Heaton breeze past '˜Swaine to reach Heavy Woollen Cup final

Chris Goodair was promoted from Hanging Heatons second team and went on to claim 3-28, including the key wicket of Gharib Nawaz to help his side defeat Hoylandswaine and reach the Heavy Woollen Cup final last Sunday.

A large crowd gathered — including Leigh Centurions chairman Mike Laytham before he headed off to watch his rugby club take on Batley Bulldogs — to see the reigning Huddersfield and Bradford League champions lock horns but it turned out to be a relatively one-sided contest.

Beaten finalists in the previous three seasons, Hoylandswaine made a brisk start with opener Gharib Nawaz making a quickfire 32.

Hanging Heaton got the breakthrough when David Stiff had SP Singh (10) caught behind by Ismail Dawood with the Swaine captain sportingly deciding to walk when initially given not out.

Second team left arm bowler Chris Goodair had the dangerous Nawaz caught by Stiff off the first ball of his spell and then trapped Saeed Anwar lbw in his second over as three wickets fell for 11 runs.

Usman Arshad then drove Goodair straight to Gary Fellows as he finished with 3-28 from six overs.

Captain Fellows switched his bowlers around and the ploy worked as Tom Chippendale trapped the dangerous Chris Holliday lbw for 11.

Josh Holing, Fellows and spinner Callum Geldart claimed a wicket apiece, while paceman Stiff ended with 3-24 from 10 overs as Hoylandswaine were dismissed for 140 in 34 overs.

Geldart led the Heaton reply as he made an unbeaten 50 from just 33 balls, while Fellows struck 40 at the top of the innings as the Tewits raced to their modest target in just 20.4 overs and they will face New Farnley in the all Bradford League final at Spen Victoria on Sunday August 5.

Farnley recorded a thrilling one-wicket win over Methley when Alex Lilley smashed a six off the penultimate ball of the match to set up a repeat of the 2013 final.

Methley will rue the fact they were bowled out for 241 with 10 balls of their innings remaining. Jodan Laban (72) and Marcus Walmsley (64) were top scorers for Methley against a bowling attack in which former England and Yorkshire paceman Ajmal Shahzad took 3-44 and spinner Luke Jarvis (3-40).

Wicketkeeper Steve Bullen (70) and captain Lee Goddard (57) led the New Farnley reply, but once they were out, wickets tumbled as Waqas Ahmed, Robert Clegg and Adal Islam picked up two apiece.

The Bradford League Premier Division leaders found themselves struggling at 231-9 and still needing 11 to win off the last over.

Jarvis edged a four off Walmsley which gave New Farnley hope and Lilley secured the win when he hit a six to send them through to the final.