Spen Victoria suffered a double blow to their Specialist Ducting Supplies Bradford League survival hopes over the weekend.

Not only were the bottom club beaten with nine balls to spare by nearest rivals Mirfield in a rain-interrupted match, but they must struggle on without overseas player Rao Anjum.

All-rounder Anjum, yet to play for last season's runners-up this season after a passport hold-up and visa delays in Pakistan, has been called up by his country for the Asia Cup.

The tournament begins on July 16, but Anjum is needed for a 26-player training camp - which also includes Pudsey Congs' Naveed Rana ul-Hassan - in Lahore which starts next Monday.

New Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer will name his final 16 a week on Friday after talks with skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Anjum is widely expected to be involved after impressing in both the Patrons' and Quaid-e-Azam trophies.

Spen's chairman Alan Birkinshaw said: "While it is a great honour for Rao to be selected, it is a massive blow to us.

"He was to have been the cornerstone of our side and now we face a tough battle to pull ourselves up the table."

Birkinshaw added: "The whole episode has been extremely frustrating for club officials. We have done all we can, along with the staff of local MP Mike Wood, but we have met with repeated setbacks in our bid to cut through the nightmare of securing a visa from the British High Commission in Islamabad.

"As a club we did the right things. We signed a contract with the player in September, obtained a work permit in February and then had everything thrown up in the air on the eve of the season when the player reported he had lost his passport (visa applications are tied to the passport number)."

Birkinshaw said Spen's only hope now of Anjum playing for them - he needed to have played one first-team game before June 30 - was applying for special dispensation from the Bradford League's management committee.

Saltaire will also lose their overseas player Bilal Asad for a number of league matches next month as he has been picked in the Pakistan A squad to tour Kenya. There is a training camp on July 12 and, if selected, his tour starts on August 5.

The main talking point at the start of Saturday's clash at Spen Lane was the players that were missing on both sides. Apart from Anjum, Spen were without Gharib Razak and Kez Ahmed (playing for Bradford-Leeds UCCE) and skipper John Wood (playing for Lancashire).

Mirfield were missing Guy Welton (food poisoning), wicketkeeper Philip Ackroyd (broken ankle) and Iftikhar Ahmed (side strain). Also Matthew Harrison had shin splints and was only playing as a batsman.

Visiting skipper Mark Fairburn missed a difficult caught and bowled chance when left-handed opener Gareth Davis was 12, but Neil Parkinson made the breakthrough by trapping Jamie Haynes leg before when the score was 23.

Parkinson admitted: "I am only 50 per cent fit and should not be playing, but we are so short of bowlers it is scary. I am coming in off seven paces, but I'll be back to 15 paces by the start of next season."

Chris Elstub planted Parkinson over extra cover for six, but edged his next delivery to wicketkeeper Andy Bolt to make it 44 for two. Then came an 11-minute interruption for rain, and on the resumption Tom Butler spilled a Thomas Owens skier at mid-off - which would prove an expensive error.

Davis missed a straight Fairburn delivery to be out for 35 at 81 and, after a second rain delay had prompted an early tea, David Lumb was bowled by the persevering Parkinson at 102.

After 18 overs straight, he was replaced by the off-spin of Steven Lane. However, the Lancastrian could not grip the wet ball with any ease and went for 30 runs in three overs as Owens (56 not out, including eight fours) and former skipper Ian Wood (59 not out in 48 minutes, including three sixes and six fours) added 95 unbroken, Spen declaring at 197 for four off 42 overs to keep alive the possibility of a winning draw, 16 overs having been lost to the weather.

Mirfield opener Richard Haikings began like a man on a mission, hitting Tosh Baker for three fours in the first over.

Elstub also went for three Haikings fours in the fourth over, and with Tariq Aziz playing more subtly the duo added 55 before Haikings (32 in 23 balls) was bowled by Baker in the seventh over.

Ian Wood was Spen's best bowler and slowed the run rate down when he replaced Elstub in the 17th over.

A superb catch at long-on by James Hardcastle, who then had to worry about slithering over the boundary, got rid of former skipper David Jackson for 19 at 101.

But a half-hour rain interruption at 148 for two gave Mirfield more food for thought.

Aziz, who reached his 50 in 47 balls and 67 minutes, continued to hit some classy shots when they came back.

When he holed out to Davis at long on for 90 at 157, John Westerby - a cricket and rugby union reporter with The Times who hadn't picked up his willow since last season - began to look every inch a batsman in his white helmet, and he found a fine ally in Lane.

Not afraid to intersperse quick singles with more regular boundaries, they added 44 unbroken to take Mirfield to a crucial win.

SECOND TEAMS

Division One: East Bierley 87-4 v Undercliffe; Farsley 200-6 (S Simpson 75), Cleckheaton 110-8; Idle 132 (M Horner 7-46), Hanging Heaton 134-1 (M Preston 74no); Lightcliffe 192, Gomersal 195-5; Mirfield 175-8, Yeadon 125-8; Pudsey Congs 63-2 v Bradford & Bingley; Pudsey St Lawrence 202-4 (P Wilson 93no), Woodlands 207-4 (R Medcalf 89). Division Two: Drighlington 126, Baildon 131-2 (A Jahingir 60no); Bowling Old Lane 101-4 v Saltaire; Esholt 197-9 (J Atkinson 77), Keighley 0-0; Great Horton 147, Bankfoot 148-5 (J Davis 50); Brighouse 216-6 (J Boulton 69, N Elkin 50no), Hartshead Moor 218-9 (N Dickinson 69); Spen Victoria 41-1 v Morley; Salts 145-4, Windhill 149-9.