North Leeds’ title push still on despite Pudsey setback

For those that haven’t been to Pudsey, wandering in past the Sir Leonard Hutton Memorial Gates you immediately see the modern extension to the pavilion, which contains a café/bar and patio area with tables outside.

To your left is the large playing area with a superbly kept grass surface that extends down the slight incline towards houses at the rear and with the tower of Pudsey Parish Church rising magnificently [on Sunday in the late summer sun] in the corner of the ground.

Setting the scene

Pudsey were welcoming North Leeds to their ground for this round of fixtures; the visitors are very much in the hunt to win the West Yorkshire Women & Girls Cricket League Division One title.

Games in the league are running out, with a few clubs having already completed their fixtures; Pudsey, North Leeds, Harrogate, North Halifax and Holmfirth are the sides still with varying numbers of games remaining to complete in the next couple of weeks.

Just about a couple of wins for North Leeds and they will win the title, a slip up here and there and St. Chad’s Broomfield who currently sit top of the pile will become champions. The tension on Sunday was high with everything being on a knife-edge.

Sunday’s round of fixtures also saw Holmfirth host Harrogate, a game that on paper the visitors should have won comfortably…but by final ball saw the home team pick up 20 points, with Harrogate collecting four.

At the beginning of the day, Chad’s were top of the league with 148 points. North Leeds were in fourth on 105, and with 20 points for a win, it was vital that the Roundhay Park-based side got something from their trip to Pudsey.

A rollercoaster in Pudsey

The home team won the toss and decided to put the visitors into bat first.

I’d visited North Leeds earlier this season and had been immensely impressed by their batting…featuring a real depth of talent, and as their innings began, they were reminding everyone there just how good they were.

Openers Hattie Barnes and Isobel Gothelf seemed to settle instantly, scoring ten off the first over and probably putting doubts into Pudsey’s minds as to the wisdom of asking them to bat first.

It was the fifth over before Pudsey’s attack seemingly got on top…with Emma Priestley bowling a maiden and then Gabriella Wilks made the breakthrough as Amirah Hayton-Ahmed took the catch to dismiss Hattie Barnes.

Over the next 20 overs, Aliyah Khan stroked the ball around the oval, seemingly happy to take on shots towards the short side and away from the pavilion towards the longer boundary.

By the time Matilda Potter and Emily Dickson were to combine and claim Aliyah’s wicket…she had put on 75 runs in just 62 deliveries, hitting eleven fours.

North Leeds were all out just shy of their allotted 30 overs but had scored 170; a good total to defend.

Pudsey’s Amnah Mahmood (2-18), Matilda Potter (2-33), and a superb performance from Matilda Stones (4-8) had been the pick of the home team’s bowling attack.

Pudsey come out swinging

At the innings break, the players and supporters headed in to get something to eat and drink, and the first few drops of rain fell.

Being honest, it was only a few drops…and as expected. (I could have given 10/10 for my weather app’s forecast at that point.)

The Pudsey St. Lawrence openers came out swinging…and during the first six or seven overs showed their intent not to be sacrificial lambs on the altar of North Leeds’ title charge.

Amnah Mahmood and Gabriella Wilks were in tremendous form as they were simply swotting the North Leeds bowlers’ deliveries for runs here, there and everywhere!

By the time Gothelf was to dismiss Gabriella Wilks, Pudsey had already scored 57.

The dismissal had a temporary effect of stopping the flow of runs…but a couple of overs later and a devastating display of hitting saw 17 scored, taking the home team’s total to 75 for the loss of a single wicket.

Martha MacDonald fell in the 12th over, but 15 runs were also scored by Pudsey. North Leeds needed to get a number of wickets quickly and stem the flow of runs being amassed.

Rain-added drama

At the start of the reply, Pudsey had needed just under six an over to win the game…but were comfortably up with the rate.

As a few spots of rain started to fall…and then get a little heavier…was there a possibility of the game being interrupted due to a rain delay?

The rain suddenly became heavier and both sets of players headed for cover. The delay would have consequences.

A short time later, as the deluge cleared, blue skies returned and the players re-emerged…a revised total of 129 from 23 overs was announced, with the home team only having to score at about four an over to win the game.

Pudsey picked up where they had left off and the result was never really in doubt. Yes, the rain delay had reduced the target, but I think everyone there would have recognised that it was going to be the home team’s day anyway.

It was left to captain Matilda Potter, hitting a lovely six down the ground, to win the game…the home team ending on 131 for three in just 18.2 overs…the fixture won by seven wickets.

Amnah Mahmood (47 from 33), Gabriella Wilks (17 from 22), Matilda Potter (29 from 20) and Amirah Hayton-Ahmed (14 from 21) had secured the runs for the home team.

Nothing decided yet

This game was important not only to the two teams playing, but also St. Chad’s Broomfield…in fact a few of their players had turned up and almost certainly enjoyed the result!

Even though they had lost on the day, North Leeds had picked up six points which are significant in the race for the top spot.

Without any points, then the title would have been won by Chad’s on Sunday…but those six points mean that the race is still on.

North Leeds host Harrogate next Sunday, a game that they simply have to earn all 20 points from to take the competition to the final fixture on Sunday 14 September when they are hosted by Holmfirth.

With both those teams having won the same number of games combined that North Leeds have…then the title in theory should be headed to North Leeds.

However…and it is a big however…with Holmfirth showing that they are capable of beating teams above them, and Harrogate featuring some exceptional batting talent, this is no easy run-in for the top spot.

St. Chad’s have the points on the board and that is priceless at this stage of the season.

North Leeds will need to be at their best to win next week’s fixture…but as I predicted at the start of the season…this league has been super competitive and such a brilliant advert for the game.

One or two games from glory…I can’t wait!

Want to read more?

Here are all of Mark’s articles and photos on Cricket Yorkshire.

To see more of his photography, you can visit caughtlight.com or he’s @caughtlight on Twitter/X.

There’s also the Caught Light Photography Facebook page.

I also highly recommend his blog called Leica Moments which includes days out at grounds around Yorkshire.