Ribblesdale League: Shantanu's Cliffe-hanger (4 August 1999)

4 August 1999

Ribblesdale League: Shantanu's Cliffe-hanger

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph

Great Harwood may have professional Shantanu Sugwekar back in their ranks next season.

And the Indian all-rounder hopes that he may yet return to a side that has won the Jennings Ribblesdale League title.

Harwood were due to hold talks with the player this week and all things being equal, he would like to spend another summer at Cliffe Park.

"They have asked me if I will come back next year. It's a great team to work with. They like to learn. They are full of talent and I have really enjoyed my season," he said.

Sugwekar is in demand after scoring over 700 runs and taking in excess of 30 wickets in the league so far.

His latest contributions of 77 not out and 5-29 helped fifth-placed Harwood beat championship hopefuls Ribblesdale Wanderers by just three runs to enhance their own title prospects.

Gordon Simpson's men have a bit of ground to make up on the leaders, but as they still have to face Cherry Tree, twice, Read and table-toppers Padiham their chances can't be ruled out completely.

"With Read beating Cherry Tree, the top has opened and I believe it will go down to the last game," added Sugwekar, whose side faces Padiham and Cherry Tree on a potentially decisive final weekend.

"We still fancy our chances. Our confidence is up and the boys know they can beat the best sides. That's what matters and when they start believing in themselves, that's a good sign." Harwood, who face Clitheroe on Saturday, can't afford any slip-ups, however, and they cut it fine in beating Wanderers by just four runs in an exciting finish after posting a total of 198-9.

"The wicket looked good and I was surprised when they put us in. But in the first 10 overs they bowled really well and it was not the nice batting track it looked," said Sugwekar.

"With the new ball it was doing a bit and we had to work hard in the first 10 or 12 overs to take the shine off the new ball.

"We lost Daniel Cheesbrough early on but Paul Houldsworth just played his own game and that's what got us going.

"Richard Lamb also got an excellent 41 and I think he's the most improved player in our team.

"I kept batting for the 45 overs and we got a big total so we were quite happy."

Even after prolific professional Shahid Nawaz was trapped for 52, Wanderers still had some nerves twitching in the Harwood camp thanks to some steady middle order contributions before Sugwekar kept his cool right at the death.

"Their middle order chipped in well after Shahid got out but we just kept slipping in a wicket or two. They needed eight off the last over and got four of the first two balls from spilled catches.

"They then needed four off four but I managed to take two wickets in two balls," said a delighted Sugwekar, who was celebrating his third five-wicket haul of an increasingly producive summer.

Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (https://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)