BRADFORD & Bingley have reached the Sovereign Health Care Priestley Shield final without fielding their optimum 11 – and that will the case again when they face Pudsey St Lawrence at Hanging Heaton on Sunday (noon).

"We haven't got Adam Swallow, who can be a match-winner on his day," said fellow veteran Richard McCarthy, who bats at No 4 and bowls occasional off-spin these days for the Wagon Lane club after a glittering first-team career.

"He is on parental duty with his son (Matthew), who is playing age-group cricket for Yorkshire.

"We haven't fielded our best team since the first or second match of the season.

"However, young lads such as Bradley Davis, Will Grace, Freddie Binns, Zak Critchlow and Hamzah Iqbal have got us to the final and I see it as very much a 50-50 call between us and St Lawrence, who also have some good young players and the experience of such as Paul Hutchison and Iain Priestley, as to who will win it."

Australian McCarthy, one of 12 bowlers to take over 1,000 wickets at first-team level in the JCT600 Bradford League, made his name as a pace bowler for Victoria but says that his tearaway days are well behind him as he doesn't bowl much and fields in the gully.

He said: "I haven't bowled seamers since we won the Priestley Cup in 2010. I tore my hamstring earlier that season and aggravated it during the cup final.

"I didn't bowl at all last season and have only bowled 22 overs this year but, although I have enjoyed opened the batting for the second team in the past, I prefer to bat at No 4."

McCarthy, now 53, has scored an impressive 546 runs for Bradford & Bingley second team in 2015, including an innings of 102 not out.

He added: "It is good to help bring the youngsters on, such as Hamzah, who scored a first-team 50 against Farsley on July 25, Bradley, Will, Freddie and Zak."

Bingley have beaten Hartshead Moor, Scholes and East Bierley en route to the final, whereas Pudsey St Lawrence, runners-up to Hanging Heaton in 2009 and 2014, have defeated Baildon, Bowling Old Lane and Morley, with both finalists having received a first-round bye.

The umpires are Dominic Allen and Roman Chmilowskyj.