Big hitters set for showdown

IT’S fast, it’s furious and it’s coming to Austerlands on Sunday — Twenty20 finals day in the Saddleworth and District Cricket League.

Starting at 10.30am - when Heyside go head to head with Glodwick in the first of the last-four ties and culminating in the final at 4.30pm - spectators won’t be short-changed when it comes to the battle of the big hitters.

Now in it’s fourth year and again sponsored by 20-20 Vision of Uppermill, the competition has become firmly established in the league calendar.

With Bamford Fieldhouse, the runaway leaders, opting out, it also provides an opportunity for other teams to win a trophy.

And a new name will appear on the honours’ list as the second semi-final at 1.30pm pits Austerlands against Uppermill.

AUSTERLANDS were beaten at the last-four stage two years ago, but captain Kevin Du Feu reckons they are a better-equipped now for the crash, bang, wallop format.

They possess Pakistani professional Junaid Khan. The teenager is probably the quickest bowler in the league and has made a habit of knocking over batsmen with full-pitched deliveries.

Du Feu said: “I can’t single out any player who is key to our chances, but we do bat right down and that’s important.

“We’ve also got five regular bowlers in Junaid Khan, Andy Young, Mike Hayward, Gary Sweeting and Dave Oldfield.

“The fact Bamford Fieldhouse aren’t in it makes it more of a playing field, while we should have the majority of supporters behind us.”

Opponents UPPERMILL are setting their sights on a second final appearance of the season, but are hoping for a happy ending this time.

Matt Taylor’s men lost to Bamford when the Tanner Cup was at stake, but he says that experience won’t be praying on the minds of his players at Thorpe Lane this weekend.

He said: “That’s gone, finished with. We had a big task, we stuck at it and I couldn’t have asked for anything more than that.

“This is a different competition and there is not a lot between the four teams. It’s all going to be on the day.

“Junaid Khan and Imran Aslam, the Glodwick pro, are good, but they can only bowl four overs, but Aslam can also be a destructive batsman.

“I believe our batting and bowling has improved this season, but our fielding has taken a step back. Hopefully we can put that right on Sunday.”

GLODWICK are targeting their first final since 1995 when they went on to win the North Manchester League’s Hodson Cup.

Captain Nigel Stock was in the Warren Lane XI that day, and is “excited and positive” about his side’s chances of ending their 14-year trophy drought.

Andrew Pearce, one of several promising youngsters at Glodwick, is expected to play after scoring 46 against Bamford recently. Bradley Heap is also in contention.

But all eyes will be on Pakistani all-rounder Imran Aslam, who has starred with both bat and ball this season.

Stock said: “Imran loves this format of the game, because it suits his style of batting. He scored 96 off about 30 balls in last year’s competition and we’re hoping for something similar.

“He’s had a more conservative approach in the league this year and it’s paid off because he’s scored more than 600 runs, but he’ll get a free rein on Sunday.”

Docked 20 points before the season had started and defeated in the first round of the Tanner Cup, HEYSIDE’S hopes of repeating their heroics of 2008 were wrecked before flamin’ June had arrived.

With that in mind, last year’s league runners-up and cup-final conquerors will be desperate to collect something from the campaign.

In Roelof Hugo, Heyside possess a player in cracking form. The stylish South African scored a season’s best 136 against Moorside last Saturday to cement his place at the top of the pro batting statistics.

With overseas amateur Chris Van Schalkwyk and Nick Campbell also in the runs of late, they boast one of the most powerful batting line-ups among the final four.

Campbell will bowl his four overs, but the key man in that department is likely to be Stuart Moore, who is as accurate as they come with his medium-pacers.

Neither captain Mark Barnes nor side-kick Tony Heaton would make any comment to the Chronicle with regards to the competition.