Cricket: Ahmed's key to victory

Jun 1 2009 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

AHMED’S KEY

CENTURY-maker Sarfraz Ahmed locked his keys in the car boot and turned up late, but he quickly made amends with a cracking century to help take Skelmanthorpe second in the Premiership.

The classy batsman’s 114 was at the heart of a 57-run win over previously unbeaten Scholes, although Joe Lumb Cup spinner Dom Storey shared the honours with his first five-wicket haul at senior level.

The victory was all the more welcome because Skelmanthorpe have lost their overseas signing Anirudh Singh, who has been recalled to play for Hyderabad.

By the time skipper Adam Dollive was out in the 10th over with only nine on the board, Ahmed had managed to rescue his keys and get from Bradford to Lidgett Lane and his innings at No3 was both measured and punishing.

After Tim Sykes went for 41, Ahmed shared in a third-wicket partnership of 102 with Max Joice (44 in 33 balls) and was eventually bowled by Tom Brook having hit 14 fours and four sixes in his 117-ball knock.

Skelmanthorpe then added 40 in the last three overs to take the game away from their visitors (Kristian Whittaker 28), even though skipper James Noble (46), Iqbal Khan (24) and Brook (21) took Scholes to 110-2 in reply at one stage.

It was then that 16-year-old left-arm Storey got to work and, with solid support from Scott Dyson at the other end and some ill-judged strokes, he ripped the innings apart with five for 32 from eight overs to leave the visitors settling for a point.

Leaders Delph & Dobcross opened up a five-point lead on the rest with a six-point 102-run win at Clayton West, thanks largely to solid 60s from Irfan Zahoor, Hilal Khiljee and Arron Lilley in a total of 305-6.

Like Scholes, Shepley also lost ground after being beaten at home by improving Honley, who had John Greaves (85) and Matthew Wood (58) to thank for an opening stand of 113 in setting up a 230-7 total.

SP Singh, who took four for 54 in the Honley innings, scored 59 at the top of the Shepley order and Tom Denton added 37, but they struggled against Ibrar Ali and Wood, who claimed four for 38 and three for 58 respectively as Shepley were dismissed for 173.

Micklehurst, who have lost several players, put up 174 all out at Elland with Dave Barker (53) and Andrew Gleave (77) being the mainstays, but they had no answer to Ryan Robinson, who hammered 15 boundaries in his undefeated 110.

He shared in an unbroken first-wicket stand of 176 with Greg Finn (52 not out) in a comfortable 10-wicket win.

Ben DeAraugo and Steve Whitwam – the best all-rounder in the league in recent years – again hit top form for Broad Oak and Golcar respectively.

DeAraugo hit 76 not out and took a fantastic eight for 66 as the Oak totalled 254-6 against Barkisland and then bowled out the home side for 217, despite a battling 90 from Alex Scholefield.

Whitwam hit 97 and took four wickets for Golcar but still finished on the losing side to Slaithwaite, who are now out of the bottom three with a two-wicket win.

Half centuries from Wajid Hussain and Aussie Marcus Hainsworth did the trick for Slaithwaite.