Grant makes a smashing start

Photo: Chris Sunderland

UPPERMILL batsman Andy McVeigh (left) walks as Greenfield bowler Josh Higgins celebrates.

CRICKET: NEW boy Grant Hodnett burst on to the Armstrongs Office Furniture Saddleworth and District Cricket League scene with a sparkling knock of 200 for Bamford Fieldhouse at Friarmere.

The former Gloucestershire player sent the ball to all parts of the West View ground, including one shot through a car’s front windscreen, to set up an emphatic 182-win on the opening day of the 2011 season.

Professional Hodnett, who was dropped on three occasions, blitzed 15 fours and 15 sixes on the biggest ground in the league to lift reigning champions Bamford to 320 for seven from 45 overs.

Friarmere captain Gary Kershaw also saw his front windscreen smashed by a six, courtesy of Simon Wright.

Uppermill and Heyside crashed to unexpected defeats.

The former were skittled out for 127 at Greenfield who, in front of a crowd in excess of 450, reached their target with four wickets to spare.

Heyside fared little better at home to Austerlands.

Bowled out for 139 – Dave Oldfield claimed five victims – they lost by a two-wicket margin despite the best efforts of Stuart Moore (five for 64).

There were other first-day wins for Glodwick – Rehan Rafiq hit a half-century on his Warren Lane debut – Moorside and Shaw, for whom new professional Khurram Shehzad struck an unbeaten 80 and took five for 50.