EAST Bierley’s brave run in the Heavy Woollen Cup is over, as they lost at the quarter-final stage.

The Division One Bradford Premier League side were up against top-flight heavyweights New Farnley and, despite under-strength Bierley scoring a presentable 247, the good wicket and small ground meant that New Farnley easily overhauled that for three wickets down with nearly 11 overs to spare.

Captain Adam Brown, whose team were without the unavailable Jack Hebden and Dan Cross, was disappointed, however, that they did not capitalise on the great start given to them by openers Matthew West and Sam Gatenby.

West, whose intent was shown by a wild swing and a miss to the first ball of the match, went on to score 121 off just 96 balls, including nine sixes and six fours.

Left-hander Gatenby, content to play second fiddle early on, then opened his shoulders to score 63 off 81 balls in a knock that contained 11 fours and a six.

However, from that high-water mark of 166-0, they lost 10 wickets for 81 as spinners Gurman Randhawa and the previously unheralded Jack Dyson, plus seamer Dan Houghton, finally put some shackles on the batting.

Brown confessed: “We threw away a good position in the first half from 166 for none to 247 all out, and we lost it there and then.

“The boys fought hard all the time but we were second best.

“Jack (Hebden) bowled really well on Saturday and Crossy has been one of our main bowlers all year.

“On a good deck against these guys you have got to make something happen, and they played it well and didn’t give us a sniff.”

Nevertheless, Brown summed up the three-match journey, which included defeating Wakefield Thornes in the first round in a contest that is unlikely to be bettered all season, by saing: “We are proud to have got where we are and we had some good wins to get here and didn’t put ourselves to shame.”

That was the fear of Bierley stalwart Ray Davis before wickets were pitched - that the match would turn out to be a non-contest against a side that had even brought their own physio.

But the efforts of West and Gatenby ensured that that was not the case.

But the skilful Randhawa and Dyson, whose variations ensured that they didn’t suffer the same fate as Grant Soames, who went for 36 runs in three overs, plus the accuracy of Houghton, left New Farnley with a target that always seemed within their compass.

The second ball of the match went for four over mid-off off the bottom of West’s bat and, despite surviving half-a-dozen big appeals for lbw, the openers took the score to 120 off just 17 overs, with West 62 and Gatenby 47.

West had reached his 50 with a lofted boundary to ‘cow corner’ and Gatenby followed him to a half-century with a four wide of mid-on before being bowled by Dyson, who had very much been a bit-part player in New Farnley’s league match the day before.

First-round hero Ben Walter’s stay was brief as he sliced one to gully, and Paul Martin was run-out after good work by Steve Bullen in the covers.

The wickets continued to tumble, including West, who reached his ton with a square cut in the 29th over, and it needed a last-wicket stand of 22 between Alex Midgley and No.11 Reece Clark - another hero of the win over Thornes - to take Bierley to that 247 score.

Aidan Langley and the prolific Lee Goddard set about the reply with gusto, putting on 90 before Langley fell for 53, chipping one to mid-off, where he was well caught by Clark diving forwards.

Goddard, whose average was an incredible 133.5 before the match, creamed a cover drive to reach his 50 and seemed nailed on for a century until he drove to short extra cover to be dismissed for 82.

Walter, meanwhile, had deceived Adam Waite (15) into playing down the wrong line but there was no ‘miracle of South View Road’ for Bierley, like against Thornes, as Bullen (51no) and wicket-keeper Dan Hodgson (43no) took New Farnley to victory with an unbroken stand of 81.

Woodlands join New Farnley in the semi-finals, with opener Tim Jackson hitting a fine 103 in their 42-run win over Castleford.

Skipper Cieran Garner supported him well with 54 as the Bradford side compiled a total 226-9.

Woodlands then bowled out their Yorkshire League North opponents for 184, as off-spinner Kez Ahmed kept up his fine form with 4-42.

Farsley have reached the last four for the first time, after they beat Gomersal by six wickets, while three-time finalists Hoylandswaine edged home by two wickets against Barnsley Woolley Miners with five balls to spare.