An upset at Tong Park

posted by John Winn

Three or four years ago, at the end of an afternoon watching cricket in the Bradford area I called at Tong Park, the home of Tong Park and Esholt CC, only to find the beautiful ground deserted and  cricket finished for the day. No such misfortune yesterday as I arrived at BD17 7QL in time to see the players taking the field for a Waddilove Cup semi final match with Tong Park, Aire Wharfe Div 3, taking on Div 1 side North Leeds. The home team had been invited to take first knock and made a slow start against some accurate pace bowling from the visitors and with the score at 14 Fawad Maqsood played on to one from Harry Dixon. Recovery was mounted by Ajantha Weerappuli and James Druce but boundaries were hard to come by and the scoring rate was only a touch above three an over.

The introduction of spin brought about Druce's dismissal but it was the pace of Farhan Khan that blew a hole in Tong Park's middle order. From a shortish run but with a whippy action he generated pace that gave him six wickets, three clean bowled. Weerappulli watched this from the non strikers end until he was seventh out with the score at 104, the casualty of an lbw decision with which he clearly disagreed. That Khan (F) was not unplayable was demonstrated by number ten, another Khan, Muhammed of that ilk, who hit  three sixes in his unbeaten 37 and a stand of 49 with no 8 Murray enabled his side to reach 154 before they were all out. Not enough I thought and even texted my friend Peter Sixsmith, who was enjoying the Southport air watching Lancashire taking on Durham, to tell him as much.

When, after five overs North Leeds' score was 41 for 0 with all but three of the runs having come in boundaries it looked as though the target might be reached in twenty overs, let alone 45. Wrong again for eight wickets fell for 19 runs, seam from Mahir Ali at one end and innocent looking dobblers from Mick Scott at the other. From the deckchair Scott's deliveries seemed innocuous but North Leeds could not fathom them and he finished with four for fourteen off his nine overs. Wales, who remained undefeated on 39 and Dixon erased some of the embarrassment by adding 32 for the ninth wicket but when last man Karim was run out with the score at 105 the third division outfit had won by 49 runs and will now play Otley, comfortable winners over Burley in Wharfedale in the other semi final, in the final on August 7th. Can Tong Park provide another upset? I'm saying nowt.