Friarmere’s bolt from the blue

THAT’S THE WAY TO DO IT . . . Shaw batsmen Joe Whitehead

CRICKET:

FRIARMERE turned the form book upside down, gave it a good shake and then tore it to bits by beating high-flying Uppermill in the Armstrongs Office Furniture Saddleworth and District Cricket League yesterday.

Dismissed for 86 in a four-wicket defeat on Saturday, Gary Kershaw’s side produced a stunning riposte in the reverse fixture at Leefields to inflict a first loss on the leaders since the opening day of the season.

Asif Qayyum hit a league best of 155 and top-of-the-order rock Darren Shadford made an unbeaten 70 in Friarmere’s total of 234 for four. Uppermill professional Imran Aslam claimed three for 97, following on from his seven-wicket haul of 24 hours earlier.

Shadford then went on to bag three for 86 and Australian paid man Josh Butler weighed in with three for 73 as Uppermill, despite 82 from Islam, fell 14 runs short of their victory target.

With Shaw and Heyside sharing the spoils in the traditional Whit double-headers. Saddleworth are now within a couple of points of the former in fourth place after two Peter Skuse-inspired victories over Greenfield.

The Aussie pro took five for 38 in the first encounter — the hosts crashed to 79 all out — and seven for 52 in the second clash, in which he also scored 60 to set-up an equally resounding win.

There was a thrilling finish at Thorpe Lane yesterday, with Austerlands’ Andy Wood smashing a six off the last of the innings to break Moorside’s hearts.

Wood thumped seven maximums altogether in a rapid knock of 69 after Francis Sutherland’s excellent 126 had lifted the visitors to a healthy 216.

Ryan Garlick was Austerlands’ main man in the first game, taking six for 20 in a seven-wicket success. The win ended a run of five straight defeats.

It was a case of ‘honours even’ between Glodwick and Hollinwood who, thanks to half-centuries from S Naseer (58) and S Butt (53), avenged Saturday’s defeat by the Warren Lane outfit.

And it was 1-1 in the Stayley v Droylsden showdowns.

The highlight of the two days was the performance of Adnan Farooq, the Stayley overseas amateur claiming six wickets in each of the matches while for Droylsden Aqib Uppal scored 74 and 41 not out.