Cricket: Wynn Cup final

The toss, which Embsay won, turned out to be crucial as play was curtailed after only eight balls of the Barrowford innings. When the game re-started on Monday evening, conditions had changed although the wicket appeared to behave just as well as it had done on the Sunday.

Ingrow, the new setting for the final, looked superb as play got underway in bright sunshine. Embsay decided to bat and made a bright start with Mark Tucker and Duncan Bullough putting on 86 for the first wicket in 22 overs before Bullough perished for 30.

The Red Rose side's skipper, John Hargreaves changed his bowlers regularly to find away to get wickets. He had another success three runs later as Tucker was caught behind for 58. Duncan Ward and Mick Cox consolidated and took the score to 166 before the Aussie went for 25 in the 39th over. In the rush for runs wickets tumbled fairly quickly.

Ward enjoyed a splendid knock of 72 which included five sixes and six fours.

The innings closed on 213-9. Glenn Hargreaves finished with 3-49 and Ajmal Choudhry 2-37.

The Bull Holme side's innings got off to the worst possible start as they lost Shahed Mamood for one in the first over, well caught at slip by Ward.

A cloudburst put paid to any further play, despite the best efforts of the groundsman. Monday evening saw another bad start as Neil Hargreaves went first ball caught behind glancing down the leg side. Liam Roberts soon followed for three.

Choudhry and Dean Wedding dug in and were progressing steadily against some tight bowling, especially from Cox. At 41 Wedding was caught at slip by Ward for 12. The change in pace of the wicket was not conducive to Choudhry's undoubted stroke play and after hitting two fours off Cox he played an ungainly pull shot and was caught at mid off for a hard earned 33.

The pressure began to tell as runs were harder to come by. David Hartley went for two and Kevin Lyons 16 which included two excellent straight drives to the boundary.

Without their skipper John Hargreaves, who was unable to play due to other commitments and with the light fading fast, Barrowford decided to declare at 90-8 in the 36th over knowing that their task was impossible. Cox finished with 4-15 off his 12 overs and Speak 2-29 off 9 overs.

A very sad end to a game played in a terrific spirit by both sides. However it did sum up the poor weather that cricket has had to endure this season.

The Ingrow club were thanked for their excellent hospitality, and Dacre Son & Hartley for their sponsorship of the game. The cups and mementoes were presented by Trevor Halstead, Secretary of the host club. The umpires, Gary Macadam and Peter Lilley chose Duncan Ward, with his 72 and three catches, as their man of the match.

Embsay 213-9

Barrowford 90-8 dec

Embsay: M Tucker st Jones b Choudhry 58, D Bullough b Choudhry 30, D Ward st Jones b Hartley 72, M Cox b J Hargreaves 25, S Robinson c Wedding b J Hargreaves 1, J Waddington c Mamood b G Hargreaves 10, R Bateman lbw G Hargreaves 1, S Speak lbw G Hargreaves 0, J Tiffany ro 9, R Cowley 0 no extras 7 total 213-9.

Bowling: J Hargreaves 10-3-62-2, G Hargreaves 12-1-49-3, N Hargreaves 3-0-12-0, Hartley 8-0-47-1, Choudhry 12-2-37-2.

Barrowford: S Mamood c Ward b Speak 0, N Hargreaves c Tiffany b Cox 0, L Roberts b Cox 5, A Choudhry c Bullough b Cox 33, D Wedding c Ward b Cox 12, D Hartley st Tiffany b Cowley 2, K McGahon 19no, K Lyons c Ward b Speak 16, G Hargreaves c Speak b Phillipson 1, S Jones 1no extras 3 Total 90-8 dec. Bowling: Speak 9-2-29-2, Cox 12-6-15-4, Cowley 9-3-25-1, Phillipson 6-1-19-1