Zaman serves up winning formula

Crompton bowler Aquib Zulfiquar celebrates as Royton’s Dave Clarke walks.

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Local sport: cricket

LOCAL restaurateur Mohammed Zaman Khan served up a gourmet display as he almost single-handedly steered Crompton to a four-wicket derby win at Royton.

Zaman Khan, whose weekend job is professional at Glebe Street, produced heroics with bat and ball to lift Crompton towards mid-table.

The Pakistani, who has also been paid man at Littleborough and for the last two seasons for Cleckheaton in the Bradford League, claimed six wickets for 46 runs for starters as Royton were bowled out for 167.

The main course, however, was even more impressive as Zaman Khan, who has a restaurant in Shaw, then hit an unbeaten 104 out of a total of 170 for six.

To say that Crompton were indebted to Zaman Khan was a massive understatement as he was the pivotal figure in their first five-point win of the campaign.

Problems with a couple of wet areas on a length on the wicket meant a 30-minute delay and the overs reduced from 50 to 45 for each team.

Just as Zaman Khan was the inspiration behind Crompton, opposite number Luke Procter was the mainstay of the Royton side.

The youngster, who is on the playing staff at Lancashire having been awarded a scholarship, again displayed a maturity beyond his years.

He came to the middle after the fall of the first wicket in the fifth over and was the last man out having made 76, his highest knock of the season.

While wickets tumbled around him, Procter remain unruffled and batted sensibly. And it was only when the ninth wicket fell that he opened up and finally skied a catch to Chris Bischoff.

Procter punished any loose deliveries as his 76, which came off 107 balls, included four sixes and four fours.

It was just a pity the supporting cast failed to offer more robust backing as the next-best score was 18 from Aussie overseas amateur Ryan Carters followed by a swashbuckling 17 from Simon Webb and 16 from John Punchard.

While Zaman Khan ripped through the heart of the bowling, there were also three wickets for South African overseas amateur Bischoff.

And a special mention to Crompton’s stand-in wicket-keeper, 61-year-old Alan Whiston who claimed five dismissals - three catches and two stumpings.

Crompton made a bumpy start to their reply, quickly slipping to 19 for three as Whiston, Boschoff and Simon Wright were all cheaply dismissed, Wright to a spectacular one-handed diving catch by Webb in the gulley.

It quickly became evident that if Crompton were to triumph, Zaman Khan would have to stay.

He and captain Glenn Dawson, with a valuable 22, steadied the rocking boat by adding 57 runs for the fourth wicket.

Steven Wright (14) and Steve Kershaw (13) also provided useful support, though it was Zaman Khan who produced a master class of batting.

He produced a great cover drive to bring up 50 out of 91 for four and also hit an equally impresive stroke for a 13th boundary to clinch victory having the previous ball run two to make it to reach his century.

It was fitting that Zaman Khan had the last word as he had paced his knock and his side’s reply to perfection, Crompton galloping over the winning line with 14 deliveries to spare.

Zaman Khan’s runs came off 113 balls in 100 minutes in the middle and, apart from 13 fours, he also hit one towering six off John Punchard.

Punchard, 15-year-old Joe Lovell and Procter claimed two wickets apiece – but the day belonged to the in-form Zaman Khan who completed a third half century in four innings to mastermind Crompton’s victory.