Bairstow's brilliant ton is decisive

11:10pm Sunday 14th September 2008

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If anyone needed reminding as to how wet it has been this summer, there were the remnants of the duck pond to the left of the Wagon Lane scorebox at today’s Sovereign Health Care Priestley Cup final.

Scores of over 200 this season have been the exception rather than the rule but on a damp track in mid-September, Pudsey Congs showed they hadn’t forgotten how to build an innings.

Almost derailed by Pieter Swanepoel’s opening burst for Woodlands, Andy Bairstow and Glenn Roberts proved what could be done against what is usually the meanest attack in the JCT600 Bradford League.

Bairstow hit six sixes and 12 fours in his superb 121, made off only 131 balls, and Roberts’ 59 not out came at a run a minute and a run a ball.

Chris Brice – Woodlands’ answer to Daniel Vettori – conceded 80 runs in his ten overs, both left-handers taking a liking to the short boundary near the indoor nets.

Congs skipper Matthew Doidge rotated his bowlers successfully after tea as Woodlands were reduced to 68 for five, part-time bowler Andrew Bourke getting the vital wicket of Sam Frankland with a beauty.

Tim Orrell, sweeping and pulling with increasing vigour, then scored 52 and Tosh Baker weighed in with 39 as Woodlands moved nearer an improbable victory.

But a superb boundary catch by Mark Bray to get rid of Orrell and Roberts’ calmness under a skier that dismissed Ahmed contributed to the league winners being dismissed for 181, man of the match Bairstow defying cramp to take three catches and a stumping.

‘Bluey’ Bairstow, who hit his first ball for six in his brilliant knock, said afterwards: “It was a two-paced wicket but I am an instinctive cricketer and just play.

“Other teams might be beaten when they go five down but not Woodlands.

“You don’t get many chances to play in cup finals but I have been lucky and this is my seventh.”

Doidge said: “You can always get a good score if you don’t lose wickets early on but we had to do some repair work.

"But we got things rolling at the end of our innings and Glenn also did really well.”