number 1 team as they chased a very competitive 289-0.
Frankie Gibson 8 Liam Holgate 8 Lewis Gunner 7
However, as has been said on several occasions this season, cricket is a game of two halves. After the Pudsey St Lawrence game, I could not say enough good things about the fielding standards of the Congs team. However, sadly, the same cannot be said on this occasion. Despite some more good and accurate bowling from Jonathan, Liam and Beth in particular who took 4 wickets between them, the standard in the field was well below the level required to win games against such high quality opposition. There was an excellent run out and a stumping from Liam Holgate but, unfortunately, the Congs conceded well over 20 runs in the field by not doing the basics correctly and allowing balls to travel through their legs and onto the boundary; giving away easy runs in the process. In truth, this turned the tide of the game and meant that even though the Congs took 7 wickets, Idle overcame the Congs target by 18 runs, finally posting 307-7 after some excellent stroke play from a strong batting team.
Johnathan Dissanayanka 2-0-19-2, Beth Slater 2-0-13-1, Liam Holagte 2-0-9-1
Overall, there are still many positives to take from this performance. The batting was very good indeed, and this team has proven that as a batting unit they can score runs against any team. The bowling was good as well, as the Congs boys and girl took regular wickets against the strongest batting unit they have faced this year. However, unfortunately, on this occasion, the standard of fielding was not good enough, and the team know they could do better. A few more long barriers and bodies behind the ball in the field and this could have been a very different match report focusing on a very different result.
However, despite this, I feel the lesson has been learnt and the Congs will come back stronger in the quarter final. Keep going guys, I know that you can bounce back stronger.
Pudsey St Lawrence v Pudsey Congs
At Tofts Road
Saturday July 28th, 2012
Match report by Tom Brook
On a sunny yet surprisingly chilly Saturday morning, a full strength Congs side travelled up to Pudsey St Lawrence in the return fixture of the local derby. After singing his praises at the coin toss last week, inevitably, Frankie lost the toss and the Congs were to field first.
What followed was simply exceptional; there is no other word for it. After a brief talk in the dressing room about the importance of bowling and fielding, the Congs boys (and girl) produced one of the best bowling and fielding displays of ANY side at ANY age group that I have EVER seen. In total, the Pudsey St Lawrence innings contained 4 maidens and a wicket maiden as well as two good catches, a run out and a stumping! Every single bowler and fielder was simply sublime. They were a credit to the club and the game in general; well-done everyone. All of this meant that, despite a resilient Pudsey St Lawrence batting effort, they were never allowed to score freely and were limited to only 217-7 from their 16 overs.
I cannot convey in writing how good this first half display was, you had to be there to believe and appreciate it. It is impossible to single out any individual for praise. Simply outstanding, and Pudsey St Lawrence away is definitely the game to do it in. It is fantastic to see that all the hard work in training has paid off.
Understandably, the mood in the camp was very good at the half way point, but it was still clear that the job was not done. Good batting would be just as important. As ever, the partnership between Frankie and Jonathan blossomed, bringing in over 30 runs from the first pairing and setting the Congs well on target for victory. However, a fantastic spell from Umar Aktar proved the importance of concentration as he took 3 quick wickets to bring Pudsey St Lawrence back into the game. However, Alex and Lewis once more dug in and got the Congs into another fantastic position before Liam and Will finished the job in style, including hitting the last over for a massive 24 runs! The final score 277-6.
Frankie Gibson 22 and Will Holmes 27
This was yet another fantastic display from a very talented group of players who make an exceptional team. The spirit they show and the support they have for each other is phenomenal and cannot be underestimated. This was a victory which all in all was simply stunning and makes all the hard work worth it. All in all, the result means a double over the local rivals and a place in the quarter finals of the competition. Keep up the concentration against Idle next week please guys and let’s avenge that penultimate ball defeat!
P.S. Also a huge thank you to all of the parents and relatives, your support was fantastic today and was a huge boost for the team; as it has been all season.
Thank you very much.
Pudsey Congs v Farsley
At Britannia
Wed July 25th, 2012
Match report by Tom Brook
After a fantastic win over the local rivals, the Congs welcomed Farsley to the Britannia ground in a repeat of the season opener. This time hopefully without rain, thunder, lightning, or any of the above! With a few players unavailable, the Congs welcomed debutants Callum Williamson and Daniel Benson into a young and relatively inexperienced team.
Farsley were to bat first on what looked like another top quality Britannia ground wicket. As had happened the week before, Alex Taylor was on fire with the ball, taking another two wickets, taking his tally to 5 in two matches and only conceding 10 runs in the process! Well done Alex, brilliant work. Unlike the previous week, however, the Congs bowlers struggled with their line and length and conceded 42 runs in extras- an area which must be improved in order to progress in the competition. However, the fielding remained good, limiting Farsley to only 3 boundaries in the innings, another great effort which also included a run out. In addition to this, some good death bowling from Lewis Gunner and Jayron Sandhu kept the innings tight and meant that Farsley finished on 252-3. A very competitive total.
Alex Taylor 2-0-4-2 and Jonathan Dissanayanka 2-0-7-1
After a brisk and stern dressing room talk at the half way point, Frankie and Callum led out the Congs batting line up and did a tremendous job. It was clear that the talk from the coach had set in at half time as the two ran extremely well together, leading to a first partnership that led the Congs to 241-2 after the first pair! This was in large part due to a fantastic knock from Frankie Gibson of 37. From here, the innings began to build further with Bethany and Jayron combining well once more, before Alex Taylor once more played some elegant and beautiful cricket shots which included 3 successive boundaries. Lewis Gunner and Jonathan Dissanayanka took the game away from Farsley in the final pairing in what was a fantastic game of cricket from both sides. At the close, the Congs finished on 296-6, running out comfortable winners.
Frankie Gibson 37 and Lewis Gunner 11
This was another good batting display from the Congs but the inexperience with the ball showed at times which will improve over time. Both debutants played admirably and a fantastic game of cricket was had by all. This was another good win which has cemented the Congs second place in the table.
A final word, however, must be given to Farsley who played a fantastic game of cricket in the perfect spirit. Very well done for all involved at Farsley CC. It is always a great game when we play against you and it is clear how far you have all come along during the season. The batting, bowling and fielding was all of a much higher standard. I very much look forward to playing against you again! Well done.
Pudsey Congs v Pudsey St Lawrence
At Britannia
Thurs July 19th, 2012
Match report by Tom Brook
A rare burst of British sunshine meant that the under 9’s could finally get back on the pitch for the game against local rivals Pudsey St Lawrence.
Once more, Frankie won the toss and elected to bat first. As ever, he also led from the front, blistering four boundaries from the opening four overs while also running countless well timed singles in order to maximise the Congs total to 224-1 from the first pair. Jayron Sandhu and Beth Slater also continued their fine partnership and understanding, picking the gaps in the field to nudge the score up further without the loss of a single wicket. From this position, it was clear that the Congs were in a position to launch, and this was fully seized upon by young Lewis Gunner, who took the lead from Frankie by bludgeoning the Pudsey St Lawrence attack to all parts of the Britannia ground, before finishing with a sensational 17. This meant that the Congs had reached a very competitive 268-3 with a pair to go. From here, it was apparent that the Congs were in a good position, but this was soon to be turned into an outstanding position by season debutant Will Holmes who continued the onslaught, hitting a further 19 runs, leaving the Congs on 290-3 from their 16 overs. This was a simply brilliant batting display from the Congs who never looked like losing many wickets and looked to score runs at every opportunity. An extremely good display, well done to all.
Frankie Gibson 21, Lewis Gunner 17, Will Holmes 19
However, as all in the dressing room were aware, cricket is a game of two halves, and Pudsey St Lawrence are a good team who are always keen to put up a fight; especially against the Congs! For this reason, it was made very clear at the half way point that the Congs would have to be just as good with the ball and in the field to see out the game and chalk up another victory.
Frankie and Jonathan got the innings off to a fantastic start, both taking a wicket each in the opening pair, restricting the runs that Pudsey St Lawrence could get and piling on the scoreboard pressure. However, it was from here that the star of the Pudsey Congs bowling would emerge, with young Alex Taylor, who has become a regular in the side this season taking three wickets, including a double wicket maiden! Well done Alex, that was a fantastic bowling display. Further wickets followed for Lewis and Jayron in what can only be classed as a sensational bowling display. However, among this, some of the fielding on display was also of the highest standard, with Liam Holgate producing a one handed diving run out with a direct hit, and Will producing a fantastic diving catch. Well done to all with the ball and in the field. I know we all complain about constantly fielding in training, but with these results, I remember exactly why we do it.
Alex Taylor 2-1-6-3 & Lewis Gunner 2-0-10-2
This fantastic display in the field and with the ball meant that Pudsey St Lawrence eventually finished on 225-8, meaning that the Congs ran out winners by 65 runs.
Well done to all, more of the same next week please!
Pudsey Congs v Idle
At Britannia
Friday June 29th, 2012
Match report by Tom Brook
For the second game in consecutive days, Idle travelled down to the Britannia ground for the first home game of the season and, hopefully, for a repeat of the two thrilling games for last season.
In a move almost unheard of, young Frankie Gibson WON the toss and elected to field first.
The Congs started well, with the captain and opening partner Alex Taylor restricting Idle to 212 from the first 4 overs. However, in the second pairing, young Idle batsman Aston Dalladay let loose with some big shots, propelling Idle to 252 after 8 overs, himself scoring 26. From here, Congs pulled themselves back into the game but were unable to take regular wickets, with the only wicket of the innings falling on the very first ball! This, it must be said, was due to some excellent batting and not poor bowling and on a different day, the Congs could have had several more wickets. This good bowling meant that, alongside some more excellent fielding, Idle were never allowed to run away with the game and the innings meandered to a close at a competitive 280-1.
Frankie Gibson 2-2-0-1, Alex Taylor 2-0-5-0, Flinn Woodward-Chapman 2-0-6-0
After scoring over 290 on the previous evening, the Congs team knew they were still in the game and the mood in the dressing room was rightly upbeat. As ever, Frankie and Jonathan got the innings off to a solid start, contributing 26 for the first partnership, edging the Congs closer to their target. As was the case for the previous match, it was clear that team had taken on the advice of the coach and were stubbornly keeping their wicket and saving runs in the process. This meant that, two pairs later, some solid batting allowed the Congs to reach 261. As it had been in the previous season, the match was finely poised, with the Congs needing 19 from the last pairing. In the final pairing, Lewis and Flinn batted admirably and were very aware of the situation and what was required of them. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the bowling standard was just too high, with the orthodox leg spin of the final bowler making all the difference, with Idle winning on the penultimate ball, and Pudsey Congs finishing on a very competitive 273-2.
