HUDDERSFIELD’S Under 13s have pulled off a marvellous double in the Lord’s Taverners Tournament, surprising a strong Aire/Wharfe side at Ilkley and then crushing Craven at Almondbury Wesleyans.
Batting first, Huddersfield made 130 against Aire/Wharfe with Jack Hendy top-scoring with 33.
At one stage they were 87-4 with 12 overs remaining, but a middle order collapse pegged them back, and it was only down to a battling 20 from wicketkeeper Danny Firth which took them to their total.
Aire Wharfe looked to be coasting at 41-1 off just seven overs, but a tremendous spell of bowling from Joe White, who finished with four for six from six overs, quickly reduced the home side to 50-6.
They did rally however and moved the score beyond 100 at which point Firth and Hendy took a catch apiece and Aire/Wharfe were out for 106.
Pick of the bowlers were Tom Walker (three for 16) and Alistair Finn (three for 18).
Yesterday they were even more convincing, after Hendy and William Fraine featured in a record first-wicket stand for the Under 13s of 213 against the Craven area.
Hendy finished unbeaten on 114, while Fraine made 88 as they led Huddersfield to 235-2.
Craven lost a wicket in the second over with three of their first five to fall going to direct hits and never looked like challenging.
Tom Walker took two for 20 and Fraine two for 8 as they went down by 156 runs.
Huddersfield had come close before just losing out to the Heavy Woollen side at Denby Dale in their opening match.
Heavy Woollen made 168 all out, after being 102-2 at one stage, but in reply Huddersfield struggled against some accurate bowling and reached only 53-2 after 20 overs.
Charlie Mitchell (40) and Alistair Finn (30) took Huddersfield to 136 with five overs remaining, but when both fell to catches in the deep their challenge faded and they were held to 155-9.
Huddersfield’s Under 15s start their campaign against Scarborough at Skelmanthorpe tomorrow (1.30), followed by fixtures against Sheffield at Rotherham on Sunday, Craven at Guiburn on Monday and Pontefract at Broad Oak next Wednesday (August 6).
