2:31pm Sunday 5th July 2009
By David Markham
East Bierley strengthened their Bradford League championship challenge with a 125-run home win over neighbours Gomersal, taking advantage of rivals Bradford & Bingley’s surprise defeat at Farsley and Baildon’s free date.
Bierley’s win lifted them from fourth to second and such was the comprehensive nature of their victory that skipper Paul Hutchison was just as worried about the threat of rain as their opponents as Bierley closed in on an easy victory.
The players were off the field for four minutes during Gomersal’s innings but, happily for Bierley, no overs were lost and the rain held off to enable them to bowl them out for 115 with ten overs to spare as the visitors capitulated feebly against spinners Kez Ahmed and Luke Jarvis.
Ahmed, who combines pace bowling with off spin, returned the remarkable figures of six for 15 in 11.2 overs, while slow left-armer Jarvis took three for 32 in ten.
Hutchison said: “The game changed when the spinners came on. They bowled very well and they exercised control for us.
“We heard about the Bingley result when we came off for rain and that news took the pressure off us because even if we had been beaten by the weather we knew they wouldn’t get away from us.”
Unfortunately for Bierley, Ahmed will miss next weekend’s league and Priestley Cup semi-final matches because he is flying to Pakistan to attend the wedding of team-mate and opening batsman Gharib Razak, who missed the Gomersal match, while they are also still without all-rounder Chris Elstub with a broken arm.
Hutchison, who believes Elstub will miss most of the remainder of the season, said: “I think we have got strength in the squad but we will be tested. You need five bowlers in the cup and it is going to need a big effort from all of us.”
The foundations of Bierley’s total were laid in a second-wicket stand of 82 between Scotland skipper and former Yorkshire all-rounder Gavin Hamilton and ex-Yorkshire second-team wicketkeeper-batsman Greg Wood.
Wood was out for 42 at 117 but Hamilton went on to make 72, including ten fours, before he was bowled when sweeping at left-arm spinner Ben Platt at 186.
His dismissal left Bierley still needing 39 to earn a maximum five batting points but some enterprising batting by the lower order, led by the versatile Ahmed, enabled them to reach a challenging 240 for eight.
Ahmed hit two sixes in his 37 before being caught on the boundary by Gomersal captain Richard Whitehurst.
Gomersal’s main hopes rested on former Bierley batsman Richard Gould and they made a promising start with an opening stand of 46 between him and Adam Greenwood.
However, after Shahzaib Khan was second out, the first of Ahmed’s six victims, the rot set in as Gomersal lost nine wickets for 55, including their last four for a mere 14 runs.
The crucial wicket was that of Gould, who defied his old club for 107 minutes before he was caught on the long-on boundary by Hamilton off Ahmed for 41.
Hamilton took four catches in all – two at slip, two on the boundary – to go with his 72 and he and Ahmed can be justifiably proud of their all-round contributions.
Whitehurst, whose side are seeking to establish themselves in Division One following last season’s promotion, said: “The way Bierley started we were delighted with their score of 240. At one stage it looked as if we would do well to keep them under 300.
“We were confident of having a go at that target and got off to a good start but we played too many bad shots.
“The ball was turning and keeping a little low but there were as many bad shots as good balls. Until the spinners came, we were looking comfortable, but they bowled well and changed the game.”
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