Frankie Gibson 13 & Alex Taylor 7
This was another great performance from a young and developing Congs team. The effort from all involved was faultless and on another day with a little more luck, the Congs could have triumphed. Play like this in the return leg next week and you will all be in with a brilliant chance.
Well done to both teams on a fantastic game of cricket which was played in excellent spirit throughout.
Farsley v Pudsey Congs
At Farsley
Thursday June 28th, 2012
Match report by Tom Brook
On a day which promised 100% chance of thunderstorms, Congs made the short trip to Farsley for the first game of the season. As it traditional with British weather forecasting, this proved to be hugely inaccurate, as they were greeted with a short shower followed by glorious sunshine for the remainder of the game.
Frankie Gibson has remained as captain for this season and has continued his fine tradition at the toss – 8 games played, 0 tosses won. The Congs would once more bat first.
The brief rain delay had given the coach time for a lengthy team talk, with much of the emphasis on teamwork and saving runs with decision making and communication. Right from the start it was clear that this had been taken on board. Captain fantastic Frankie Gibson set the tone, hitting 12 from the first over with three sublime cover drives. The communication between him and his partner Jayron Sandhu was clear for all to see, with the strike being rotated regularly, ensuring that the runs accumulated quickly as pressure was put on the fielders. This was continued by Bethany Slater and Alex Taylor who manipulated some excellent line and length bowling to keep the scoreboard ticking. Flinn Woodward-Chapman and Jonathan Dissanayanka mixed rotation with boundaries to further up the run rate and by the time the bludgeoning bats of Lewis Gunner and Liam Holgate left the crease as the final paring, the Congs had amassed 294 runs for the loss of only one wicket.
This was a fantastic batting display from every single member of the team. It was clear that they have matured a lot over the winter and as a result were able to execute the plans of the coach to perfection. This was a very good batting display from all and the loss of only 1 wicket in 16 overs is a fantastic result. Extremely well done to all involved.
Frankie Gibson 22 and Liam Holgate 9
There was a further talk at the half way point in what was deservedly buoyant dressing room. However, it was also important to highlight the fact that there were several short boundaries and so fielding would be extremely important. Frankie once more got the team off to a fantastic start, bowling 2 overs for only 2 runs and taking 2 wickets in the process. On top of this, he was only the width of a hair away from a hat-trick! This excellent bowling was followed by Flinn with 2 wickets, Liam with 1 and Lewis and Jayron with 1 apiece as well. Excellent line and length was maintained throughout, with the team only conceding 4 wides! In addition, the fielding was nothing short of outstanding, with the Congs not conceding a single boundary in 16 overs of cricket. This constant loss of wickets coupled with some sensational fielding meant that Farsley managed 202-7 in their 16 overs; meaning that Congs ran out victors by 92 runs.
Frankie Gibson 2-0-2-2, Liam Holgate 2-0-3-2, Flinn Woodward-Chapman 2-05-2, Jayron Sandhu 2-0-2-1
This was an absolutely fantastic victory for the Congs in their first outing of the season and is by far the best team performance I have seen as their coach. Although tougher tests will be faced in the season, if they can maintain the standards shown in this outing, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Well done everyone, keep up the hard work.
Under 11’s
Fixture List and Match Reports 2012
Manager: Liam Stanhope, assisted by Andre Stolarski and Richard Naylor
Final League Position South Section = 10th, 10 Points
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Thackley v Pudsey Congs
at Ainsbury Avenue
Sunday August 12th, 2012
Match report by Liam Stanhope
A fortnight after playing Thackley at the Brit, we played the reverse fixture at Ainsbury Avenue hoping to finish the season in style.
Batting first, Frankie Gibson joined Aqib Mahmood at the top of the order as the opening pair put on 29 in their four overs. As usual Aqib played his established role blasting the ball to the leg-side to score 16 whilst Frankie nudged and nurdled his way around the field with some exquisite off-drives. Second pair, Haroon Mahmood and Jayron Sandhu were as ever, reliably solid, adding 13 before Joe Stolarski and Masab Khan came to the crease. Both playing straight the score reached 261 before Masab Khan was stumped whilst looking to add a maximum to the total. Final pair Mohammed Al-Hayat and Tom Brine, although less destructive than they have been previously, added 21 to the score as the Congs finishing on 272.
A.Mahmood – 16, J.Stolarski – 11
In reply, Joe Stolarksi and Masab Khan looked to bowling wicket to wicket in order to stop the Thackley batsmen scoring. Both bowlers did just that as Thackley’s opening pair scored just 12 runs from their four overs (some way off the required run rate). Frankie Gibson struck in his first over, as Jack Luxton played on to his stumps, whilst Jayron Sandhu at the other end bowled 2 overs for 1 run with Thackley reaching 211 at the half-way stage. Mohammed Al-Hayat picked up 2 wickets and Haroon Mahmood 1 during the third pair to leave Thackley 72 to win from the final pair. Despite the efforts of the talented Will Luxton (29), Thackley were ultimately 41 runs short of the Congs total.
M.Al-Hayat – 3-1-15-2, F.Gibson – 2-0-6-1, H.Mahmood – 2-0-8-1, A.Mahmood – 2-0-13-1, J.Sandhu – 2-1-1-0
A fantastic end to the season with each and every player putting in a brilliant performance with bat and ball. This was the best game of cricket the boys have played all year as everything came together. It appears the penny has finally dropped that if you don’t get out we’ll score more runs!! Great to finish the league season on a high and I am immensely proud of where the guys have come from since early February at Crawshaw.
Well Done boys!!
*Hopefully we can get some friendlies organised, I’ll be in touch!!
Pudsey Congs v Thackley
at Britannia
Sunday July 29th, 2012
Match report by Liam Stanhope
Two games in two weeks has been a rarity this season and although rain threatened to wash out this one out, the game was eventually completed with Thackley taking the points.
A young Thackley side batted first and first pair in Harry Rowlett (20) and Will Luxton (26), smashed the new ball about to score 48 from their 4 overs. Mohammed Al-Hayat struck back in the field with 2 runs and a catch off the bowling of Haroon Mahmood. Frankie Gibson and Alex Naylor both bowled tightly in the middle, before Aqib Mahmood (reverting to the end of the innings) showed his class conceding just 5 runs from 2 overs, in spite of the explosive Will Luxton (batting again as Thackley only had 7 players) blasting another 20 runs. Thackley 283-4.
H Mahmood 2-0-13-1, A Mahmood 2-0-5-1
In reply it was a case of same old story, as the Congs youngsters lost too many wickets despite scoring enough runs to win the game. Aqib Mahmood batted well, pulling and sweeping to score 15, Frankie Gibson made a superb 12, hitting the ball through and over the off as well as running hard between the wickets. Tom Brine and Mohammed Al-Hayat played powerfully as they punished any loose deliveries to score 12 and 20 respectively. Pudsey Congs 261-5.
M Al-Hayat 20, A Mahmood 15, F Gibson 12, T Brine 12
Although 22 runs may same like convincing victory, this game was probably more even than the score suggests. Fantastic batting displays from the Thackley openers and a couple of errors with the bat are what swayed the result Thackley’s way. But overall a brilliant game of cricket in which both sides scored over 100 runs.
Result: Thackley won by 22 runs
Pudsey Congs v Great Horton Church
at Britannia
Sunday July 22nd, 2012
Match report by Liam Stanhope
For the second time this year we welcomed Shiv Krishnan and his Great Horton Church team to the Britannia, looking to build on the previous weeks positive performance against champions-elect PSL ‘A’.
Bowling first, Congs struck in the second over when Will Holmes had Hassen Abbas caught and bowled to reduce Great Horton to 199. Jayron Sandhu and Alex Naylor continued the pressure bowling at the GH’s second pair of batters picking up a wicket each to hold our opponents to 211 at the halfway stage. Haroon Mahood bowled superbly, clean bowling Hritik Patel whilst conceding just 3 runs from his two overs. Supported by Mohammed Al-Hayat, Great Horton were restricted to 218 from their first 12 overs. However, as he did earlier in the year, Subhaan Ammar demonstrated his immense talent by blasting 29 from 18 balls to rescue the GH innings, lifting the total to 251-5.
Haroon Mahmood 2-1-3-1, William Holmes 2-0-3-1
Once again, Will Holmes and Aqib Mahmood opened the innings for Congs and as ever both batted confidently and sensibly. Pinching singles here and there and hitting the loose deliveries, they put on 24 runs in the first 4 overs. Jayron Sandhu was run out twice due to fantastic fielding whilst trying to steal runs which were perhaps not quite there and Haroon also fell to some great fielding, being caught at cover from the final ball of the pair when trying to hit out. Third pair Alex Naylor and Joe Stolarski batted patiently yet struggled to score as Hassen Abbas bowled tightly to finish with figures of 3-1-4-2. 36 to win from the final pair was unlikely, and despite the efforts Mohammed Al-Hayat and Tom Brine Congs came up inevitably short.
William Holmes 11, Mohammed Al-Hayat 9
A good effort against a side who without the rain washing out the majority of their fixtures would have pushed our rivals from up the road a lot closer for the league title. However, once again Subhaan Ammar’s clean hitting at the end of the Great Horton innings just managed to take the game away from us.
Result: Great Horton Church 251 beat Pudsey Congs 229 by 22 runs.
Pudsey St Lawrence “A” v Pudsey Congs
at Tofts Road
Sunday July 15th, 2012
Match report by Andre Stolarski
On a sunny, but breezy morning, we travelled to Tofts Road to take on the table toppers and our biggest rivals!
On winning the toss, skipper Joe Stolarski decided to have a bat. In the changing room, we spoke about keeping ours wickets in tact, bat patiently and no silly run outs! Will Holmes and Aqib Mahmood opened up, and carefully accumulated runs against some tight and probing bowling. Scoring 19 runs between with only the loss of one wicket, Will and Aqib gave us a solid start. Next up was Haroon Mahmood and Harry Widdop, and again they patiently negotiated some tricky bowling, Haroon losing his off stump, this pair added 8 runs. Joe and Alex Naylor were the 3rd pair, and nudging the odd single here and there, the scoreboard kept ticking, again 8 runs added, but for no loss.
