Amjad Settles new Marshfield deal (From Craven Herald)

Amjad Settles new Marshfield deal

7:00am Thursday 23rd August 2012 in Sport

Settle have signed up their professional Mansoor Amjad for a second season.

The announcement was made shortly after Amjad had hit a century in his club’s stunning 158-run win away to champions Baxen- den on Saturday.

The Sialkot captain and Pakistan one-day international has had a huge influence on the young Settle side this year.

A delighted chairman Andrew Davidson said: “It gives us the stability that we need to develop the side again over the next two years.

“We have emerged as one of the leading clubs this year, after re-building with young home-grown talent and deciding to take the hit of a low league position over the past three years.”

He added: “In Mansoor, we have found in my view the ideal club professional.

“He performs on the park with bat and ball, helps win matches and he has been a great role model and coach for the younger age groups.

“He has developed a bunch of young players who in two to three years time will be first team players.

“These lads have come on leaps and bounds under Mansoor’s tutorship and he has had as big an impact off the field as he has on it.”

Amjad now lies third in the Senior League for both batting (789 runs) and bowling (63 wickets) while his team-mate Eddy Read is the top amateur with 53 wickets to his name following this career-best 6-25 in the stunning win at Baxenden.

Read destroyed the much-vaunted Baxenden batting line-up as they were skittled out for just 70 in reply to Settle’s 228-3.

Amjad led the way with a brilliant unbeaten century.

The hosts had got off to a good start, removing Robbie Davidson (12) in the fourth over and restricting last week’s centurion Aneeq Hassan to 16 runs.

Tiarnan Hamill toiled away for 15 but the tide turned with an unbeaten partnership of 150 between Amjad and Tom Davidson.

Amjad hit nine fours and four sixes at a run a ball for 108, while Davidson confined himself to sixes.

He smashed seven of them in his 55 not out. The pair knocked the stuffing out of Baxenden.

The reply saw Amjad picking up two quick wickets and Tom Davidson running out an opener within the first three overs.

Then Read’s golden summer reached its height as he tore through the home batting. Of his six wickets, four were bowled and two lbw, a just reward for sheer pace and accuracy.

Read’s fifth over produced three wickets by which time Baxenden knew the game was up.

A run-out was the last thing they needed at this stage but Andrew Booth did the honours, leaving the stunned home crowd to contemplate a scoreboard of 70 all out in less than 14 overs.

Settle will be looking for full points in their double header this weekend, travelling to Ribblesdale Wand- erers then entertaining Salesbury.

Settle seconds are in danger of dropping from the promotion zone after a second consecutive defeat, this time at home to Feniscowles.

The visitors posted a modest 112 in the face of good bowling by Damon Barrett (5-27) and Ben Mitchell (2-20), but a poor batting display saw the hosts hustled out for 64 with only Kieren Ashley (20) reaching double figures.

Mansoor Amjad is holding coaching clinics at Settle next Tuesday to Thursday 10am- 3pm. The cost is £10 per day. Guest coaches include Test players Umar Amin and Qaiser Abbas To book call or text Mansoor on 07414034898 or e mail mansoori_amjad@hotmail.com