Super show

HUDDERSFIELD’S Joe Lumb cricketers are buoyed for the Spring Bank clash with North Yorkshire having crushed Bradford by seven wickets at Keighley.

Exams meant the Under 17s went into the important fixture missing key players and only 10 men, but they knocked off a target of 159-9 thanks largely to a partnership of 86 between Tom Addy and Musa Ahmed.

That was after Will Reeves had picked up four for 15 off 15 fine overs to set up the chance of victory.

Disciplined Huddersfield bowling was a feature from the start.

Jay Cyrus (Slaithwaite) finished with nought for 19 from his six overs of left arm pace from the Rugby Stand End.

Reeves (Kirkburton) opened from the Scorebox End and his orthodox leftarm spin was immediately effective.

Last season, Reeves bowled superbly against Bradford, taking five for 36 in the final and four for 49 in the league fixture.

So it was fitting that he should strike first, trapping Priestley (the Bradford skipper) in front for one.

Tom Baxter (Hall Bower) replaced Cyrus, but Bradford had no answer to Reeves who struck in the 14th and 20th overs to leave Bradford 51-3.

By the 22nd over, opener Noble had weathered the storm and had hit six boundaries in his 36. However, Reeves found the edge of his bat and the catch at first slip (Bradford 60-4 after 22).

Ahmed replaced Baxter and, after a shaky first over, his leg-spin deceived Hall into missing a straight one for a duck.

Reeves bowled unchanged to finish his 15-over spell with four for 15, to add to his fivefer the day before.

Mashedar and Hanson batted steadily and accumulated 52 for the sixth wicket, until a mix-up resulted in Hanson being run out for 29.

The returning Baxter cleaned bowled Rehman next over, leaving Bradford 124-7.

The Bradford innings eventually closed on 159-9 from 50 overs, Huddersfield fielding well with only 10 men.

Huddersfield got off to a good start, with Addy and Megson both hitting boundaries.

The left-handed Megson had reached 17 before he was bowled in the eight over with the total on 30.

Corrington and Addy had added 40 for the second wicket when Corrington was undone by the Bradford leftarm spinner Hall for nine (Huddersfield 70-2 after 17).

Ahmed joined Addy, who reached his 50 in the 19th over in 54 balls.

Better Bradford fielding could have accounted for either player, but Ahmed and Addy continued to find the boundary and move Huddersfield closer to victory.

They shared a partnership of 86 for the third wicket before Addy was bowled by Hall for 79 (100 balls, 10x4, 3x6) in the 35th over.

Ahmed ended the match in the next over, finishing unbeaten on 43 off 60 balls (5x4).

Huddersfield’s next match is at Stokesley on Spring Bank Sunday, while the final league fixture is against York at Broad Oak on June 24.