Bradford League Second Division leaders Hanging Heaton are preparing for their biggest game in years on Sunday when they take on Central Yorkshire League Premier Division leaders, and current holders, Wrenthorpe in the Heavy Woollen Cup final on their own Bennett Lane ground. Starting at midday.
Wrenthorpe are hoping to equal the Dewsbury and Saville club’s four successive final wins, the last 120 years ago, but even allowing for the presence of former County men like David Paynter Northampton) and Gary Fellows (Yorkshire) they will not find John Carruthers’ Hanging Heaton men ready to just roll over.
After a desperately disappointing relegation from Division One last season Hanging Heaton were in need of a revolution, and that has come in the form of cricket chairman Carruthers, who is doubling as team captain and front-line bowler.
Despite turning 40 just after the start of the season Carruthers has led from the front for Hanging Heaton and his 3-33, in 10 overs, accounted for three of the top five batsmen as Manningham Mills were shot out for 85 on the way to a nine-wicket defeat as Carruthers’ avenged one of only two defeats this season and kept his side 37 points clear at the top of the table.
Rob Mcfarlane (47 not out) took his season’s run tally to 592 and Haroon Rashid (25 not out) to 591 while Mark Lawson (44) and Carruthers (38) are first and third in the Second Division’s leading wicket-takers list and, having reached the 900 Bradford League wicket milestone the previous week, the Hanging Heaton skipper began his final assault on that 1,000 wicket target in fine style.
The one conundrum facing Carruthers this week is how much the comfortable win over Mills and a potential easy passage in tomorrow’s league game against struggling Idle will affect attitudes ahead of what will undoubtedly be a daunting task against a Wrenthorpe side boasting great strength in almost every department.
It is certainly a game in which both sides will have to be at their best as there is no doubt that the Wakefield club will be only too aware of Hanging Heaton’s strength this season.
While John Carruthers can proudly boast a 900 Bradford League wicket haul there was another milestone for prolific Lightcliffe batsman Chris Taylor as the former Yorkshire and Derbyshire man hammered his fourth century of the season, against Idle, to take his Second Division run tally past 900 for the season.
However, he is still 781 short of Grant Lambert’s 1,683 for Spen Victoria in 2000.
In the First Division relegation battle Gomersal, without a game on Sunday, lost at Pudsey Congs despite Richard Gould’s half century and they entertain fellow strugglers Farsley knowing defeat will put them right back in the relegation frame with both Farsley and Baildon having a game in hand.
Baildon would not be expected to pick up much at leaders Pudsey St Lawrence while Saltaire look unlikely to make up their current 68-point deficit on Gomersal, despite their game in hand.
Saltaire might make up ground on third bottom Yeadon if they can see off bottom club Bankfoot for while Yeadon are now only 24 points adrift of Gomersal it would be some surprise if they could get the better of Woodlands.
Although Hanging Heaton are looking increasingly likely to carry off the Second Division title only 14 points separate second placed Lightcliffe and fifth-placed Hartshead Moor who could boost their promotion hopes further as bottom club Great Horton visit Highmoor Lane tomorrow.