Youth and a hot Kulatunga bat lead Settle to victory

2:08pm Thursday 28th June 2007

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A balanced bowling attack and a hot bat by pro Jeeva Kulatunga lifted Settle to victory against Whalley in Ribblesdale League action on Saturday.

The Settle bowlers got stuck into the Whalley batsmen, who were at the crease first on their Station Road ground.

Whalley were all out for just 112, with their pro Bradman Ediriweera top scoring on 38.

Most of the damage with the ball was caused by Settle's Raj Amunugama, who posted figures of 4-41 with four maidens in 19.2 overs.

He was well supported by Kulatunga, who took 3-16, and youngsters Eddie Read and Tom Davidson.

Davidson took 2-17 in six overs, including opener John Rain who he bowled out for four. Three of Davidson's six overs were maidens.

Read took the other wicket, an important one in Ediriweera. Read gave up 13 runs in six overs and posted two maidens.

In reply Settle reached their target with three wickets to spare, closing on 113-7.

Kulatunga batted well in a disciplined innings, scoring 68 off 113 balls. Kulatunga hung in their for Settle, despite some excellent bowling from Whalley's Neil Cordingley who took 5-36, tearing through Settle's top and middle order batsmen.

This Saturday Settle are at home to Edenfield.

Things were not so rosy for the area's two other Ribblesdale League teams. Earby lost by 73 runs at Read and Barnoldswick were thrashed by nine wickets by league leaders Padiham.

Read openers Will Driver and Joe Marshall scored 71 and 61 respectively, and their pro Thomas Odoyo, a Kenyan international, added 43 to help Read post a formidable total of 235-3. Earby pro Ali Azmat took 2-80.

In reply Earby were slow off the mark and it wasn't until their No 6 and No 7 batsmen came that they started to score runs.

Sam Munns hit 52 off 50 balls, which included six sixes. And Jonathan Martin scored all but one of his runs off boundaries, scoring 31 off 18 balls. He hit three sixes and three fours.

Earby closed on 162-9, well short of the total needed.

Earby play Ribblesdale Wander-ers at Applegarth on Saturday.

Barlick pro Hassan Raza got off the mark against Padiham on Saturday, scoring his first runs for the club. Batting first Barnoldswick scored 124 all out, with Raza top scoring on 45, which included three sixes.

David Scothern was steady at the crease and ended with a knock of 35 off 85 balls. Peter Usher took 5-38 and their pro Kashif Siddique added 4-26.

Siddique was devastating at the crease, hitting a fine 76, which included 11 boundaries, six of which were sixes.

They passed the Barlick total in the 17th over with nine wickets to spare. This Saturday Barnoldswick are away to reigning champions Clitheroe.