End of season nostalgia

Posted by Tony Hutton

Sunday 5th September 2010 - Pudsey Congs v Baildon

An exciting title race is going on in the Bradford League and after today's win over
Baildon, Pudsey Congs are top with 326 points, Bradford & Bingley second with 319 points, Pudsey St Lawrence (beaten by only 7 runs today at Woodlands) have 312 and East Bierley are fourth with 309.

So all to play for next week in the final round of matches. Congs travel to Bankfoot, B & B entertain Cleckheaton, St Lawrence are home to local rivals Farsley and East Bierley face Undercliffe.

Today however Congs looked very determined to bring home one final championship title for retiring former skipper Matthew Doidge. Having lost two very early wickets, Barbar Butt and Adam Patel laid the foundations with a partnership of 109. Patel made 60 and Butt 57. Burzler went for a duck and then the fireworks started.

The stage was set for Matthew Doidge for his final innings on the Britannia Ground and given a resounding welcome as he joined Andrew Bairstow he did not disappoint.
The pair put on 115 runs in only eleven overs, with sixes out of the ground and fours galore against the bewildered Baildon bowlers.

Bairstow went first with 72 but Doidge carried on into the last over before he was brilliantly run out by a direct hit for an amazing 60 runs in only 35 balls, with six fours and four sixes. A fitting way to say goodbye for a man who has led the Congs to so many successes over the years and has always come good when they have been in trouble. He will be sadly missed next season.

Baildon looked totally demoralised facing a target of 266 and were never in the hunt.
A few scores from the middle order but from 168-5 they fell away to 176 all out.
Glen Roberts took 4-28, Burzler 3-60 and Hewitt 3-21 in a great team performance.

When the news came in of St Lawrence's narrow defeat the odds on Congs taking the title must have shortened considerably. Again all will be revealed next week in one thrilling last instalment.