Hurley rips heart out of Pinkneys Green to secure promotion

A comprehensive eight-wicket victory in Division 1 over local rivals PINKNEYS GREEN 2NDS at Shepherds Lane ensured HURLEY will be promoted back to the Chilterns & Mid Bucks Premiership next
season.

The visitors opted to bat first and suffered an early setback, losing skipper James Hemmings, leg before to Umar Zamman off the third ball of the match.

Chris Heyes joined Mike Elliott but both batsmen struggled to keep the scoreboard moving in the face of accurate bowling from Zamman and the left arm seamer, Hamzah Ahmed.

The score had crept up to 13 in the eighth over when a swinging delivery from Ahmed shaved the leg stump of Elliott (7). Ahmed continued to trouble the Pinkneys batsmen, bowling Samarasinghe for a duck.

Fiyyaz Mahmood replaced Zamman and struck with his third delivery to send Ramachandran back to the hutch without scoring. Although Heyes (14) played doggedly in defence, he had no answer to an arm ball from Mahmood that kept a bit low and trapped him in front.

Six wickets for three runs ripped the heart out of the Pinkneys innings with only three of the batsmen scoring more than a single run.

The last ball of the 20th over saw Yusuf Arshad stumped off Mahmood and the players rushing for the pavilion as the rain came down with the scoreboard showing 31-9. The 40-minute break enabled number 11 Warren Hendry to get to the ground in time to bat but he didn’t get to face a ball. Only one more run was added before Phil Ridgeway dismissed Mohammed Arshad.

The biggest risk to a Hurley victory was the threat of further rain. Bilal Majeed dismissed Jagdeep Singh without scoring, but by the time he trapped Hassan Gul (12) leg before, only six more runs were required.

The match ended off the third ball of the ninth over as Jahangir Hussain smashed a high full-toss to the mid-wicket boundary to give Hurley the win they needed 15 minutes before torrential rain came down again.

Also in Division 1, HARPSDEN 2NDS went down to a 59-run defeat at the hands of KNOTTY GREEN 2NDS. Harpsden were all out for 139, while Green racked up 175-7.

HURLEY 2NDS continued the club’s winning form in Division 2, with a 136-run, away victory.

The last away fixture of the side’s 2023 season saw them travel to the Great Missenden area for a game against The Lee.

The match got underway slightly late following a shower and timekeeping issues, with the hosts appearing not to claim the toss. Hurley captain Joban Singh opted to bat. The Hurley total was built on significant stands for the second and sixth wicket.

The Lee opened the bowling with the all-female seam attack of Tegan Stockdale from the near end and Molly McIlgorm. Molly dismissed Clive Williams with a caught-and-bowled chance at the end of her second over.

Riley Orpin, a young left-arm spinner, came on at the far end and trapped Mandeep Singh lbw in the 16th with the score on 8-4. Orpin also drew a top-edge from Josh Cole to give Tor Stockdale the first of his three catches on the leg side.

Orpin also did both Akashdeep Singh and Joban in the flight as the batters mis-timed sweeps, and finished with a five-wicket haul.

From 116-5 at drinks, Ravi and Akash Singh added 73 in 11 overs to help set a competitive total. Towards the end of the Hurley innings, Daniel Boakes, who had fielded well, replaced Neil Hollister with the gloves. The Hurley recovery was led by Ravi, who batted in all for 25 overs and was the last wicket to fall.

There were showers during and shortly after tea, but the match was only mildly affected by the weather. The Lee never threatened the total set by high-flying Hurley, but it was inspiring to witness a team containing several promising youngsters giving it their best shot.

Joban opened the bowling from the far end and removed the first and third batters inside his first two overs. Tegan was as stylish with the bat as she was determined with the ball, and it took a seaming delivery from Mandeep to find her inside edge in the 20th.

Captain Hollister top-scored for The Lee, and he batted for 27 overs until ninth out to a catch on the off-side.

It was Liam Cole from the far end and Osama Munir from the near end who wrapped up the innings of the hosts. Boakes added 50 for the eighth wicket with his captain, and sliced the ball to Akash to become the last wicket to fall.

This win returned Hurley to the top of the Chilterns Div 2 table. The final game of the season is a home match with Holyport 2nds, who will be coming off an annihilation at home to Knotty Green 3rds.