The last pair was Mohammed Al-Hayat and Tom Brine, knowing they had a solid platform to build up a competitive score. Whilst Tom was the anchor, Mohammed took about the bowling and scored 17 runs. So, the innings ended on 238 – 2, an excellent effort against a fearsome consistent bowling attack.
We knew the second innings was going to be a challenge, and we strode out with great enthusiasm. Pudsey St Lawrence got off to a flyer with Cameron Harding crashing 18 runs, and with Ashwin Kumar ending their 4 overs at 223. Next pair was Harry Allman and Owen Bailey who tried to push on the score from the off, but when the wily tweak of Mohammed came on to bowl, this halted as ‘Mo’ cleaned bowled them both. The score at half way was 224-2, all to play for! Josh Priestley and Billy Potter were the next pair, and as Billy pushed the singles, the powerful Josh hit several boundaries to push P St L into the lead. The score now 248-2, we knew we needed a couple of wickets as the last pair of Ben Sugars and Henry Scott walked in. Second ball Ben went for a big shot and skied one, unluckily Will couldn’t quite get under it and he survived! Was this our big chance? Well, yes it was, Ben and Henry were brutal and took our boys apart to register an impressive 38 runs partnership and take the game away from us to finish on 286-2.
So, in the end, P St L were the stronger team, and deserved their win, but our boys pushed that all the way, they knew they had been in a game! I think the comment from a Pudsey St Lawrence spectator sums it up nicely when he said that we were the only team to score more than 200 against them this year, and we showed fine spirit!
I can say no more!
Well done boys, once again!
Bradford and Bingley v Pudsey Congs
at Wagon Lane
Tuesday July 3rd, 2012
Match report by Liam Stanhope
Finally, after weeks of postponements and re-arrangements, we travelled to Wagon Lane for the first round of the Cup vs Bradford and Bingley. With a couple of key players missing Harry Widdop, Liam Holgate, Jonathon Dissanyaka and Flynn Woodward-Chapman were called up to the 11’s to make their debuts playing with the hard ball.
Winning the toss, Joe Stolarski elected to bat first. Alex Naylor joined regular opening batsmen Aqib Mahmood at the top of the order in the absence of Will Holmes. After a solid start Alex was dismissed to an excellent catch from Ben Hemsley. Captain Joe Stolarksi came and went trying to push for a quick single, only to be run out by Oliver Allit with the score 15-2. Mohammed Al-Hayat joined Aqib Mahmood and together they batted patiently, yet powerfully as they punished the wide balls. Aqib eventually fell for 17 in a partnership 44 as Hemsley claimed another catch off the bowling of Muneeb Bassit. Tom Brine at number five came in next and supported Mohammed superbly as they added 22 to the total before Mohammed was cleaned bowled by George Wraith, 2 short of his retirement. Tom and Harry Widdop saw out the remainder of the innings as Congs finished with a more than challenging total of 94-4.
Mohammed Al-Hayat – 28, Aqib Mahmood – 17, Tom Brine 15no.
With B&B requiring just over 4 an over, the Congs bowlers would have to bowl stump to stump and allow the batsmen no width. Aqib Mahmood got the Congs defence off to a great start with a wicket maiden, as Harry Widdop claimed the ‘catch of the season’ at mid-off from a powerfully struck Ben Hemsley drive. Joe Stolarski followed up clean bowling Sam Dixon for 1 and then had Oliver Allit caught behind by Tom Brine to leave B&B 18-3. Owen Neary then blasted his way to retirement scoring 30 off 16 balls. Neary’s retirement looked like it would give the Congs a sniff of victory as the bowlers then began to tie the B&B batters down as Jonathon Dissanyaka, Flynn Woodward-Chapman and Liam Holgate all bowled tight overs, whilst Mohammed Al-Hayat at the other end picked up the 2 wickets. With 3 runs required from the final over B&B crawled over the line with 2 balls to spare despite the best efforts of Alex Naylor. B&B 95-5.
Mohammed Al-Hayat – 3-0-13-2, Joe Stolarski – 3-0-21-2, Aqib Mahmood 3-1-4-1.
A superb effort all round, despite a slightly weakened side. However, each and every one of the players should take heart from pushing a side with a number of Bradford League representative players right to end. A brilliant performance, yet more importantly a fantastic game of cricket which was tense right until the end and had everybody involved nervous and enthralled! Well done boys!!
Result: Bradford and Bingley 95-5 beat Pudsey Congs 94-4 by 5 wickets.
Pudsey Congs v Pudsey St Lawrence “B”
Sunday June 10th, 2012
Match report by Liam Stanhope
Today we welcomed our nearest rivals Pudsey St Lawrence “B” to the Britannia Ground, as they made the short trip down from the top of the road. Much like ourselves, PSL’s ‘B’ side consisted of the majority of last years under 9’s and results would suggest that again, similar to ourselves, their struggles lied in the amount of wickets lost.
Batting first, the usual partnership of William Holmes and Aqib Mahmood opened the innings for Congs. Striking the ball firmly and communicating well to pick up singles around the field, they got the score up to 229 without loss before their 4 overs were up. Next pair Haroon Mahmood and Masab Khan, batted patiently defending the straight ball whilst adding a couple of runs to the total before PSL captain Jim Watts showed his excellence in the field, confidently catching Masab off the bowling of Durkin at mid-wicket and then claiming a fantastic run out with a superb underarm throw. Third pair Joe Stolarski and Alexander Naylor demonstrated brilliant technique to keep out the accurate bowling from PSL before pushing for one quick single too many resulting in Joe being run out off the final ball of their partnership to leave Congs on 225-3. Enter Mohammed Al-Hayat and Tom Brine who both proceeded to strike the ball confidently and hard to raise the total to 252-3.
Mahmood – 16, M. Al-Hayat – 14, W. Holmes – 12, T. Brine – 11.
Despite scoring our highest total this year, the Congs were well aware that they must bowl accurately and field well in order to contain the PSL batters and keep the score down. Opening bowlers Aqib and Masab did just that. Giving away few wides, Masab got the breakthrough clean bowling Elen Casper. Joe Stol and Alex Naylor continued where the openers left off. Conceding just 3 runs in the next 4 overs, as well as picking up a wicket apiece. Haroon Mahmood bowled as tightly as ever and was unfortunate not to claim a wicket. Before Will and Mohammed bowled the final overs with Will being unlucky to only claim a single wicket, as he bowled with pace and swing to beat the bat on several occasions. PSL ‘B’ 195-5.
Stolarski 2-1-1-1, M. Khan 2-1-2-1, W. Holmes 3-1-6-1, A. Naylor 2-1-9-1.
FINALLY!! A win under our belts after a number of losses that perhaps could have been wins. It was great to see the ball getting over the boundary, and some maiden overs being bowled. However, still a few silly run outs which could have been avoided. But overall a fantastic performance and one which will hopefully give the boys some confidence as we go forward.
Onwards and upwards as they say!
Well done Congs!!
Undercliffe v Pudsey Congs
Saturday June 2nd, 2012
Match report by Andre Stolarski
Bright and breezy, early on a fresh Saturday morning, the under 11’s took on Undercliffe in a re-scheduled fixture.
Winning the toss, Undercliffe decided to bowl first. Alex Naylor and Aqib Hussain opened up against the accurate UCC bowlers, both struggled to get the ball away, and Aqib was run out scampering for a valuable run, and was then bowled trying to make amends. Next pair in, was Haroon Hussain and playing in his first ever game, Jairad Sandhu. Again, struggling to come to terms with the tight lines of the bowlers, ‘J’ fell twice whilst ‘Harry’ Stood firm, but runs we’re hard to come by. Skipper Joe Stolarski and Frankie Gibson were next up, and tried to push on the score, taking quick singles and the odd lusty blow. Joe was a little unlucky to be caught off his glove down the leg side by a diving keeper, and on the last ball of the partnership Joe was run out by a direct hit, putting pay to all their hard work. The final pair of Mohammed Al-Hayat and Mosab Khan knew they had to put bat to ball to stand any chance of posting a defendable score! With 3 boundaries, Mohammed top scored, and Mosab being run out and brilliantly caught in the deep, Undercliffe strangled PCCC throughout the innings. Losing 8 crucial wickets, costing 64 valuable Runs, the Congs finished their innings on 201.
The boys knew that accurate bowling and early wickets were needed to defend this small total! And bowl accurately and stingily they did, keeping the solid and competent batsmen at bay throughout their innings, conceding 9 extras, to the home side’s 25! Alex taking a wicket early on, and the addition of 2 run outs kept the contest on a knife edge, but as it progressed, the scoreboard kept ticking over. Mohammed took a further wicket of the last pair, and Joe finished up with a maiden, but in the end the loss of 8 wickets was always going to cost us, and that is how it finished. Remarkably, both teams scored 65 runs, but with PCCC losing 8 wickets to UCC’s 4, the victory went to the home team. Another enjoyable and battling performance by a young and raw side, against a more experienced outfit was a pleasure to watch!!
Keep it up, boys!!
PCCC 201-8 v UCC 233-4
UCC win by 32 runs
Pudsey Congs v Great Horton Church
Sunday May 20th, 2012
Match report by Liam Stanhope
Shiv Krishnan and his Great Horton Church team were the visitors to the Britannia on this fresh Sunday morning as the Congs went in search of their first win of this young season.
Batting first, Will Holmes and Aqib Mahmood once again opened the innings scoring fluently, stealing quick singles here, there and everywhere. Despite the loss of two wickets, Will being caught superbly at point and Aqib being run out going for one quick single too many, the boys showed their quality scoring over 20 runs as a pair. Next pair Haroon Mahmood and Sam Johnson batted solidly, with Sam clubbing a fantastic boundary through mid-wicket. Joe Stolarksi and Alexander Naylor then continued where Haroon and Sam left off blocking the dangerous straight balls whilst punishing the wider deliveries. Final pair Mohammed Al-Hayat and Tom Brine came in looking to add some impetus to the innings in order to post an unreachable score. Yet, despite some clean hitting from both batsmen, excellent fielding from the Great Horton team slowed down the scoring as Mohammed and Tom added 6 runs apiece as Congs finished with 246.
Having conceding less runs (242) last week vs Lightcliffe, the boys believed 246 would be more than enough to defend. The Congs youngsters showed tremendous heart and skill, bowling straight and putting their bodies on the line in the field with Alex Naylor claiming two fantastic run outs and Sam Johnson claiming another. The Great Horton batsmen however, were just too good on the day, as Ali Hussain, Tayab Hussain and Subhaan Amaar blasted their way to 18, 13 and 17 respectively, as their team mates expertly nudged and nurdled the ball around the ground to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Great Horton scored 115 runs before the penalty runs were deducted, a total which will beat most teams in the league on any day.
