Otley Town in focus

The two meet this Saturday at Pool's Arthinghton Lane ground when local rivallry is sure to be at its hottest, especially as Pool inlcude two former Town players in the much travelled Tracey Mahoney and 19 years-old in form batsman Paul Henry.

Town stalwart Bernard Thornton said of the upcoming clash: 'Pool are the best all-round side in the division but in Kafiat Hussain we have a man capable of winning a match on his own so who knows what the result might be?'

'Kafiat is a very special player and as a full-time professional in both his home country Pakistan and in Dubai he has very high standards. He is a first-class batsman who plays his shots from the off and on the bowling front he is two players in one. He starts out with left-arm fast medium and then later turns to slow left-arm,' said Thornton.

Hussain has impressed with one century and two half-centuries in four knocks and has helped Town make it four wins out of five games played so far.

The number three batsman in his early thirties has previously been in England when he toured with Dubai.

Skipper leads way

Town's promotion push is being led by skipper Tony Smith who is back with the club after a year with Green Lane in the Airedale and Wharfedale League.

Last time Smith was at Town he scored 600 runs in the season and that sort of contribution this time Town will continue their challenge.

Bernard Thornton has been a stalwart of the Town club for many years after starting out with the club, going up the road to Menston to play some of his junior cricket and then returning as a senior player to Town.

He is always one to rely on for a steady knock and he is quite happy with his form at present.

"I have made the usual twenties or thirties but have not yet had a really big knock,' said Thornton who opens the batting with Kevin Mulvaney.

At different ends of the scale Town have younsters such as pace bowler Nick McNeice, all-rounder Jonny McGee, Luke Wagstaffe, wicketkeeper Seb McGowan and Will Haines to look to as well as old campaigner Paddy Campbell.

Indeed it was Campbell who steered them to victory recently against Olicanians.

Town's second team, led by Derek Noble, is currently finding it a bit of a struggle in Division One especially with long term injuries to such as Richard Mason.

Mason however has his hands full looking after the club's fund raising and sponsorship activities.

Juniors

The club runs three junior teams with Nick McNeice looking after the Under-17s, John Holmes the Under-15s and Neil Ives the Under-13s.

Despite its out of town location Town have always been able to attract hordes of youngsters keen to play the game.

Otley Town CC was formed when the former Grove Hill club had to move out of Grove Hill Park when the Otley by-pass was planned to cut the ground in two.

The players moved in at Pool Road and Otley Town CC was formed in 1976.

Since then they have had some success with the first and second teams winning the Second Division of the Leeds League, which they joined in 1980 after being in the Dales Council League.

The first team had their Second Division championship success in 1992 and the second team in 1988.

Although the sides have not won either the Hepworth or Wood Cups in the Leeds League they have reached the finals.

The first team got to the Hepworth Cup final in 1990 with the second team in the Wood Cup final in 1993.

Of this year's Leeds League campaign Thornton said: 'I see it as a battle between outselves and Pool but I have to admit Pool are the strongest all round team in the division.'

Loyalty

Town has survived on the loyalty of a number of club stalwarts over the years and with the retirement of long time club stalwarts Derek and Maureen Hawley from the scene the club is now run by secretary Paul Hatfield, chairman Paddy Campbell and treasurer Neil Ives with more than a little help along the way from all those unsung heroes that make up every club.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.