Deciding to
bat first proved to be a correct decision for in making
189 from their 50 overs they effectively batted Old Lane
out of this match. However, the final score was much
higher than could have been expected as the Moorenders
made a steady if unspectacular start. Opener Rhys Jowett
certainly booked himself his place in the final after
batting just 6 minutes short of 2 hours for his 36, but
his solid innings certainly helped in seeing off the
threat of Old Lane's danger man Zubair Najeeb whose
analysis of 1 for 13 from 10 overs was impressive, but
after his stint was finished only veteran spinner Khalid
Rehman maintained any control of the visitors' middle
order. At the fall of the 4th wicket with the total on
104 in the 36th over, captain John Wood strode
purposefully to the wicket and with help from Craig
Thornton and Ian Wood took control of the innings with
85 runs coming from the remaining 14 overs. When John
was out at 182 he had scored 51 from 43 balls and
Cleckheaton had a very defendable total on a slow
wicket.
Bowling Old Lane soon found themselves climbing a
mountain as the Cleckheaton bowlers, who have this
season become such a formidable unit, put the squeeze on
from the very first ball. Not only were runs very
difficult to find, but wickets were falling at very
regular intervals. At the 25 over mark the home side had
struggled to 47 for 5, and but for a stoical innings
from Khalid Rehman who occupied the crease for 132
minutes in mustering 25 runs, their final total would
have fallen far short of the 91 eventually achieved.
All of the Moorenders' bowlers performed well, none more
that Craig Wiseman whose 10 overs brought him 3 wickets
at a cost of 22, Zaman who, with the help of some
spectacular catches, finished the innings off with 4 for
14, and John Wood who, bowling with some venom, gave the
batsmen particularly Rehman, a torrid time in a 5-over
spell costing just 2 runs.
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