Long-serving Richard McCarthy moved closer to the coveted 1,000 Bradford League wickets mark after leading Bradford & Bingley to a crushing nine-wicket win over championship rivals East Bierley.

And he revealed that swimming during the week had played a part in his success.

The Australian, now in his 21st year at Wagon Lane, ripped through Bierley’s normally strong batting line-up with astonishing figures of seven wickets for six runs in 11 overs as Bingley shot out Bierley for a paltry 33 in 22 overs.

“The ball was swinging far too much early on and, after five overs, I thought I was going to be wicketless as I had been in the previous two matches,” said McCarthy.

“Then, I tried something different, took a wicket and it just went from there. The ball was swinging miles and I tried to bowl a bit slower to give Gharib Razak the chance to drive, he took it up and was caught at cover.

“It was frustrating not getting a wicket in the double weekend but I have worked very hard on my fitness in the gym and this week I have been swimming, which has made me a lot stronger.

“Even though I was bowling off a shorter run, I thought I had a lot more strength than I had before. I didn’t think I had any zip last weekend.”

McCarthy, who needs four more to become the 16th player in the 107-year history of the league to reach 1,000 wickets, said: “It would mean a great deal to me. It would be nice to be up there with those other guys who have achieved this landmark.” Although they were without prolific opener Gavin Hamilton, playing for Scotland, Bierley’s dramatic batting collapse was a shock as they came into this crucial match on the back of two ten-wicket thrashings of Pudsey St Lawrence and Undercliffe the previous weekend.

McCarthy’s new-ball partner James Davies, who finished with 3-21, made the breakthrough, having Andrew Rennison caught behind with only eight on the board.

Opening partner Razak was out eight runs later, the first of McCarthy’s victims, before Davies bowled Greg Wood and McCarthy had Ismail Dawood caught one run later, which meant that Bierley’s best four batsmen were back in the pavilion with only 17 runs on the board.

There was no hint of a revival as Tom Owens was trapped lbw at 22 and then the visitors lost their last five wickets for only two runs, four of them to McCarthy.

Bingley took only five overs to knock off the runs for the loss of Scott Etherington. Simon Davies, with 17 not out, was the game’s only player to reach double figures.

Bierley skipper Paul Hutchison said: If we had won the toss, we would have bowled as well. We have no complaints about the wicket.

“We knew the ball would swing around. We got bowled out by one of the better bowlers ever to have played in the Bradford League. I hope he gets 1,000 wickets – he deserves it. He didn’t give us any loose balls. He bowled away-swingers and a very good length.

“We are not giving up the title yet but we will find it hard. We have won some big matches but we have been too inconsistent.”