Baildon's selection committee must be a brave bunch of men if they are prepared to leave Jamie Abbott out of their team for the Solly Sports Heavy Woollen Cup final.

The second-teamer again came into their side for the semi-final at Central Yorkshire League side Scholes and took six for 34 as Baildon won by 205 runs.

"You have to take your hat off to him," said the Jenny Lane club's league representative Mick Illingworth.

"He bowled sensibly, flighted the ball well and got one or two to turn. Jamie'll be after a winners' medal now, and rightly so."

One or two pundits felt that Scholes away was a tricky tie but Abbott and Simon Davies helped to turn it into a cakewalk.

Former skipper Davies firstly laid a solid foundation with Colin de Grandhomme (63) and then punished anything that was wide of the stumps on either side.

"Simon is a class act," said Illingworth, "and both Colin and himself batted sensibly against their opening bowlers.

"Then when Colin was out, Ian Philliskirk hit 47 in 13 balls, and brutal is a very good word to describe the way he plays. He is a big lad and he clubs the ball.

"Scholes fielded well on what was a very hot afternoon, but then they lost early wickets trying to keep up with the run-rate."

Baildon, who lost their left-arm spinner Mushtaq Ahmed for an hour and a half during the game to duties at his shop in Halifax, will play holders Barnsley in the final at Liversedge on Sunday, July 30.

"It should be a cracking match but it is a pity that Idle didn't get through and make it an all-Bradford League final," said Illingworth Idle were at home and, like Scholes, faced a formidable target.

Unlike Scholes, however, they almost got there in what was a cracking day's entertainment at Cavendish Road.

The Yorkshire League side made 310 for six, Idle's stand-in captain Steve Thompson saying: "We didn't bowl or field our best but they batted very well. We bowled too many four-balls."

Idle needed Paul Cummins to anchor the innings, and he did that with 115, allowing his team-mates to bat around him.

And the Division One club were consistently up with the run-rate, via Cummins and Imran Dawood, Thompson noting: "Barnsley were falling out in lumps, arguing with themselves."

However, a fantastic diving catch in front of the sightscreen by former Idle player Mark Beardshall helped to turn the game, as did some late run-outs, including the crucial one of Dinusha Fernando when Idle needed 40 off the last four overs.

Thompson added: "We finished 17 runs short but three or four people came up to me afterwards to say what a great game it was in front of a decent crowd."

Barnsley are also through to the Crowther Cup final for second teams on Monday, August 28.

They beat Huddersfield League side Shelley by three wickets and will face Wakefield St Michaels from the Central Yorkshire League.

They toppled Bradford League Division Two side Manningham Mills for a mere 34 and won by seven wickets.