Missing four of their top six batsmen from last year to injury or unavailability, the Hebden batting line-up failed to post a challenging enough score to test a talented St Mary’s side after stand-in captain Simon Cartlidge lost the toss.

Phil Howitt and Steve Morgan started slowly for the hosts, with Howitt hitting a couple of offside boundaries before hitting his own wicket for 10. With Morgan and Hogan falling to first change bowler Sabir, Duncan Bladon was joined by Cartlidge for Hebden’s only partnership of real substance.

Bladon was solid in defence and savage on anything legside, and had already taken 18 off five balls from spinner Hoyle when he perished going for a second successive six for an excellent 34, his best score for the club.

It was left to Cartlidge to prop up the tail, with the only other semblance of stability coming from old stagers Cameron and Atkinson in the final overs. Cartlidge had hit three sixes in an assured 28 before succumbing to visiting captain Fawad.

For St Mary’s Saajad took 2 for 17, Sabir 3 for 17 while opening bowler Zain typified a tight bowling performance in bowling six overs for only two runs.

Having scraped their way to 104 for 8 from their 35 overs, it needed quick strokes from the hebden opening bowlers and indeed Massey dismissed Turner for four in his opening over.

However, the burly Saajad and the diminutive Fawad were in no mood to hang around, hitting a six each from the first balls of the second and third overs. After surviving a number of close calls, Saajad was also bowled for Massey, for 19, but Chris Hoyle joined his skipper for a composed partnership. Fawad hit 4 straight sixes in a very accomplished knock and hit a final maximum over square leg to bring up his fifty, and reach the target in less than half the available overs. Hoyle was left 35 not out. For Hebden, Massey took 2-21.

Hebden Bridge 104-8 (35 overs)

P Howitt hit wicket b Saajad 10

S Morgan ct Usman b Sabir 0

D Bladon b Hoyle 34

K Hogan b Sabir 0

S Cartlidge b Fawad 28

J Appleby b Sabir 2

A Curtis c Turner b Osman 4

K Cameron not out 5

L Massey b Saajad 0

J Atkinson not out 5

Extras 16

Bowlinng: Zain 6-4-2-0; Saajad 6-0-17-2; Usman 5-2-3-0; Sabir 7-1-17-3; Fawad 6-2-17-1; Hoyle 1-0-18-1 Osman 1-0-4-1; Turner 1-0-10-0; Iqbal 1-1-0-0; Amar 1-0-6-0

St Mary’s College 109-2 (14 overs)

S Turner b Massey 4

Saajad Ayub b Massey 19

Fawad Hussain not out 50

C Hoyle not out 35

Extras 1

Bowling: Massey 3-0-21-2; Curtis 3-0-28-0; Cartlidge 4-1-23-0; Hogan 1-0-13-0; Howitt 2-1-10-0; S Morgan 1-0-12-0

l Hebden Bridge CC’s season will see around 14 friendlies staged, mostly on home turf.

This season sees the side renew many of its rivalries against teams from Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester but should also see visitors from Derbyshire for the first time when Tideswell visit in the third week of the season.