So, although coming second by a convincing margin of 45 runs, the Congs actually did little wrong in all departments and must quickly wipe this result from their memories as they were simply beaten by a couple of high-class batting displays.
Result: Great Horton Church 291 beat Pudsey Congs 246 by 45 runs
Lightcliffe v Pudsey Congs
Sunday May 13th, 2012
Match report by Liam Stanhope
After several weeks of persistent heavy rain, the under 11’s became the first Congs junior side be involved in match action this season away at Lightcliffe. Bowling first on a sunny, yet wind-chilled morning, the Congs youngsters found little reward, despite some fantastic bowling displays from Mohammed Al-Hayat (2-0-4-0) and Alexander Naylor (2-0-4-0). Credit to the Lightcliffe batsmen for showing great technique to defend their wickets whilst also picking off the rare wide deliveries given to them. The Congs bowlers will feel unlucky to have only struck twice, with Aqib Mahmood and Joe Stolarski picking up one wicket a piece as Lightcliffe finished on 242 from their 16 overs.
Aqib Mahmood 2-1-7-1, Stolarski 3-0-12-1
Chasing 43 to win, Congs felt confident in their own abilities and believed that the run rate of less than 3 an over was more than obtainable. Will Holmes and Aqib Mahmood got the Congs innings off to a flyer, stealing vital runs with some expert communication and running between the wickets. Tom Brine played well, hitting the ball hard and was out only to a superb diving catch from Josh Booth on the square leg boundary. Masab Khan and Alex Naylor batted patiently to score 5 runs each without losing their wicket. However the Congs innings drifted away as the last pair were dismissed on 3 occasions, twice to excellent swinging deliveries from Louis Cockburn. The third, a piece of brilliant fielding resulting in a direct hit from the boundary edge. The Congs ultimately finished on 227, 15 runs short of Lightcliffe’s total.
However, the Congs players can take heart that without the loss of the 8 penalty runs per wicket conceded, they would have outscored their opponents 267-258 (If ever there was a lesson to be taught in valuing your wicket perhaps this is it).
Overall though, a great performance from all concerned, with many positives to take forward for rest of the season.
(Special mentions to Haroon Mahmood, Aqib Mahmood and Masab Khan, for all of whom this was their first competitive game of cricket. Well done!)
Result: Lightcliffe 242 beat Pudsey Congs 227 by 15 runs.
Pudsey Congs v East Bierley
Sunday May 6th, 2012
Match report by Liam Stanhope
Unfortunately, due to the never-ending April showers, groundsman John Malpass was unable (yet not for the lack of trying) to prepare a pitch for the scheduled game
Result: Match Cancelled – No result
Bradford Junior Under 13’s
Fixture List and Match Reports 2012
Managers: Neil Humpleby/Mick Hirst, Assisted by Barney Gibson & Nathan Dalton
Match Reports 2012
Final League Position South Section = 6th, 17 Points
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Liversedge v Pudsey Congs
at Liversedge
Thursday Aug 2nd, 2012
Liversedge 92-1, Pudsey Congs 89-3
Pudsey Congs v Liversedge
at Britannia Ground
David Bairstow Cup Quarter Final
Thursday July 26th, 2012
Pudsey Congs 78-7, Liversedge 150-2
Pudsey Congs v Liversedge
at Britannia Ground
Thursday July 26th, 2012
Pudsey Congs 78-7, Liversedge 150-2
Pudsey St Lawrence v Pudsey Congs
at Tofts Road
Thursday July 19th, 2012
PSL 113-5, Congs 52-8
Pudsey Congs v Buttershaw
at Britannia Ground
Thursday July 12th, 2012
Pudsey Congs 85-5, Buttershaw 86-7
Pudsey Congs v Farsley
at Britannia Ground
Thursday June 28th, 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
Farsley were the visitors to the Brit to face our ever improving U13 side.
After winning the toss we decided to bat first. The reliable opening pair of Adam & Ross got us off to a good start before poor communication resulted in Ross being run out for 5. Sam was the next in, batting well with Adam before he retired on 32. Following Adam’s retirement & the loss of Sam & Zander, it looked like the innings may fizzle out. Two new batsmen Josh & Aslan had other ideas as the pair added another 37 runs before the end of the innings. 108 for 3 off 20 overs would be a difficult target for the Farsley side if we got our basics right
A.Slater 32 (retired), J.Chapman 26 not out, S.Baxter 15, A.Zahid 14 not out.
The Farsley openers got their chase off to a good start building a platform of 39 from 10 overs before the breakthrough came when Spence was bowled by Tom for 10. Two more wickets fell in quick succession & it looked like we had broken the Farsley spirit. This turned out not to be as Thorpe came to the crease and played a good innings before retiring on 30, moving his side to within 30 runs with five overs left. The Congs bowlers responded & managed to slow the scoring rate down taking further wickets as the innings closed on 98 for 5 off 20 overs giving us victory by the margin of 10 runs.
M.Al,Hayat 2,0,12,2 T.Brine 2,0,4,1 R.Kettlewell 2,0,10,1 A.Holmes 3,0,16,1
Pudsey Congs v Manningham Mills
at Britannia Ground
Thursday June 14th, 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
Unbelievably it was five weeks since the U13’s were last in league action as we welcomed Manningham Mills to the Britannia ground on a cold & blustery Thursday evening.
The toss was won by the Mills captain who decided his team would bowl first. Adam & Ross opened the innings and were going steadily along until Adam misjudged the line and was bowled by Saqib for 8. Josh joined Ross at the crease and built a very good partnership with some great running between the wickets and also punishing any poor deliveries with good strokeplay. Josh reached the retirement score of 30 first bringing Tom to the wicket who again batted well with Ross in another profitable partnership. Ross also reached 30 & retired before the Congs innings finished on a good total off 118 for 1 off 20 overs.
Josh Chapman 30 (retired), Ross Kettlewell 30 (retired), Tom Brine 17 not out
The Manningham Mills innings got off to a slow start as both Josh & Aslan started their bowling spells with a maiden each. As the run rate required increased, the Mills batsmen found the Congs attack difficult to combat, with only Saqib making an impression going onto retire. All the bowlers put in good spells with Joe taking 2 wickets and Scott holding his nerve after being asked to bowl the last over with the Mills innings ending 81 for 7.
J.Chapman 3,1,2,1 and J.Stolarski 2,0,3,2
Congs win by 35 runs
Pudsey Congs v East Bierley
at Britannia Ground
David Bairstow Cup 2nd round
Monday May 28th, 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
Round two of the David Bairstow Cup saw the visit of East Bierley on a warm sunny evening at the Britannia Ground. After winning the toss & deciding to bat, the Congs openers Adam & Ross walked out to the middle. The pair took the first couple of overs to check out the opposition bowlers before both started to play attacking innings. The inexperienced Bierley team had no answer to the quality shown before first Adam & then Ross, reached the retirement point of 30 runs. With the departure of these two the Bierley attack was looking for some respite but it was not to be as Zander & Sam carried on the momentum, Zander retiring on 30 & Sam coming very close with 25 off 14 balls before the innings closed on 131 for no wicket.
PCCC 131 for 0 after 20overs
A.Slater 31 (36 balls), R.Kettlewell 30 (37 balls), A.Holmes 30 (29 balls)
The run chase was always going to be a big ask for the young Bierley side. The Congs bowlers were hungry for success and Josh gave us the perfect start with a wicket in his first over. We used ten bowlers in this match to see how the other guys were progressing, none of these bowlers let us down all bowling good line & length to make scoring almost impossible. The opponents did not let their heads go down and battled on to bat out the allotted overs posting a score of 54 for 2. Birthday boy Joe Stolarski & Eddie Kerfoot both took their first wickets at U13 level bowling Broom & Vickers, Joe returning figures of 1 for 6 off 2 overs and Eddie 1 for 4 off 2 overs.
Another very encouraging team performance from our young side with a fine victory but sterner tests are just around the corner. Well done to all.
Manningham Mills v Pudsey Congs
at Manningham Mills
David Bairstow Cup 1st round
May, 2012
Match report by Mick Hirst
On a warm sunny evening, a young Congs under 13 side progressed to the 2nd rd of the David Bairstow Cup with a 34 run victory over Manningham Mills.
Batting first, openers Adam Slater, with a classy 30 and Ross Kettlewell a solid 17, got the innings off to a great start. Further contributions from Josh Chapman 12, Tom Brine 8 and a late flurry from Mohammed Al Hayat, took the Congs to a respectable 105 for 5 in their 20 overs.
In reply Manningham started slowly thanks to accurate bowling from Josh and Mohammed. Tom Brine ( 2-2-0-0) and Joe Stolarski (2-0-8-0) continued to keep the Mills batsmen tied down, before the young and the old of the team, 9 year old Will Holmes(3-1-5-3) and Ross Kettlewell (3-0-5-3) finished off the good work. Mills finishing on 71 for 8.
There will be much tougher tests during the season,but for a team with an average age of just above 11, this was an excellent all round team performance.
After the success of the under 13 age group over the past 2 seasons, there will have to be a period of rebuilding. Have no fear, the enthusiasm, energy and sheer enjoyment of the game by these young lads augers well for a bright future.
Manningham Mills – 71 for 8
Pudsey Congs U13’s – 105 for 5
Buttershaw v Pudsey Congs
at Buttershaw
Thursday May 17th, 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
First up for the Under 13’s after the weather delayed start to the season was a trip to Buttershaw.
The Buttershaw captain won the toss & elected to bat first. An early wicket in the third over for Zander Holmes was the start we were looking for with the score on 14. What followed was a great recovery for Buttershaw with a partnership of 55 between Coleman & McDermott before a stunning catch from U11 Will Holmes halted the progress. The Congs bowlers then consolidated & stemmed the flow of runs as the innings reached its conclusion with the home side posting a score of 105 off 20 overs.
Congs openers Zander Holmes & Sam Baxter were restricted in the early overs by some tight bowling but kept the score moving with a partnership of 28 before Sam was stumped. The partnership for the third wicket added another 30 runs keeping us in the hunt before a sharp caught & bowled removed Ross Kettlewell for 15. The bowlers then got the upper hand & slowed the run rate with wickets falling at regular intervals, meaning Buttershaw came out winners by 15 runs.
Holmes 15, R. Kettlewell 15, J. Chapman 12
Although the lads came up short, this was a creditable first performance with plenty of positives to take from the game.
