By Noel Bullock
Lawns Lane was packed to the rafters on Sunday as two of Yorkshire’s heavyweight clubs went toe-to-toe in the ECB National Club Championship.
New Farnley edged out Hoylandswaine by 10 runs in a contest that fully lived up to its billing.
With a superb atmosphere surrounding the Barry Jackson Ground, supporters were treated to a high-quality encounter between two outstanding sides, and it was the hosts who held their nerve to book their place in round two.
After being inserted by the visitors, New Farnley recovered from an early setback thanks to a magnificent unbeaten 97 from opening batsman Steve Bullen. Calm under pressure throughout, Bullen anchored the innings superbly and mixed composure with aggression to guide Farnley to a competitive 188-5 from their 40 overs.
He found valuable support with a sixth wicket partnership of 61 from Adam Ahmed, whose lively 18 and late-order acceleration helped push the total towards the 190 mark, while useful contributions throughout the middle order ensured the scoreboard kept moving on a surface offering assistance for the bowlers.
Hoylandswaine’s reply began positively, with dangerous opener Furqan Shafiq striking an entertaining 59, opening bowler Adnan Ghani added further firepower with 35 while former Nottinghamshire and England international Samit Patel ended up on 27 not out. However, New Farnley’s bowlers refused to let the game drift away.
Abhay Negi produced a match-winning spell, claiming outstanding figures of 5-35 to rip through the visitors’ batting line-up at crucial moments, deservedly earning Player of the Match honours.
He was superbly backed up by Gurman Randhawa, who chipped in with three wickets of his own, while Fletcher Coutts also struck at a key stage as Hoylandswaine were eventually bowled out for 178 in the 38th over.
While the players delivered the entertainment on the field, huge credit must also go to the hard working New Farnley committee and volunteers behind the scenes.
Long before the first ball was bowled, committee members were already hard at work preparing the ground, setting up around the club, organising refreshments and even making early morning cash and carry runs to ensure the day ran smoothly for the huge crowd in attendance. Their efforts once again showcased everything that makes New Farnley such a special club both on and off the field.
Attention now turns to round two, where New Farnley will travel to Yorkshire Premier League North side Driffield Town after they defeated Hetton Lyons by eight wickets. The tie will take place on Sunday, 31 May 2026, with a 1pm start as New Farnley look to continue their National Club Championship journey.
Sponsored content
