Sajjad still a class act

The Pakistani overseas player had previously not passed 50 this season after being one of the section's highest run-scorers last year.

He had been overshadowed by the return of Grant Soames from East Bierley, who had a remarkable average of 185 before Saturday.

But Sajjad showed he remains a class act by playing the pivotal innings in the visitors' total of 216 for four, before Esholt slumped to 138 all out.

After 30 overs of the game had been lost due to two rain breaks, the teams agreed to split the remainder equally to maximise both sides' chances of a win under the new league rules. That meant Yeadon declared after 35 overs of their allotted 47.

It was an even contest when Sajjad came to the wicket with the score at 71 for two just past the 20-over mark.

But together with in-form Kiwi Andrew Robertson, Sajjad put Yeadon in the box seat with some quality strokeplay.

The pair put on 119 in rapid time as Robin Hill (47 runs off five overs) and Shahid Khan (32 runs off two overs) came in for some brutal treatment.

Esholt skipper Richard Whitehurst could not bring back opener Nadeem Hanif, who had bowled seven overs for just 25, to stem the tide because of a neck injury.

But when he brought back his other opener Ben Lister, he too came in for punishment. In one over, Sajjad hit him for two big sixes and a straight-driven boundary which almost cleared the rope.

Robertson fell for 75 but it was a measure off how much Yeadon had accelerated that they were still hopeful of maximum batting points with one over to go on 203 for three.

They fell just short as Lister got his revenge by bowling Sajjad but the visitors had the momentum at the change-round.

Needing to score at over six an over, the hosts needed Whitehurst to get off to his customary flier but he was caught at backward point by Yeadon skipper Dave Leather for just four off Tahir Mahmood.

When Basil King was caught behind off Mahmood soon afterwards, Esholt were up against it at 19 for two.

Phil Carter was struggling with an ankle injury and was fortunate to survive a run-out call after a direct hit from Soames.

But when he was caught and bowled by Leather after mistiming a pull and Hanif followed in the same over, the writing was on the wall at 57 for four.

Ben Platt and Shahid Bashir then put on 47 before Sajjad did well to hold on to a skier from Bashir off Darren Drake, looking straight into the sun.

That heralded a collapse as Drake (4-33) mopped up the tail, who just managed to eke out a batting bonus point.

He would have had five wickets but Saif Malik dropped Platt, who top-scored for the hosts with 48.

Leather said the third-wicket stand between Robertson and Sajjad was the key to victory, which put them one point above Esholt in second place.

He said: "It really took the game away from them. It was very tight until then but they both attacked really well in the next ten to 12 overs to get us past 200.

"Amir has been conscious of not having had a big score and wanted to do better but he has been unlucky with a couple of decisions and he was excellent in this game.

"We bowled in the right areas and did the basics right and that is all we needed to do."

Whitehurst did not pull any punches reflecting on his side's second successive defeat.

He said: "We've been horrible for the last three games. We beat Bankfoot in the cup but were poor and that should have been our wake-up call.

"But we continued against Great Horton and now here. We weren't good enough in all three departments."