JUST six days after losing to Hanging Heaton in the Crowther Cup final at Sandal, Woodlands’ second team got their hands on some silverware, winning the Priestley Shield final at Ossett.

Farsley skipper Ryan Blackburn surprised many people by winning the toss and opting to field on a gloriously sunny day.

However, that decision looked to have been vindicated when Woodlands were reduced to 10-4, with the top four of Liam Brearley, Nicky Rushworth, Naved Siddique and Tom Clee all back in the pavilion.

Mukdas Mohammed and Richard Sutcliffe had each taken two wickets but they found the fifth scalp of the innings much harder to come by as Kieran Collins, who is knocking on the first-team door at Albert Terrace, and Jak Murphy added 83.

No-one knew it at the time but the partnership between man-of-the-match Collins and Murphy proved to be match-winning, with the batsmen mixing well placed shots along the floor with powerful aerial blows.

Collins’ 69 came in 65 balls and included eight fours and four sixes, ending when he played down the wrong line in a forward defensive to Elliot Addison, and Murphy hit five fours.

Rob Medcalf (14) and Ateeb Shah (10) made double figures after that but the innings came to a rather stuttering end for Woodlands as they finished on 153 all out.

Mohammed returned 3-21 and Sutcliffe 2-16, while Ryan Blackburn was miserly in conceding only 17 runs from his eight overs, also getting the vital wicket of Murphy.

The match seemed in the balance at tea-time but Farsley’s front end found it just as difficult as Woodlands had in setting a platform.

They were 40-4 before Ryan Blackburn (18) added 32 with his wicket-keeping brother Jamie (44).

The latter’s knock was the only substantial one in Farsley’s innings, however, and they could only make 118, despite the best efforts of Andrew Sims (18) further down the order.

Only Murphy suffered punishment as opening duo Clee (4-20) and Kieran Rodger (2-12) maintained a tight grip on proceedings. Josh Griffin (1-14) and Shah (2-22) also bowled well.

Delighted Woodlands skipper Stephen Pearson said: “I would have batted first on a nice sunny day so I was surprised when they put us in because we have a strong batting line-up and 40 overs suits us.

“The lads did say that as it dried out it wasn’t the easiest wicket as the innings went on but there was no evidence of that at the toss.

“However, it worked for them as we were 10-4 and I had put my pads on, and then we just needed to slow it down and bat time.

“Kieran and Jak were our main pairing, but it proved it was not a fast-scoring wicket because even the likes of Rob at the end could not really get it away.

“We lost wickets at vital times so we could not kick on and we would have expected to post 200 at a ground like this.”

Pearson added: “At ‘half-time’, I said to the lads that they had come out with more intent than us as we had probably undercooked it a little bit, and I said that the team with the most intent in the second half would win it, and I was really pleased with the second half.

“We didn’t want to lose two cup finals in a row and we came out of the blocks quick.

“Tom got us a wicket in the first over and Kieran also bowled really well, and we then decided just to take pace off the ball.

“We kept taking vital wickets at vital times and the lad who got 44 was the only one who was going to win it for them.

“Once the required run rate went up to eight, nine or ten when they only had four wickets in the tent it was difficult to do it.

“Credit to our boys. We stuck at it to defend 153 and it was a brilliant win, although we have made hard work of it.

“Liam Brearley took a superb catch diving down to his right and then caught one the next over from the lad who was going strongly.

“It has been a really strong finish to the season for us, even though we finished fifth in our league, which is the first time that we haven’t finished in the top three in a while.”