Young Rams openers star

The opening pair knocked off the runs required to overhaul Sowerby Bridge’s 165 all out with almost 10 of the 40 overs to spare.

The 19-year-old Johnson made 84 and Mattock, two years younger, hit 76 as the Rams lifted the Rod Warhurst Cup on a ground where they had enjoyed similar success nine years earlier.

Mattock was man of the match, having taken four for 29 from seven overs in the first half of the third teams’ contest.

Bridge were sent into bat on a wicket which offered the bowlers some assistance throughout, after overnight rain.

They looked well placed at 91 for two but lost wickets steadily from that point with Mattock doing much of the damage and Ian Gledhill and Dan Pummell picking up two wickets each.

Pummell collected the key wicket of opener Sean Collins, fourth out with the total on 114, after the opener had reached 57.

Johnson and Mattock started the reply with a flurry of boundaries, helping themselves to 31 runs off the first six overs, and they never looked back.

Bridge missed a couple of catches at mid-wicket, when the ball had been struck firmly, and a few aerial shots just evaded fielders.

However, the Rams openers continued to bat fluently and confidently. There was an air of inevitability about the outcome long before Mattock finished it with a six over the pavilion and a four through the offside from successive John Sunderland deliveries.

James Webster’s successful side contained an unusual mix of players. There was a rare female finalist in Amy Gibson plus five teenagers, but admirable veteran David Scott, a 69-year-old spin bowler, raised the average age considerably.

Southowram v Sowerby Bridge

Southowram won by 10 wkts

SOWERBY BRIDGE 165

F Ambrose c Webster b Gledhill 7

S Collins c Webster b Pummell 57

B Laycock c Webster b Scott 21

N Hussain c Jones b Johnson 1

M Zahid c Jones b Mattock 29

D Chapman c Johnson b Pummell 9

G Pearson c Pummell b Mattock 0

A Mellor c Webster b Mattock 1

H Mahmood lbw b Gledhill 9

J Sunderland c Jones b Mattock 0

F Hussain not out 1

Extras 3-

Bowling: M Jones 6 1 31 0, I Gledhill 7 1 16 2, L Mattock 7 0 29 4, D Scott 8 1 24 1, A Johnson 7 2 15 1, D Pummell 3 0 30 2.

SOUTHOWRAM 168 for none

A Johnson not out 84

L Mattock not out 76

Extras 8

Bowling: F Hussain 4 0 26 0, D Chapman 8 1 34 0, N Hussain 6 1 19 0, J Sunderland 3.3 0 30 0, H Mahmood 3 0 18 0, G Pearson 6 1 35 0.

Halifax’s Joe Lumb side made it two wins out of two this season with a nine-wicket success over Wetherby, who were bowled out for 116, at SBCI yesterday.