Austerlands on the up

AUSTERLANDS are back up to second place in the Armstrongs Office Furniture Saddleworth and District Cricket League after they hammered Hollinwood by 181 runs at Thorpe Lane.

The visitors started the day in second, but they always faced an uphill struggle after Kevin Du Feu’s side amassed 249 for five from their 45 overs.

South African overseas amateur Mike Hayward and Andy Young were unbeaten on 76 and 65 respectively, while Michael Schofield made 62.

Attention then switched to Junaid Khan as the Pakistani professional blew Hollinwood away with figures of eight for 30 — the best bowling return in the league so far this season.

Leading amateur batsman Zeeshan Khan is closing on 1,000 runs in 2009.

The all-rounder, from Pakistan, moved on to 907 with an unbeaten 102 in Uppermill’s four-wicket defeat of Glodwick at Leafields.

The result lifted the home side, who dismissed their opponents for 204 thanks to James Baron’s haul of five for 41, to third in the table.

But defeat was tough on Glodwick professional Imran Aslam. Khan’s fellow countryman made 44 and claimed five for 44, which included a hat-trick.

West Indian Lincoln Roberts scored 81 for Bamford Fieldhouse, who increased their lead to 85 points with an emphatic 10-wicket win over Stayley.

South African paid man Roelof Hugo was 68 not out at the death to steer Heyside to victory over Droylsden at Little Hey Street.

Heyside won by six wickets after Droylsden made 174. Scott Bloor took five for 53 for the hosts, while Aquib Uppal compiled 45.

And another South African, overseas amateur Nick Van den Bergh, hit a fine 82 for Shaw, who climbed to seventh after an 84-run success over Greenfield at Holebottom Clough.

Scores —

Division one: Austerlands 249-5 (M Hayward 76 not out, An Young 65 not out, M Schofield 62), Hollinwood 68 (J Khan 8-30); Stayley 116 (R Rafiq 42), Bamford Fieldhouse 119-0 (L Roberts 81 not out); Saddleworth 149-9, Friarmere 154-5 (A Qayyum 59 not out); Droylsden 174 (A Uppal 45, S Bloor 5-43), Heyside 176-4 (R Hugo 68 not out); Shaw 184-7 (N Van den Bergh 82), Greenfield 100; Glodwick 204 (I Aslam 44, S Mahmood 42, J Baron 5-41); Uppermill 205-6 (Z Khan 102 not out, I Aslam 5-44, incl hat-trick).

Division two: Droylsden 53, Heyside 55-3; Glodwick 145, Uppermill 139 (G Crossley 60, M Parkinson 5-24); Shaw 263-4 (C Thompson 76, M Ingham 63, P Rowlands 59), Greenfield 212 (S Whitehead 5-39); Austerlands 132, Hollinwood 133-1 (S Meredith 67 not out, S Ishaq 48); Friarmere 153, Saddleworth 156-3 (R Jones 54 not out); Stayley 54 (C Barrett 5-19, inc hat-trick), Bamford Fieldhouse 57-7 (S Mellor 7-22, inc hat-trick).


THERE were two hat-tricks in the second XI game between Stayley and Bamford Fieldhouse at Millbrook.

Carl Barrett took three in a row for Bamford in figures of five for 19, before Stuart Mellor repeated the feat for Stayley — he claimed all seven wickets for 22 runs — but was unable to prevent his side from slipping to defeat in a low-scoring game.