Well done boys
Bradford Junior Under 15’s
Fixture List & Match Reports 2012
Manager: Dom Allen, assisted by Jamie Allen
Match Reports for 2012
Courtesy of Dom Allen
Final League Position South Section = 9th, 9 Points
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Pudsey Congs v Gildersome
at Fulneck
Sunday August 12th, 2012
Congs conceded, unable to raise a team
Pudsey Congs v Woodlands
at Fulneck
Sunday August 5th, 2012
Match report by Dom Allen
Due to a mix up with the fixture list, the Britannia was not available for this game and so Fulneck played host to a junior fixture for the first time in a number of years.
Sadly the day dawned to yet another dubious cry off at the last minute of the type that has become all too common this season and once again, team members were expected to make their best efforts whilst others took extremely easy options.
Arbaab Hussain won the toss and decided to bat first against a very agile looking Woodlands team. Qais Nazir opened the batting with Alex Goodchild but it was not long before Nazir unluckily found a terrific fielder at gully. Hussain then arrived at the crease himself but after hitting a beautiful four through the covers he misjudged a short delivery and was comfortably caught at mid wicket.
A shocking mix up between Mustafa Raffique and Goodchild spelled the end for the latter and Raffique (making a cardinal sin in not ensuring he scored heavily as a result) was caught out moments later. Jacques Allen was therefore called on to hold the innings together two weeks running and whilst he toiled manfully, he was always going to struggle to move the total up toward something that would test second in the league. He was well assisted by Haris Mohammed and Ross Kettlewell before Xander Holmes demonstrated he is not just a great bowling prospect with some exquisite strokes. Despite all these great efforts, the final total looked to be 50 runs shy of a competitive score.
Pudsey Congs 56-6 (J Allen 22)
Ross Kettlewell and Josh Chapman opened the bowling for Congs but Chapman’s recent brilliance was curiously absent on this occasion and after firing one too many beamers at the batsmen he was whipped out of the attack quickly before somebody could receive the scorebook entry, retired decapitated. Kettlewell bowled tidily and economically but Hussain decided that in view of the imposing nature of both Woodlands openers, it would be prudent to allow Congs best bowlers a shot.
Haris Mohammed and Mustafa Raffique bowled the next seven overs but were as unfortunately ineffective as their predecessors and when Mohammed dropped out of the attack with a sore ankle, Jacques Allen was left to serve up five of the worst deliveries to grace Fulneck since his father last bowled on there.
So another desperately disappointing defeat for the team and another defeat that demonstrates just how much the team is reliant on a small number of players. On the plus side, Fulneck made for an excellent reserve ground, the pitch, prepared by our own Don Bradman, a belter (making the low total even more unpalatable).
Woodlands 58-0
Woodlands won by 10 wickets
THE LAURIE BOYDEN CUP SEMI FINAL
Pudsey Congs v Keighley
at The Britannia
Monday July 30th, 2012
Match report by Dom Allen
The top two sides from last year’s epic Under 13 competitions were drawn to meet once again at the semi final stage. Whilst Keighley looked to have strengthened hugely, Congs have undeniably gone backwards since the separation of the invincible 2011 team. Jacques Allen tossed up with his old pal Will Rankin and it was Rankin that called correctly, although he surprised many when he stated his preference would be to field.
Mustafa Raffique opened the batting with born again Alex Goodchild and they ensured Congs got off to a solid start which purred along at around six an over. Raffique sumptuously timed the ball, particularly off his legs whilst Goodchild nudged and nurdled, utilising the pace of the ball to its full. Just when Congs had started to relax a little, Raffique inexplicably went walk about, taking a stroll down the wicket and was somehow bowled middle stump by a bowler that in truth should not have caused him too many difficulties.
Arbaab Hussain joined Goodchild and the pair rebuilt the innings before Goodchild again was bowled by an innocuous looking delivery. However, the real wooden stake that was driven into the heart of the Congs innings came when Hussain’s attempted loft over mid on was caught less than half way back to the boundary. Whilst Zahid Mahmood batted with great conviction for the remainder of the innings, Congs knew that their chances of putting the game beyond Keighley’s reach had disappeared when Raffique or Hussain failed to reach 50.
Pudsey Congs 104-4 (A Hussain 28 ; Z Mahmood 22 no)
Congs now knew they had to bowl (and even more importantly field) as well as their opponents if they wished to visit their fourth final in as many years. A stifling opening eight overs from both Zahid Mahmood and Haris Mohammed gave them every possible chance with Keighley only able to muster 25 runs and all for the loss of three wickets (all three bagged by Mohammed).
But Jacques Allen and Arbaab Hussain’s next overs were less impressive, the ball finding the boundary rather too many times for the home crowd’s liking. In order to take some of the pace off the ball, young Josh Chapman was brought into the attack and he delivered immediately with the wicket of Rohid Ali. When he bagged two further wickets in his third over, Congs looked firm favourites to win the game and the home crowd delighted in seeing the youngster make a giant contribution to the match.
Sadly, with four overs to go, the wheels came off the Congs bowling and combined with what had been a fairly sloppy fielding performance from the start, it began to dawn on the home team that this was not to be their night. A late wicket for Raffique could not revitalise the home side and Keighley managed to get home with seven balls and three wickets to spare in almost total darkness.
Whilst it is desperately disappointing to lose a semi final (and heartbreaking to see the young faces), one must heartily congratulate Keighley on their achievement and in particular Will Rankin their captain. Whilst he undoubtedly benefited from elements of luck (dropped twice and surviving a perilously close stumping appeal), his performance to see his side home in such a high pressure game was magnificent, especially as one of the younger members of his team. Keighley were undeniably the better team on the night, they deserve their victory and we wish them all the best for the final.
Keighley 105-7 (H Mohammed 3-11 ; J Chapman 3-19)
Keighley won by 3 wickets
Gildersome v Pudsey Congs
at Gildersome Sports Club
Sunday July 29th, 2012
Match report by Dom Allen
Two late withdrawals meant that only nine men were available for the game at a wet Gildersome. The pitch had dried sufficiently however to mean that play could start on time and Congs batted first on the damp surface. Congs needed their main men to fire with such a shortened line up and sadly Arbaab Hussain and Mustafa Raffique were only able to contribute 21 between them.
It left Alex Goodchild, again looking impressive, to bat a significant number of overs with Jacques Allen. Goodchild was caught behind for a well compiled 20 and when Adam Slater was run out, Congs were in serious danger of being bowled out before they’d receive their full entitlement. But an excellent and unbroken partnership of 47 between Allen and Qais Nazir saw Congs to a respectable total, Qais placing the ball nicely with Jacques producing his best display of the season.
Pudsey Congs 107-4 (J Allen 31 no ; A Goodchild 20)
With so little bowling available Congs turned to the youngsters in the side, saving their senior bowlers till the end. The tactic failed spectacularly however as poor Xander Holmes developed a no ball problem and no bowler was able to break the opening partnership. Josh Chapman and Adam Slater had toiled manfully but Gildersome were able to utilise all of their limited batting to almost guide themselves home.
After the retirement of Jamie Hall, Raffique was able to bowl Gildersome’s number 3 batsman first ball and it left his team wondering what might have happened had the side picked up a crucial early wicket. They will certainly be relishing a further crack at a team that appeared to have only two top class batsmen and they will get that chance in two weeks’ time.
In truth though, Congs had no right to win two weeks running with so few players and the last minute withdrawals are starting to weigh heavily on the team and their manager. Quite why players think it is acceptable to let team mates down in this way is beyond comprehension and the issue has almost certainly made one or two off season decisions a lot easier.
Gildersome 109-1
Gildersome won by 9 wickets
Bolton Villas v Pudsey Congs
at All Alone Road
Laurie Boyden Cup Quarter Final
Monday July 23rd, 2012
Match report by Dom Allen
Congs were afforded the luxury of taking 11 men to North Bradford for this intriguing cup quarter final. Jacques Allen lost the toss and Congs were asked to field on a green but flat looking wicket. Josh Chapman and Haris Mohammed opened the bowling and both delivered superbly, the home side restricted to just 21 from the opening eight overs. Something bizarre happened after this however, as the Congs bowling and fielding fell to pieces. On way too many occasions players failed to comprehend where they were asked to field, resulting in a disgraceful 30 to 40 runs being gifted to the home side. Dom Allen lost his temper with the players at half time and demanded that they make amends for the shambolic showing when they went out to bat.
Bolton Villas 126-1
A disappointing and inexplicably lengthy break between innings meant that the Congs reply did not get underway until 8.20pm . Alex Goodchild opened the batting with Arbaab Hussain in an attempt to emulate the previous day’s solid partnership. But with the score on 22, Goodchild’s Achilles’ Heel of no foot movement saw him bowled off bat and pad. Jacques Allen came out to join Hussain and was initially slow to get going, suffering more than most from no time in the middle this season. He was fortunate that the accumulated dot balls did not add too much pressure due to the heavy scoring from Hussain. As calm as ever, Arbaab drove two magnificent sixes and blasted several fours through his favourite extra cover region, all the time keeping his side right up with the rate.
The pressure was unrelenting however and at no stage did Cons get themselves into a position of genuine strength. The Bolton Villas bowling was on the whole tight and the pressure increased still further when Hussain was forced to retire for yet another brilliant half century. Allen took control for a short while before a needless mix up with Haris Mohammed saw him run out.
Help was at hand though in the form of pocket dynamo Zahid Mahmood and with Mohammed, he set about knocking off the remaining 23 runs. There was still time for a heated exchange but after needing 12 from the final two overs, this figure was reduced to just two from the last. The players scampered through for the winning run comfortably despite not recognising their feat immediately due to a fault with the scoreboard. The result ensured the better side would contest the semi final and banished all memory of the woeful first innings.
This victory sets up a Semi Final contest at home to Keighley on Monday July 30th.
Pudsey Congs 127-2 (A Hussain 53 ret ; J Allen 22 ; H Mohammed 20 no)
Pudsey Congs won by 8 wickets
Bowling Old Lane v Pudsey Congs
at BOL
Sunday July 22nd, 2012
Match report by Dom Allen
Due to a number of late withdrawals, Congs went into this match with only eight players. Disappointing then that the weather should serve up its most summer-like morning for a game that would have such an amateur feel. Congs won the toss and opted to bat on what appeared a decent pitch. Alex Goodchild opened with Qais Nazir and the pair started well. Unfortunately, Qais departed to a decent leg cutter but this did open the door for Arbaab Hussain, who put together a splendid partnership with Goodchild. Whilst Hussain played his usual array of drives and pulls, Goodchild consistently swept the ball behind square to excellent effect.
