Congs Collapse to under 15s

Lightcliffe Under 15s 17-0 beat Pudsey Congs Under 15s 16-10 by 10 wickets. Bradford Junior Cricket League South Division. Sunday 20th May 2012

With a Senior Cup match scheduled for the afternoon, the instructions from Committee were to clear the pavilion by noon. No one could have predicted this target would be beaten by over an hour, as one of those occasional freak cricketing results saw a Pudsey Congs batting collapse as complete as it was unexpected.

The teams had a rare privilege at Lightcliffe batting in the middle on an early morning track which always looked to offer assistance to seam. Jordan Pickles took full advantage and was the instigator of the visitor’s demise from ball 3 as an injudicious shot across the line saw Louis Barker take a comfortable catch.

The home umpire’s benefit went the batter’s way as Daanyaal Ahmed’s first ball seemed to strike the foot not ground and looked straight. Ill-judged shots however, rapidly gifted Pickles two further wickets. Ahmed finally had his man in his second over and Pickles struck again for career best figures of 4-3.

A change of bowling continued the mayhem, as first Will Smith claimed two, the first thanks to a good low catch by Liam Collins, who then claimed the 9th wicket from his first ball in only the eighth over, thanks to a Regan Broadbent’s stumping.

Four further overs from Ollie Anderson and Jake Broadbent brought a temporary lull to the inevitable, as the plucky number 11, Masab Khan got bat and body in the way, although an ensuing Run Out in an attempt to gain a single was an unfortunate way to finish.

Lightcliffe wasted no time in delivering a win, as Louis Barker grabbed the opportunity to open the batting with a positive unbeaten 15, supported by James Hodkinson (2no).

Jack Booth is unlikely to have an easier time in his career as a Captain in this his first match in the role.

As for Congs (clearly missing a number of players), they can chalk this one off as an aberration unlikely to be repeated.