A lot of effort for 43mph
Good evening all. Well, here we go again, another weekend packed full of cricket to look forward to! After last week's cracking performance against Morley, our 1st XI have a double weekend to get their teeth into. On Saturday they play one of the most recent entries into the league structure (although that's not to say they haven't been a fixture of cricket in Bradford for a long time), Jer Lane. Their rise through the Divisions has been rapid so Dwayne Heke's men will have their work cut out against a team who are currently top of the league, having breezed past East Bierley in week 1 and then getting over the line in a much tighter game against Birstall last week. Then on Sunday, the ones travel to Wakefield to play Wrenthorpe in the first round of the Priestley Cup. We will be welcoming back a Baildon favourite of old in the shape of Mounam Ejaz, who after a few seasons away returns to the team to bolster the batting order but also support the bowling attack as well.
Our second team travel across town to take on Cleckheaton, who will be looking to register their first league victory of the season after finishing second best to Farsley and Lightcliffe in weeks 1 and 2. After a tough weekend for our twos last time out, skipper Darren Wilson will be wanting to get back to winning ways. The form of Sam Kelly (with bat and ball) and Simon Mcdermott have been the mainstays of the side in the early weeks, but with Darren and Danny Hunt showing signs of what they can do in the cup defeat against Crossflats, we shouldn't be too far away from posting a big score soon.
With only our 3rd XI in Dales action this weekend (the 4th XI have a bye weekend), all attention will be on Belmont where Muff Field are the visitors. This fixture produced two nail biters last year, one high scoring and one low scoring, so we should be on for another tough battle. Muff Field are another team like Jer Lane who have been on the cricketing landscape in Bradford for many years. I remember playing against them in the old Sunday School League days of Baildon Meths! Hopefully Dave Hodgson's pre match preparations won't be distracted too much by tea making duty - he's promised us a gourmet feast so have your lobster claw crackers at the ready!
Go well!
James Butterfield
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