When Alex was dismissed for one too many sweeps, he had contributed a most useful 29 runs. It meant Ross Kettlewell came to the crease and he produced a positive knock to ably support Hussain including a superb dive to avoid a run out. Hussain finished unbeaten and just short of a further half century. His innings invariably contain timing so impressive, the ball whistles to the boundary as if hit by a hefty adult. And yet he is so unassuming and never resorts to informing others of his brilliance, preferring to let his bat do the talking.
Pudsey Congs 97-2 (A Hussain 44 no ; A Goodchild 29)
Hussain’s involvement in the game did not end there and he went straight out to open the bowling with Josh Chapman. The first over passed without incident but Hussain then trapped the first BOL victim LBW with a peach of a delivery. Zeeshan Haider then cut loose on the Congs attack and it appeared the match would be over pretty quickly, Haider looking every bit the 2nd team cricketer he is.
But Ross Kettlewell achieved a vital breakthrough, dismissing the dangerous Aqeel Khurshid and starting a monumental procession of wickets. Kettlewell ended with three scalps and Zahid Mahmood four, thanks to some brilliant leg spin. Congs were then in a impregnable position because they knew Haider would be forced to retire when he reached 50 and there were too many runs needed. With this factor possibly running around his head, Haider had an almighty swing at a Jacques Allen quicker ball and his stumps splattered. Two balls later the match was all over with a comfortable catch from Goodchild. This was a supreme victory, totally against the odds and very well earned. It would put the boys in confident mood for the following evening’s cup fixture.
Bowling Old Lane 69 all out (Z Mahmood 4-10 ; R Kettlewell 3-15 ; J Allen 2-0)
Pudsey Congs won by 28 runs
Pudsey Congs v Pudsey St Lawrence
at the Britannia Ground
Sunday July 15th, 2012
Match report by Dom Allen
This complete farce of a weather-ruined junior season meant that Congs came into the most keenly contested match without having played a single game in a month. The omens were not looking good at fielding practice either, the lads looking extremely ring rusty. Jacques Allen won the toss and opted to bat on a dry but very dark looking pitch. The staggering levels of water that have fallen have changed the appearance of the square completely.
Arbaab Hussain opened with Mustafa Raffique and the pair looked solid against some hostile and talented bowling. Runs were hard to come by however and the majority of the reasoning for this was the excellent, pressure bowling of St Lawrence offering just about nothing to hit. When Hussain was adjudged LBW the task became twice as difficult for the home team.
And still there was no let up as three top quality pace bowlers in Sam McEvoy, Harry Cullingford and Josh Wilson tore in, with Mustafa Raffique fighting for all he was worth but rarely getting the ball away for anything other than a single. With next to no support coming from the other end, Raffique would have been forgiven for caving in but he battled all the way to the end of the innings for 39 not out. The total, whilst disappointing was all credit to St Lawrence and nothing to do with poor home batting.
Pudsey Congs 68-4 (M Raffique 39 no)
If Harry Cullingford had looked a decent bowler, his batting was simply too good and his innings looked like a decent adult cricketer playing against boys. It is difficult to recollect a single ball not hitting the middle of his bat or going somewhere other than where it was intended. As the rest of the innings panned out, 68 looked like it might have been competitive had Cullingford not been playing but he proceeded to take the game away from Congs.
There was time for Haris Mohammed to produce an excellent display of left arm swing bowling and Zahid Mahmood superbly deceived McEvoy with a googly. But the writing was well and truly on the wall before Ben Baldwin played some exquisite drives to finish the game off. It’s never easy to lose, even less so against our nearest neighbours but St Lawrence must take an awful lot of credit, this outfit looking like one of the finest Under 15 sides seen in recent years. That they play the game in the right spirit and are a polite, pleasant bunch makes them all the more impressive.
Pudsey St Lawrence 71-4 (Z Mahmood 2-14)
Pudsey St Lawrence won by 6 wickets
Pudsey Congs v Undercliffe
at the Britannia Ground
Laurie Boyden Cup Second Round
Monday June 18th, 2012
Match report by Dom Allen
After a weekend of rain, conditions were surprisingly pleasant for the encounter with top of the table Undercliffe. The pitch was still very wet below the surface but the surroundings were more than playable. Jacques Allen lost the toss and Congs were put into bat. Arbaab Hussain opened up with Haris Mohammed, the pair demonstrating great patience early doors in the face of some hostile & talented Undercliffe bowling. Frost and Suleman Ali gave them nothing for the first six overs and after eight overs the score was stuck at 21-0.
But the pair had put in the hard yards and prospered for virtually the remainder of the innings, although Haris went for an important 15, his work having been done. Mustafa Raffique joined Hussain and the pair set about the Undercliffe attack. Raffique rarely plays second fiddle to anyone but Hussain’s strokeplay coming into the final straight was a joy to behold. One drive through the covers was spectacular but his sixes over long on were graceful easy swings of a straight bat that many adults would struggle to hit as far. When Hussain retired, Raffique took up the baton and fell selflessly in the final over for an excellent 32. Adam Slater added more than useful runs with Alex Goodchild at the end of the innings, engineering a competitive score on a very large playing area.
Pudsey Congs 121-3 (A Hussain 50 ret ; M Raffique 32)
Congs were down to 10 men in the field and more importantly, only three recognised Under 15 bowlers. But up stepped a collection of Under 13s to the plate who jointly handled the overs of the fifth bowler and of some of the fourth. All four of Arslem Zahid, Ross Kettlewell, Josh Chapman and Xander Holmes did the club and themselves proud. They showed a real grasp of the basics of the game, bowling straight, making it difficult for the batsmen. Holmes in particular bowled two splendid overs and removed the opener Ali with a peach.
Arbaab Hussain went on to show the best and worst of his bowling, blowing away Frost and Munir with his serious pace but firing nearly a full over of wides down after that. At 32-3 it looked like the heart had been ripped out of the Undercliffe batting but Sudese and Yousaf not only got them right back into contention, it looked for all the world as if they would win. But with just 30 needed, Jacques Allen got a well spun leg break through Sudese. Yousaf then clobbered Haris Mohammed over the mid-wicket boundary but two balls later Haris gained his revenge with an excellent yorker.
Raffique returned at the end to completely put paid to Undercliffe’s lingering hopes, bowling fast and straight. He fully deserved the three wickets he picked up and was clearly delighted to see his side home against one of the favourites for the competition. So a welcome first win for Congs and they will travel to either Cleckheaton or Bolton Villas in the next round in early July, full of confidence.
Undercliffe 108-8 (M Raffique 3-16 ; A Hussain 2-19 ; A Holmes 1-4)
Pudsey Congs won by 13 runs
Batley v Pudsey Congs
at Mount Pleasant
Sunday June 10th, 2012
Match report by Dom Allen
A much strengthened outfit visited Batley but you would have been forgiven for not believing this was the case at the start of the match as Zahid Mahmood disappeared first ball and Arbaab Hussain looked all at sea during a 17 ball duck. Thankfully, the team did have Mustafa Raffique playing his first game of the season and building from a solid start, he played a wonderfully determined and fighting knock. He received support from Jacques Allen and Alex Goodchild but both threw away their wickets needlessly when the opportunity was there to go on.
However, Raffique was joined by impressive debutant Haris Mohammed and the pair ensured Congs would go on to a competitive score. Both managed to find the shorter boundary on the leg side on a number of occasions and gave Congs plenty of reasons for optimism. Raffique looks to be in excellent nick immediately and Haris appears to be a fine acquisition. Adam Slater popped in for six balls after the retirement of Raffique to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
A further point worthy of note is that the batsmen deserve great credit for keeping their concentration during a drama which unfolded almost behind the bowler’s arm when an unfortunate local managed to set his house on fire. This necessitated three fire engines and an ambulance and was clearly a considerable distraction, along with the smoke billowing across the ground.
Pudsey Congs 108-4 (M Raffique 52 ret ; H Mohammed 22 no)
Haris opened the bowling for Congs with his left arm fast brand and looks to be extremely quick and hostile for a 14 year old. A bright future in both junior and senior cricket looks on the cards for the lad. With Raffique at the other end, the life seemed to be squeezed out of the Batley line up, especially when Haris picked up the first wicket, a leading edge snapped up by Arbaab Hussain.
When Jacques Allen struck with his third delivery (an absolute peach that pitched outside leg and hit off) Congs seemed to have the measure of Batley. This appeared to be the case right up until the start of the 15th over when Batley had only reached 56-2. Sadly 30 runs were taken from the next two overs and Batley were back in the hunt. Needing less than six an over and a batsman who appeared expert at finding the short boundary, they got home with three balls to spare.
The bowling in the end was not disciplined enough and the players failed to heed the manager’s advice to place more men on the short boundary, preferring to stop singles. So, a learning curve for the youngsters and a wake up call for some of the players that participated in last year’s Under 13s side. There will be no easy games this year and more than two batsmen will need to figure if the side are to win matches.
Batley 109-3 (J Allen 1-15 ; H Mohammed 1-16)
Batley won by 7 wickets
Lightcliffe v Pudsey Congs
at Wakefield Road
Sunday May 20th, 2012
Match report by Dom Allen
After the heroics of last season’s Under 13 team, this year was always likely to be a much bumpier ride with a number of players departing for pastures new. One hopes that things do not get quite as bumpy as this first fixture of the season at Lightcliffe. With the exception of Arbaab Hussain, the top order and more experienced Under 15s were removed by what can only be described as very ordinary, straight up and down bowling. Batsman after batsman either played down the wrong line or played far too early and the game was over as a contest within 10 minutes.
One partnership was worthy of note however, that for the ninth wicket when Scott Davies combined with nine year old Masab Khan to almost double the amount of time spent in the middle by the batting side. Masab looks like a future star, showing great technique, temperament and bravery in a fine knock that brought spectators to their feet. Sadly, they were not able to prevent Congs recording an embarrassing final total that will live long in the memory for the wrong reasons.
Pudsey Congs 16 all out
With such a low total on the board, the team took the field hoping to make a couple of early inroads that might just make Lightcliffe twitch. Nothing of the kind was to take place however and they knocked off the 17 required in just three overs.
A truly horrible first day at the office for all concerned, made much worse by one dreadful incident, Congs will need to bounce back quickly. The club is very grateful to all of the Under 13s and Under 11s helping out, namely Adam Slater, Ross Kettlewell, Josh Chapman, Eddie Kerfoot, Arslan Zahid, Scott Davies and Masab Khan but the actual Under 15s will need to spend the next two weeks, seriously pulling up their socks.
