SAM Massheder rediscovered his form at a timely moment to propel Yeadon into the Jack Hampshire Cup final.

For most of their innings after tea at Buttershaw St Paul’s, the visitors were either level with or behind the asking rate as they endeavoured to pass the hosts’ 223-7.

Fellow Bradford League Championship Division Two promotion chasers St Paul’s had reduced Yeadon to 95-4 but 18-year-old wicket-keeper Massheder found good allies in Robbie Williams (37), with whom he added 89 for the fifth wicket, and Aaron Day (17no) and the visitors won without further loss with seven balls to spare.

A telling factor was the 37 extras that St Paul’s conceded, including 25 wides, while Yeadon only shipped 14 sundries.

Massheder, who hit three sixes and seven fours in his 58-ball 57 not out, said: “I had batted well with Robbie the previous day against Liversedge.

“St Paul’s is a small ground and we just wanted to take it (the partnership) as deep as we could.

“We wanted to rebuild and kick on, and I have grown up with Aaron and he has always batted well and been confident but humble. He was the perfect person to come in and it showed.”

As for his own knock, Massheder said: “It was about time as I don’t think that I have scored 70 runs this season before today.”

After the loss of Jonathan Burston for 19, St Paul’s moved to 111 in the 24th over before opener Kevin McDermott could not get over a bouncing leg-spinner from James Massheder and spooned the ball to point to be out for 46.

At that juncture it looked as if the home side were on course for 240, especially when quarter-final hero Jack Seddon was at the crease.

But like McDermott, James Crossland (40) and Seddon (31), who hit back-to-back sixes, were out just as they were pushing the accelerator, and it needed Amer Ayoub (65) to push St Paul’s well past 200 from 183-6.

Tom Lindsay was the most successful visiting bowler with 3-45 but James Massheder’s tidy leg-spin returned him 2-40 while left-arm spinner Gareth Lee soaked up some punishment in taking 2-58.

James’ younger brother Sam said: “We came here expecting to be chasing 260 or 270 and they started really well but James bowled well, as did Sarmad Hameed, and we pegged them back.”

Lee, who showed his quality off his legs, was grabbed by a leaping McDermott at short extra cover, and Hameed holed out at short midwicket.

With McDermott and St Paul’s skipper James Sawyer bowling tightly, Yeadon needed a bit of luck and got it when balls skied into the outfield just eluded fielders.

However, Williams was caught in the deep off what sounded like the bottom of a cracked bat and it needed a mixture of clean hitting and deft play from Sam Massheder and Day to see Yeadon home in the 39th over of what umpire Dave Holland described as a thriller.

Some home spectators thought that wicket-keeper Seddon should not have stood up to the stumps for as long as he did in Yeadon’s innings bearing in mind the extras tally, but Massheder said: “It is about the confidence of the keeper and what the batsman is doing – if he is dancing down the track you should always stand up – but Jack is a good keeper and has been around far longer than me.”

Yeadon will play Birstall, who are second in Championship Two, in the final at Liversedge on Sunday, August 18 (noon), and Massheder said: “It is a final and anything can happen – we could turn up and get rolled over and they could turn up and get rolled over.”