Young gun Abbass on cloud nine

PROUD: Nine-wicket hero Abbass Ali and dad, Shahid Mahmood.

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Bowler puts the skids under Stayley
FRIARMERE’S Abbass Ali smashed the Stayley batting line-up with scintillating figures nine for 19 — and it was the 18-year-old’s first competitive bowl for almost two months!

The son of former West View player Shahid Mahmood, the teenage left-armer sent the hosts spiralling to 55 all out in the Saddleworth and District Cricket League second XI fixture.

With his work complete, Friarmere went on to clinch a comfortable two-wicket victory at Stayley’s Oakfield ground.

“Abbass is pretty sharp for his age,” said first-team captain Gary Kershaw.

“He is a rhythm bowler, so to come back the way he did was a great effort.

“He hasn’t played because of his ‘A’ levels, but now they are over, hopefully he’ll be able to figure regularly for the remainder of the season.”

Seven of the victims in his 9.2 overs were clean bowled.

Mohammed Ayub took the other wicket to fall — but there was still a family connection as Abbass’ younger brother, Kasim, claimed the catch.

“His brother is also a good prospect,” added Kershaw. “He’s only 15 and played for the first team against Bamford Fieldhouse earlier in the season.”

Dad Shahid played one season at Friarmere, in 1986, when former Lancashire and Durham batsman Nick Speak was the club’s professional.

And Shahid made his mark in that summer by winning the league batting prize with 826 runs at an average of 43.47. He was a leg-spinner, but broke a finger playing for Friarmere, forcing him to miss the whole of the 1987 campaign and ending his career as a bowler.

In 1988 he joined Meltham in the Huddersfield League. He played for eight seasons and became one of the West Yorkshire side’s most prolific run-scorers.

Shahid then moved to Crompton, where he ended his playing career after two years at Glebe Street. He was as an amateur at the time when Zafar Iqbal was pro.

The respect he had for Iqbal saw him return to Friarmere when the Pakistani all-rounder assumed the role of overseas amateur.