Lightcliffe 17-0
Lightcliffe won by 10 wickets
Bradford Junior Under 17’s
Fixture List 2012
Manager: Neil Humpleby, assisted by Chris Doey
Match Reports 2012
Final League Position South Section = 1st, 42 Points
————————————————————————————————————
PCCC U17 SEASON 2012 REVIEW
After a delayed start to the 2012 campaign, the team gathered at Tofts Road for the first league game. With a new assistant in place (Chris Doey) for the season, the lads were given a briefing as to what was expected in terms of commitment and attitude after last years disappointing results.
From ball one it was obvious the guys had taken notice and produced a thrilling game against the old foe, recording a one run victory followed by a massive 70 run win against the same opposition at the Brit only five days later.What a start! As the season progressed we were lucky to be able to complete all but one of our fixtures due to the British weather. Throughout our fixtures there were many outstanding performances both with the bat & in the field as we put opponents to the sword, or were forced to dig deep to grind out a win. As the season drew to a close, a cup quarter final saw the team suffer their only defeat of the season losing out in a good game to Woodlands. Still needing one win to guarantee being crowned league champions, we were off to Northowram for the penultimate game. Any worries of a cup hangover were short lived. Batting first, the lads amassed a total of 170 for 3 from our 20 overs before bowling out our hosts for 49 in 16.1 overs. The last game against Hartshead Moor unfortunately never took place, our opponents conceding the game claiming they could not raise a team.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has played a part in this team over the season. From the guys who never really got a chance to bat or bowl due to the strength of our top order batting and opening bowlers, to Chris for his organisation of pre match warm ups and for keeping a stressed manager calm when required. To the parents who supported the team and helped out with taxi duties when required, thank you. To John Malpass and Graham Curtis for the wickets we have played on and, on more than one occasion, for their efforts to enable us to play after a difficult summer weatherwise.
We have now entered an Under 19 8-a-side league which started on 15th August with a comprehensive win at Thackley.
All the details can be found on the league website at:
http://lastmanstands.spawtz.com/SpawtzSkin/Fixtures/TeamProfile.aspx?TeamId=5782
Northowram v Pudsey Congs
Wednesday July 25th , 2012
Pudsey Congs 172-3 v Northowram Fields 49 AO
Woodlands v Pudsey Congs
Cup 1/4 Final
Monday July 23rd , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
After three weeks waiting for this match to be rescheduled, the lads turned up at Albert Terrace knowing we would be facing a stronger Woodlands side than earlier in the season.
Keegan once again won the toss & decided we would bat first. As usual it was Keegan & Mushi opening the batting looking to give us a good foundation. Tight bowling & good fielding from the Woodlands side made scoring difficult and when Mushi fell in the 6th over, only 20 runs were on the board. Ashley came in at three and added 44 runs with Keegan before being bowled for 19. After Wasim was out quickly, a valuable partnership between Calum & Matty added much needed runs to finish the innings on 113 for 5.
K.Moodley 44, A.Slater 19, M.Humpleby 17 (not out), C.Murgatroyd 16 (not out).
Woodlands openers Seddon & Richardson soon got into their stride due to a fair share of luck & good stroke play, helped by some below par bowling. They managed to add 73 off 12 overs before Dale made the breakthrough trapping Richardson LBW for 34. With Seddon retiring & Rodwell scoring a quick 24 not out, the hosts chased down the target with a couple of overs to spare.
A lot was made of the additions made to the Woodlands line up but in all honesty, on this occasion we did not bowl well enough to defend our total.
A very disappointing end to the cup campaign
Pudsey Congs v Hartshead Moor
Wednesday July 18th , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
Once again heavy overnight rain seemed to put this game in jeopardy, but with a lot of hard work from Graham Curtis & the lads responding to the call to get to the ground early to help out, the game got underway on time.
In the first meeting between the teams Hartshead had proved to be stiff opposition so we expected another tough game. Winning the toss & batting first things did not get off to a great start for Congs when Keegan was bowled for 1 in the second over. Ash joined Mushi in the middle rebuilding the innings with a partnership of 34 before Ash fell to catch at midwicket. Two further partnerships of 26 both involving Mushi & number 4 Calum & number 5 Matty helped us on to what we felt was a below par score of 97 for 5 from 20 overs.
M.Shah 38, A.Slater 17, C.Murgatroyd 12, M.Humpleby 11 not out.
At the break it was stressed to the lads they would after work really hard to defend this score and continue the unbeaten run in the league competition. What followed was really a bowling masterclass as Nathan ripped through the visitors top order, removing the top four batsmen with only 7 runs on the board after 5 overs. If the batsmen were expecting an easier time after Nathan completed his spell, they were to be disappointed as the ever reliable spin bowlers, Mushi & Wasim put the middle order to the sword finishing with 5 wickets between them & with one run out for Matty, the visitors were all out for 31 from 14 overs.
N.Dalton 4,1,9,4 – M.Shah 3.2,1,4,3 – W.Bashir 3,2,1,2
Pudsey Congs v Cleckheaton
Wednesday July 11th , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
After a week of washed out games, the U17’s have a massive thank you for groundsman John Malpass whose hard work on Wednesday afternoon enabled this game to be played.
Keegan once again won the toss & elected to bat first on a rapidly drying wicket. With Mushi unable to play, Calum filled the openers spot with Keegan. It was business as usual as the pair saw off the opening bowlers before starting to accelerate the scoring. The opening partnership once again worth over 80 runs before Keegan retired. Tom, promoted to number 3, played patiently nudging the ball around to get Calum back on strike before a mix up saw him run out for 10. Calum then fell just short of retirement caught by Smith. The innings closing on 117 for 3 off 20 overs.
K.Moodley 53 (retired) & C.Murgatroyd 47
As the Cleckheaton innings started both Nathan & Jamie bowled outstanding spells of quick bowling, almost unplayable reducing the visitors to 9 for 2 after 8 overs. The forced bowling changes brought Wasim & debutant Jaques Allen together with the pair of spin bowlers keeping up the good work. The visiting batsmen appeared to have no idea how to deal with the quality of bowling on show and although we could not take the final wickets, the innings closed on a lowly 29 for 7 after 20 overs.
Jaques Allen 4,3,1,2 W.Bashir 2,1,2,3 N.Dalton 4,1,4,1 Jamie Allen 4,1,5,1
Pudsey Congs v Woodlands
Wednesday June 27th , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
Once again the rain held off and the toss was won by Keegan who elected to bat first. With Mushy unavailable for this match, Calum was promoted to open with Keegan. After a steady first 5 overs the pair started to take control of the game, but the partnership was finally broken in the 13th over with 80 runs on the board. This platform allowed the lads to open their shoulders with Calum retiring on 51 & Ashley finishing not out on 38 from 23 balls. The Congs innings closed on 145 for 5 from 20 overs, another outstanding score for cricket at this level.
C.Murgatroyd 51 (retired), A.Slater 38, K.Moodley 32
Once again Nathan caused the opposition batsmen problems, removing opener Waller in his first over without a run scored. Jamie bowled a tight spell in his first action since injury but it was Wasim & Dale who tore through the visitors middle and lower order, helped along the way with some quality catches by Tom, Keegan, Paul & Mark and good glove work by Matty. The Woodlands innings ending after only 17 overs with the score on 58. A comprehensive victory and another good allround performance from the team.
W.Bashir 4,1,10,4 D.Spink 2.5,0,6,3 N.Dalton 3,1,4,1 K.Moodley 2,1,3,1
Undercliffe v Pudsey Congs
Cup 2nd Round
Monday June 25th , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
Monday evening saw the team make the short trip to Undercliffe for the 2nd round of the U17 cup competition.
Keegan won the toss and once again elected to bat first. Good opening bowling spells made scoring difficult on a drying pitch and this showed with only 29 for the loss of one wicket on the board after 9 overs. Mushy was bowled in the 10th over so the pressure was on two new batsmen Ashley & Calum to move things on. It turned out that any chance of a low score was blown away as Ash once again demonstrated what a talent he is as he reached his 50 off 30 balls smashing 9 fours & 2 sixes. When Ash retired, Calum was joined by Wasim for the last four overs of the innings. Calum shone in this partnership finishing with three massive sixes hit back over the bowlers head to finish the innings on 142 for 2 after 20 overs.
A.Slater 55 (retired), C.Murgatroyd 32 not out, W.Bashir 14 not out, K.Moodley 19
The lads took to the field to defend another big target, and it would be interesting to see if the required improvement in the field would happen.
The improvement from last week was evident as Nathan bowled Frost with his second ball and from the reaction in the field it was obvious words had sunk in. With a bowling change at the opposite end, Nathan carried on the good work taking 2 wickets in both his 2nd & 3rd over. Mushy at the other end, bowled a tight spell with no reward leaving our hosts floundering at the halfway point on 45 for 6. Further bowling changes held no respite for the Undercliffe bowlers as Wasim & Dale keeping the momentum going. Any chance of a threatened recovery was shortlived as Mark Ferguson’s athletic catch sent big hitting Quereshi back to the sheds and the game was as good as over as a contest. The remaining batsmen could only add another 26 runs to finish the innings on 71 for 9 after 20 overs.
N.Dalton 4,0,10,5 W.Bashir 4,1,13,1 D.Spink 3,0,9,1 M.Shah 4,0,12,0
Hartshead Moor v Pudsey Congs
Wednesday June 20th , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
The rain clouds were gathering as we arrived at Hartshead Moor but the game started on time and we hoped to get the full 20 overs per side in.
Keegan won the toss and elected to bat on a very green track. Opening pair of Keegan & Mushy got us off to a steady start taking the score to 23 before Keegan fell for 18. Ashley quickly followed given out to a dodgy looking LBW decision. The middle order all failed to get to grips with the conditions and it was thanks to Mushy we reached a respectable total of 101 for 9 from 20 overs.
Mushy Shah 40 & Keegan Moodley 18
In reply, the Hartshead Moor opening pair got off to a good start reaching 30 off five overs before the first bowling change. Wasim once again bowled with guile and had Baldwin stumped by Matty with his third ball. Mushy paired up with Wasim and the run rate started to rise, both returning exceptional spells of spin bowling. The next bowling change may have raised a few eyebrows when Dale was brought into the attack, but he didn’t let the guys down bowling full & straight tightening our grip on the game. With 18 required off the last over, Brooke charged down the wicket but was deceived by the ball & the stumping was eagerly taken by Matty effectively finishing the game. Two more wickets fell in this last over leaving our hosts 15 runs short of victory on 87 for 9 from 20 overs.
