HARD WORK by groundsmen at Wilsden were rewarded by an explosive Cowling Cup finals day in the Mewies Solicitors Craven League.

Prospects for play didn’t look good at 8.15am. However, the first semi-final between Bingley Congs II and Division Four leaders Foulridge II was able to start on time an hour and three-quarters later.

The Beckfoot Lane side made 133-7 (Steve Broughton 34, Tony Teale 31, Tom Parker 27no), but Foulridge easily passed that in 12.3 overs with only three wickets down, with opener Zaheer Abbas making 65, including four fours and seven sixes.

In the second semi-final, Oakworth II tackled Division Three leaders Barrowford II for the second successive day, with the Bull Holme side winners by eight wickets in the league.

This time the Red Rose side were dismissed for 145 with four overs left, and a youthful Wide Lane team fell runs 38 short.

The ball zinged out of the field numerous times in the final, with opener Taimoor Mushtaq making 90 for Foulridge, including five sixes, a five and seven fours.

The innings ended on 213-8, with Zaheer Abbas making 26 and Abrar Sarwar 25 as Usman Ahmed took 2-37, but the Bull Holme side were not going down easily.

Mohammed Waqas made 36 (four sixes, two fours) at the head of the innings, and Ahmed (43, including four sixes and one four), Usman Anwar (39no, including three sizes and two fours) and Tajmal Hussain 31 helped them to 181 as four bowlers took two wickets each.

Wilsden, their groundspeople and umpires Andy Grace, Ray Senior, David Howgate and Trevor Coe were thanked for their efforts by the latter, who is also the league’s fixture secretary, and league secretary Ann Coe presented the trophies and mementoes, with the umpires naming Mushtaq as man of the match.