Farhat puts skids under champions

CRICKET:

WHAT Heyside were unable to do on Saturday when in pole position, Austerlands did from the unlikeliest of situations yesterday – defeat Bamford Fieldhouse in the Armstrongs Office Furniture Saddleworth and District Cricket League.

Dismissed for 120 thanks mainly to Mel Austin’s six for 52 haul, Adam Young’s side were staring down the barrel of a gun against the reigning champions.

But Bamford knew exactly how Heyside had felt 24 hours earlier (see story below) after crashing to 100 all out in reply.

Professional Humayun Farhat was Austerlands’ star man.

The Pakistani all-rounder contributed a vital 65 with the bat before claiming five for 24 with the ball from 19 overs to stun Paddy McKeown’s visitors to Nursery Fields.

A second defeat of the season, as well as a drawn game, leaves Bamford 47 points adrift of Uppermill who, by contrast, enjoyed a comfortable weekend.

Victory over local rivals Saddleworth, against whom Michael Brooks (72) and Dave Wood (50 not out) blossomed with the bat, was followed by another master class from spinner Imran Aslam.

The paid man ripped out Hollinwood almost single-handedly, taking nine for 33.

For good measure, he scored an unbeaten 52 as Uppermill reached a rain-revised target of 68 without loss.

Aslam has bagged 44 wickets and the season is only seven matches old.

Glodwick and Droylsden are neck-and-neck in second place.

Back from a weekend off, the former lost their unbeaten record to Greenfield, for whom Peter Gill weighed in with six for 67, but Nigel Stock’s men returned to winning ways with an emphatic 10-wicket defeat of Moorside, who were shot out for 71.

Droylsden also had a mixed couple of days. Too strong for Austerlands on Saturday, they were no match for Saddleworth yesterday.

Australian overseas amateur Michael Jones, with an unbeaten 86, and pro Peter Skuse (six for 65 and 52), were the instigators of Droylsden’s downfall.