Match report from the 2010 Parish Cup Final v Mytholmroyd on Sunday 1^st August 2010.

Match report taken from Halifax Courier on Monday 2^nd August 2010.

SBCI won the Parish Cup for the first time in 46 years at Blackley yesterday and in the process erased the memories of their hugely disappointing display in the final defeat by Triangle two years ago.

The side from the Astleys barely turned up on that occasion at Copley, but they showed their true colours by blitzing hot favourites Mytholmroyd in this Briggs Priestley sponsored contest.

Most neutrals reckoned league strugglers SBCI needed a big innings from either Alex Kaye or fellow opener Jamie Summerscales to have a chance of getting the better of rivals who had already beaten them twice this season.

And after Summerscales had come up trumps with a ton against Booth in the league on Saturday- after getting married 24 hours earlier – it was Kaye’s turn to show his quality yesterday.

The tall right-hander anchored his side’s innings with a blemish free 116 and some stout hitting from Tom Conway (38) and then Dan Keighley (54) lifted the SBCI total to a handsome 271 for seven.

Twenty-seven overs later the contest was just about all over with Mytholmroyd’s much-vaunted batting line-up in tatters at 95 for seven.

Zahid Mahmood’s patient 64 only served to delay the inevitable and when Jack Earle holed out to Robin Hanson at mid-wicket, ‘Royd were all out 90 runs short of their target and the SBCI party could begin.

SBCI had backed up their fine batting effort with some outstanding fielding, spearheaded by Keighley, and adequate bowling to ensure the five watching members of the club’s successful 1964 cup-winning side had another afternoon to remember.

Man of the match adjudicator Mick Jones a former star bowler with the host club had a straightforward task in naming Kaye as man of the match. 

Kaye and Summerscales had made a watchful start against the speedy Jack Earle and league side player Sam Walker taking 16 balls to put runs on the board courtesy of Kaye’s push down the ground.

Both players looked solid and had take the score to 55 in the 14^th over when slow bowler Paul Senior, who had just replaced Earle from the valley end dismissed Summerscales for 19 when he was ruled to have got a nick on the ball, which ballooned into the air off his pad and keeper Kris Halstead took the catch.

Senior struck again with the total on 87 in the 22^nd over, Craig Potts guiding a low catch to Walker at gully.

Kaye and new partner Conway stepped up the pace with 36 runs off three overs after drinks and although Conway perished with the total on 153, SBCI were well set for a big push off the last 15 overs.

Tom Wood (15) kept Kaye company for a while before falling to Jack Earle’s first ball back and then the paceman then brought Kaye’s superbly controlled innings to an end with the total on 214.  The opener’s first miscue of the afternoon led to Tom Earle taking the catch moving in from long off.

Ben Summerscales departed first ball to Jon Lord’s sharp catch, but Keighley took centre stage by smashing six sixes before edging Zeb Mahmood’s last ball of the innings to Halstead.

Mytholmroyd, as expected, came out with all guns blazing and although they struck 21 runs off the first 17 balls, they also lost both openers to the sharp but rather erratic Robin Hanson.

Shahid Rashid top edged to Craig Potts, who took a good catch running back towards the sight screen and then Tom Earle offered a straightforward return catch to the bowler.

Young seamer Matt Scholefield gave way to Jamie Sykes, who bagged the key wickets of Jon Lord and Halstead before slow bowler Ben Summerscales accounted for James Cowens, twice final man of the match Zeb Mahmood and Danny Murgatroyd.

Zahid Mahmood was still there, and he and Paul Senior added 68 without ever looking likely to win the game for a Mytholmroyd side requiring more than 10 an over.

In the end two catches from Hanson with a Kaye stumping off the frustrated Mahmood in between sealed SBCI’s victory.

The final was expertly staged by first-time hosts Blackley but the attendance of 750 was a little down on normal, perhaps due to the cool, cloudy weather and those who had predicted a one-sided final staying away.  It duly turned out to be a one-horse race, but not in the way most had expected.

SBCI CC 271 for seven (A Kaye – 116, D Keighley – 54 & T Conway – 38) beat Mytholmroyd 182 all out (R Hanson & J Sykes  - 2 for 25, B Summerscales – 3 for 27, J Summerscales – 2 for 18 & T Wood 1 for 10) by 89 runs.