D.Spink 4.0,15,4 W.Bashir 4,11,3 N.Dalton 4,0,20,2 M.Shah 4,0,12.0
Lightcliffe v Pudsey Congs
Wednesday June 13th , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
As we arrived at Lightcliffe for this weeks fixture, it was doubtful the game would go ahead as light rain started to fall. Once the Lightcliffe captain arrived, the toss was made & we were asked to field, in what would be difficult conditions……
Nathan opened the bowling and although he took the wicket of experienced opener Hussain, it was obvious he was not comfortable in the slippery conditions. Mushy at the other end was also finding things difficult as the Lightcliffe batsmen took advantage scoring at nearly seven runs per over. Changes to the bowling attack brought Keegan & Wasim together to stem the flow of runs, until the last three overs, when poor bowling & fielding allowed the hosts to add 29 runs to close on 118 for 5 after 18 overs.
P.Wild 38, I Ahmed 27, L.Collins 22
W.Bashir 4,0,10,3 K.Moodley 4,0,17,0
For the first time this season we were chasing rather than setting targets. It would be interesting to see how the lads adapted to the wet pitch & poor light.
With 6.5 runs per over required, opening pairing of Keegan & Mushy set about chasing the required runs. The total moved along steadily before Keegan was bowled for 30 with the score on 39. Ashley batting at number three once again kept the scoreboard ticking over with a 17 ball 23 before falling to a top edge, caught by Hussain. By this point we were in the driving seat but were left to suffer a nervous spell when both Matty & Calum were out. Mushy held his nerve batting through the innings to retire on 51, the 119 runs required achieved off 16.1 overs.
M.Shah 51(retired), K.Moodley 30, A.Slater 23
Congs win by 7 wkts
Pudsey Congs v Farsley
Wednesday June 6th , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
Wednesday evening turned out better than the weather forecast predicted allowing this match to be played.
Keegan again won the toss and elected to bat first in rather damp conditions. After the first five overs it was becoming evident what a one sided game this was going to be with the score on 35 for 1, Mushy Shah being the early victim. Ashley joined Keegan in the middle and both batsmen carried on dominating a poor quality bowling attack. When Keegan was the first to retire on 50 from 36 balls, Matty joined Ashley and carried on where Keegan left off, keeping the run rate at around 8 per over. Ashley then retired on 50 from 36 balls with three big sixes in one over to complete a faultless innings. Callum scored freely before being bowled in the 19th over. The Congs innings finally closing on 169 for 2 off 20 overs. Another big score, one we knew was an almost impossible ask for the young Farsley side.
K.Moodley 50 (retired), A.Slater 50 (retired), M.Humpleby 30 not out, C.Murgatroyd 15
The lads took to the field with words about an improvement in fielding performances ringing in their ears, it would be interesting to see the outcome. What followed was a performance which highlighted the massive difference in the quality of the two sides. The Congs bowlers were on top from the outset and it was only a matter of time before the visitors were rolled over. As it happened, Farsley were bowled out for 24 off 8.2 overs, Mushy taking the last two wickets with the first 2 balls of his first over giving the Congs victory by 145 runs.
N.Dalton 4,2,13,4 J.Allen 3,1,5,1 K.Moodley 1,0,6,2 M,Shah 0.2,0,0,2
An easy victory marred by an injury to Jamie that unfortunately will keep him out of the action for 3 weeks. Many thanks to John Malpass for his hard work on the ground which made this game possible.
East Bierley v Pudsey Congs
Wednesday May 30th , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
Looking to carry on the good start to the season, the U17’s made the short journey to East Bierley , where Keegan once again won the toss & elected to bat on a dry wicket. Aided by some poor quality bowling, Keegan & Mushy were able to establish an early grip on the game. Keegan was the first to retire on 51 not out. Ashley joined Mushy in the middle but looked unusually out of sorts before being run out for 12. Matty, batting at four, looked comfortable but he gave a chance in the deep which was taken by Dixon, out for 11. All the time Mushy was picking up runs heading towards the inevitable 50 & retirement. Mushy reached his 50 with a big 6 retiring on 55 not out & it was left to Callum & Tom to see out the remaining balls of the innings.
PCCC 199 for 2 off 20 overs
K.Moodley 51 (retired), M.Shah 55 (retired)
Grey storm clouds had been gathering during the Congs innings and it was doubtful we would get through the Bierley innings. Getting through the overs was the key to victory tonight rather than taking wickets, so the decision was made to concentrate on the slower bowlers. This and some below par fielding, enabled East Bierley to post their highest score of the season reaching 102 for 2 before running out of overs, giving victory to Congs by 97 runs.
EBCC 102 for 2 off 20 overs.
C.Bell 35, K.Whitehead 27, C.Gallagher 28 not out.
Although the win was probably never in doubt after posting such a high score, it does not excuse such a lackluster performance in the field, which is something we will need to address in the coming weeks.
Pudsey Congs v Farsley
Wednesday May 23rd , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
Wednesdays league fixture saw the visit of a young Farsley side to the Britannia ground.
The Farsley skipper won the toss & elected to bat first on a track that had the benefit of two sunny days to dry it out & we felt the bowlers would have to work hard for any reward. As it turned out the Congs bowling attack proved to be far too good for the inexperienced batsman.
With the score on 18, Jamie made the initial break through in the 7th over having Lorryman caught by Ash. Mushy then took the second wicket in his last over without any addition in the runs column. First change, Nathan took a wicket in his first over before Wasim took over & ripped through the Farsley middle order taking 2 wickets in his first over,1 in his second and then another two in his third over. The only batsmen who seemed able to deal with the onslaught was Jay Alcock who scored 32 not out in an innings which contained 6 fours. None of the other Farley batsmen could hang around with him & the innings closed on 62 all out after 18 overs.
W.Bashir – 4.3.2.5.6, M.Shah – 4.2.6.2, J.Allen – 4.1.10.1
With a low total to chase, openers Tom & Mushy batted sensibly pushing singles and punishing anything wide or short keeping the scoreboard ticking over before an error of judgement saw Tom run out only 6 runs short of the total. Ash joined Mushy at the crease to finish off the job but never faced a ball as Mushy scored the last few runs needed for the victory with 9 overs remaining.
M.Shah 36 not out, T.Huffinley 22
Another convincing win for the lads keeps the momentum going, but I am sure their will be tougher games ahead starting with a trip to East Bierley on the 30th May.
Pudsey Congs v Pudsey St Lawrence
Cup 1st Round
Monday May 21st , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
Four days after the outstanding league match up the road, it was the Britannia grounds turn to host an eagerly awaited cup tie against our old local rivals.
Another winning toss by skipper Keegan once again saw the Congs openers take to the crease. The opening pair once again gave us a great start with a partnership of 36 for the first wicket, before Keegan fell for 19, bowled by Smith. Ashley joined Mushy in the middle pushing the score along before Mushy holed out on 25. When Matty fell soon after, a wobble could have developed but Wasim batted sensibly pushing singles & punishing any loose balls. Along with Ashley, the pair added another 40 runs before they both fell in quick succession, Ash for 30 & Wasim for 22. With Tom & Abaab seeing out the last couple of overs adding further runs with good running between the wickets, we closed on 121 for 6 after our 20 overs.
Slater 30, M.Shah 25, W.Bashir 22
At the interval it was stressed to the lads they must be on their toes in the field if we were to progress in the competition. Jamie opened the bowling taking the wicket of Conlon with the score on 6, in his first over & then removing Josh Smith in his second – the visitors looked in trouble. Number 3 bat Beckett seemed to steady the ship with a couple of well struck boundaries, but it was not to be as the key wicket of Jordan Moore fell to some quality glove work from Matty off the equally good bowling of Mushy, sending him back without troubling the scorers. After this wicket and with outstanding bowling from the change bowlers, the PSL cause was in vain as wickets fell regularly finishing on lowly score of 50 all out from 17.3 overs.
M.Beckett 16, H.Cullingford 13
J.Allen – 4.0.16.3, M.Shah – 4.0.10.2, K.Moodley – 4.0.7.1, W.Bashir – 3.1.2.1, D.Spink – 2.0.7.1
This was a very satisfying victory with the lads outclassing their opponents in every department, well done to all.
Pudsey St Lawrence v Pudsey Congs
Wednesday May 16th , 2012
Match report by Neil Humpleby
Finally junior cricket comes to Pudsey! After two weeks of frustration the U17 season got underway with a short trip to Tofts Road.
Captain Keegan Moodley won the toss & elected to bat first. Keegan & new signing Mushy Shah opened & kept the score moving along at 4 runs per over before Keegan was caught at slip with the score on 32. Nathan batting at three showed his intention with two shots finding the boundary before edging a ball through to the keeper. Matty joined Mushy at the crease and upped the tempo to steady the ship. Matty fell with the score on 75 bringing Wasim to the crease, who was going well before a smart catch saw him on his way back to the shed. Tom joined Mushy for the last two overs, some good shot selection & excellent running between wickets moved us onto a total off 110.
Congs U17 110 for 4 off 20 overs
M.Humpleby 25, M.Shah 27 not out
The Pudsey St Lawrence innings started slowly due in main to good opening spells from Nathan & Mushy with only 20 runs on the board after seven overs. Keegan made the breakthrough with the score on 22 having Andy Parrat caught at mid on by Mushy. Wasim then took the 2nd wicket in the very next over. At 30 for 2 off 9 overs it looked almost like we were cruising with the runs required increasing. New batsman Jordan Moore could only sky a simple chance to mid off, but the chance was dropped, what a let off as he started to score freely before Jamie had him caught on the boundary for 31. All the time opener Jordan Thompson was gaining confidence and the rate had reduced considerably and with two overs left only 16 runs were needed by PSL. Returning to complete their 4 over spells, Mushy going for only 3 off his over, left our hosts needing 13 runs off the last over. Nathan held his nerve and with only singles off the first three balls the advantage swung back our way. A four off the last ball brought 50 for Jordan Thompson but it was not enough with the innings closing on 108, giving Congs victory by the narrowest of margins.
PSL U17 108 for 4 off 20 overs
J.Thompson 50 not out J.Moore 31
M.Shah – 4.1.7.0, J.Allen – 4.0.16.2, N.Dalton – 4.0.17.0