Seven-wicket Shazad stars

CELEBRATION TIME: Austerlands’ Adam Young is caught off the bowling of Mohammed Shazad. Picture: CHRIS SUNDERLAND.

BOWLERS held all the aces at Lime Lane as Hollinwood wrecked Austerlands’ unbeaten record in the Armstrongs Office Furniture Saddleworth and District Cricket League.

In an exciting finish to a low-scoring encounter, John Winterbottom’s side sneaked across the line with two wickets to spare for their third win of the season.

Hollinwood’s main man was undoubtedly Mohammed Shazad. The right-arm seamer, in his second spell at the club after two seasons at Werneth in the CLL, claimed seven for 58 as Austerlands crashed to 109 all out.

The 27-year-old, who was taking his wickets to 19 in five games, exploited the bowler- friendly conditions perfectly. He put the ball on or outside off stump and was rewarded with four wickets in the slip or gully region.

Everything went right for Shazad, who even persuaded Winterbottom to give him one more go after the captain had threatened to remove him from the bowling attack. In his very next over he dislodged Kevin Du Feu and Andy Young. Batting at number 10, Shazad was also dropped.

Conditions were tricky for batsmen. The pitch was slow and, while one minute the ball was keeping low, the next it was popping up off a length.

Du Feu, who was going along nicely on 19, received a snorter. Taken unawares by a rising delivery, the ball clipped his gloves straight to Mudassar Butt at second slip.

The Austerlands captain was one of only three players from his team to reach double figures.

Abhi Ettimadai was particularly strong on the leg-side — he pulled Shazad for six — on his way to 43, while Mark Peters was unbeaten on 16.

Du Feu and Ettimadai added 58 for the fourth wicket to take the score to 78, but once the latter was dismissed by the accurate leg-spin of Rashid Khan, batsmen departed at regular intervals.

Khan ended up with three for 16 from his nine overs. He didn’t make any when it was his turn with the bat, so decided to fill his time by jogging several laps of the outfield.

Austerlands required quick wickets to stand any hope of preserving their unbeaten record — and they wasted little time.

Zia Ur Rehman and Shahzad Sadaqat, who was promoted to open the innings, exited in the fourth and fifth overs respectively.

Stand-in professional Asif Iqbal soon followed to leave Austerlands believing they could pull victory out of the fire.

Butt and Mike Walsh put on 26 to take the total of 61, but then Butt was trapped in front by a ball from Andy Young which shot through at shin high and Khan was superbly caught by Du Feu low to his left.

Walsh, who made 44 the previous week, and Jasem Khan gradually inched Hollinwood towards their target but Young, who finished up with three for 33, bowled Khan for 11.

Then, with his very first ball, Adam Wadsworth had Walsh leg before for 24. For Austerlands the unthinkable was definitely on.

John McGovern was Wadsworth’s second victim with 12 runs needed.

Hollinwood desperately wanted a steadying influence — up stepped skipper Winterbottom.

Within sight of their third victory of the campaign, he struck a four before watching Young spill Shazad at slip.

The next ball, it was all over. Relief all-round for the home supporters.