JACK Hartley produced his second seven-wicket haul of the season to enable Bradford & Bingley to inflict a crushing 135-run defeat on Farsley despite an on-going problem with an elbow injury.
The 21-year-old fast bowler said: “It has been a good start to the campaign but I wasn’t sure I could start the season because I have a cartilage problem with my elbow. It is giving me pain, but nothing major.
“I am a bit more mature and more relaxed and, with Noman Ali bowling at the other end, there is no pressure on me. I like bowling with him because he puts pressure on at the other end.”
Bingley were bowled out for 206 in the penultimate over, which Hartley, whose 21 not out helped to secure a fourth batting point, thought was ‘40 or 50 short.’
However, in an extraordinary turn of events, Farsley were shot out for a paltry 70 in 17 overs, with Hartley taking 7-42 in nine hostile overs.
He said: “We have always been a good bowling side but runs and collapses have been our problem.
“We didn’t play well in our defeat at Pudsey Congs the previous week and we were a bit upset, but we turned it round today.”
The match appeared to be in the balance at the tea interval but it soon swung dramatically Bingley’s way.
Hartley took the first of his seven wickets by trapping Matthew Green lbw with only seven runs on the board and his opening partner Chris Thompson dismissed fellow opener Jack Holland lbw without addition to the score.
Hartley then bowled Yorkshire second-team wicket-keeper batsman Dan Hodgson for nought and, when he also bowled Hodgson’s brother Tom, Farsley were in deep trouble at 23-4.
Overseas slow left-arm bowler Ali then entered the attack to dismiss Yorkshire second-team all-rounder James Wainman and Raja Khan in successive deliveries before Hartley wrapped up the innings by taking the last four wickets, including top-scorer Greg Pickles (26) and last man Osama Ahmed, also with successive balls.
Bingley looked set for a big score after Charlie Best (40) and Scott Etherington (40) had set the platform with a second-wicket stand of 73 but they lost four wickets for 19 runs just as they were looking to increase the scoring rate. Acting skipper Neil Laidlaw (4-56), Chris Henry (3-47) and Jack Hendy proved to be highly effective in the middle overs and Bingley were left disappointed with the final total.
Defeat leaves Farsley’s new look team without a win and Laidlaw said: “We were happy at the halfway stage and I thought we bowled really well in the middle of the innings with Chris Henry and Jack Hendy taking vital wickets.
“We had a disappointing start to our innings and lost too many wickets and couldn’t get partnerships going. We have a few injuries, including our captain Mark Harrison, who is recovering from a knee operation, but we can turn it round. This is a new team that is still gelling. If we can get our first win we can go on from there.”
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