Friarmere captain misses flight to see his side home

STAYING PUT . . . Friarmere skipper Rizwan Khan with the flight details to Pakistan.

CRICKET:

NO one can criticise Rizwan Khan’s commitment to the cause: the Friarmere second XI captain had a plane to catch on Sunday night - but instead stayed to steer his side to the Moore Cup final.

Khan, in his third year at Slack Lane, was packed and ready to go for his 10pm flight to Pakistan.

His hoped to score runs quickly and finish the game early so he could dash to the airport. But the loss of two wickets in six balls changed all that. Friarmere found themselves 118 for eight against an Austerlands’ total of 161.

The writing was on the wall until number eight Khan and Abbas Ali stepped forward.

“I had to play a captain’s knock for the club,” said Khan, who teaches ICT at Oldham College. “I kept asking the time, as I knew it was tight.

“Abbas Ali is a good player and I had confidence in him. I told him that we had plenty of overs and there was no point in taking risks.”

Khan (19 not out) and Ali (16 not out) put on 44 for the ninth wicket and clinched victory in the last over.

Friarmere play Saddleworth in the final at Well-i-Hole on Sunday, August 11.

“The match finished at 8.45pm. I got to the airport, but it was too late.

“When I told my family I wasn’t coming they were fine. They didn’t mind because we had won the game!”

Khan’s duty to Friarmere cost him £100 for the change to his booking; he will go home in October instead.