Half centuries from Nabi and Wild seal Hurley win

THE annual fixture between HURLEY and their old friends KEP DOON is always a keenly contested but sociable affair and this year’s event was no different, with Hurley eventually winning by 83 runs.

Hurley skipper Shoaib Kayani opted to bat first on winning the toss and sent Josh Cole and Pat Hinnell out to open the innings against the Kep Doon attack of Alex Cudworth and Ed Smith.

The bowlers had the upper hand in the early exchanges without making a breakthrough and it was the change to the left-arm spin of Nico Adams that broke the partnership on 28 in the 13th over.

Mubashir Nabi joined Cole in adding 56 for the second wicket before falling for 20, stumped off Nathan Shepherd. Cole reached his half-century and pushed on to score 70, eventually falling to a catch by Jasper Burton to give leg-spinner Sheppard the second of four
victims.

A 50 for Archie Wild took the hosts to 179-6 in the penultimate over, bringing Mike Walton out to the middle to join Ajmal Ali. Walton got off the mark with a trademark reverse sweep, to the delight of the assembled supporters and the pair added nine runs from the final 10 deliveries to take Hurley to a competitive total of 188-6.

The players enjoyed a sumptuous tea provided by the Burton family before the contest resumed with Jack Burton and Rob Tait opening the Kep Doon reply. The score had reached seven in the fifth over before Ali struck to remove Tait to a catch from Kayani.

Ross Burton joined his brother and the pair added 22 for the second wicket before Jack was trapped in front by Joe Graham.

Liam Cole replaced Graham at the Shepherds Lane end and struck in his first over to remove the dangerous Cudworth who was bowled attempting a slog sweep.

Cole then dismissed Sheppard and Downes from consecutive deliveries to reduce the visitors to 44-5.

Nigel Haines came on at the River End and the two spinners turned the screw. At 47-6 there looked no way back for Kep Doon but Ed Smith (15) and Ross Burton (30) added some respectability to the score with a partnership of 29 for the seventh wicket.

With Burton due on shift for Royal Berks Fire & Rescue Service, he retired, and Jasper Burton was allowed to return to substitute for him. The 12-year-old made an impressive ten runs to add to his previous single before Nabi wrapped up the innings, getting Adams caught by Zaman at fine leg.

BLENHEIM PALACE elected to bat at CHECKENDON and reached a very respectable 193-6 in 35 overs. Opener Phil Boardman made 42, and young number three Finn Spearman reached 43. Checkendon used eight bowlers in their youthful team, of whom six took one wicket apiece.

Accurate bowling from Blenheim put pressure on the Checkendon reply, with Ollie Sharpe returning figures of 3-22 in six overs.

Captain Sam Arrowsmith gave the home side some hope with a quickfire 58 in 34 balls, including two sixes and seven fours. However, once he was well caught on the boundary, the visitors were able to wrap up victory by 40 runs.

HAMBLEDEN visited GREY’S GREEN on Sunday. Having lost the toss, Hambleden were put in to bat in a timed match, on a wicket that proved difficult to score runs on.

Barkat Ahmed and Simon Stanger (3-0-0-4) opened the bowling, with Ahmed having Sam Francis caught on one by keeper Nick Holroyd in the fifth over.

Phil Rosier was Ahmed’s next victim, four overs later, caught on five at deep point by Peter Dawkins, quickly followed by Chris Sanders also on five, bowled by Ahmed.

Ahmed completed his haul with the wicket of Ashish, caught for zero by Yatish Singh, in the 13th over, finishing his spell with figures of 8-4-4-7.

Hambleden were now 17-4. Rakesh and Dinesh began to build a partnership, reaching 21 before Luke Jenkins had Rakesh caught on 20 at deep square leg by Manjeet.

Yatish Singh (6-1-1-23) took his only wicket when Dinesh was caught on four by Jenkins, without any further runs being added. James Grant was then bowled by Jenkins (6-3-2-6) for zero, Hambleden now standing at 38-7 and facing probable humiliation.

Oscar Pritchard (6-1-1-8) replaced Singh and captured his first wicket when Dawkins caught Bobby Paul on one. Delaney Hanson and Nick Arnold began something of a recovery, building a partnership of 23, lasting 11 overs.

It finally ended when Hanson was caught on 11, by Singh off Andrew Rugg (3-0-1-11).

With 25 minutes of the first innings left there was hope the tail might just wag enough to raise the target a little more.

Paul Richards defended the last two balls of Rugg’s over, leaving Arnold to face Suresh.

Arnold, on a total of seven, defended five successive balls then swiped at the last ball of the over, which went on to hit his middle stump. Hambleden finished on 64 all out.

The wicket continued to favour the bowling side as Grey’s Green came out to bat. James Grant had Nick Holroyd caught for zero by Dinesh at deep point in the first over.

At the other end Delaney Hanson bowled four consecutive maidens, within which he took the wickets of Yatish Singh on three, caught by Dinesh at cow corner and Jacob Holroyd on four, caught behind by keeper Paul Richards.

Barkat Ahmed fell to Grant, caught on one at second slip by Phil Rosier, taking the ball close to the ground just in front of himself. Grey’s Green were now 16-4 after 11 overs, and the game was suddenly more evenly balanced.

It took a further seven overs before Hanson dislodged the number two batsman, Oscar Pritchard, bowling him on 10. Grant claimed two more wickets and Hanson one during the following three overs.

First Grant had Luke Jenkins caught on zero by Richards, very low on the leg side after the slightest of inner edges. Then Hanson took the wicket of Manjeet, caught on 22 by Arnold at fly slip, and Grant’s fourth wicket came as he bowled Suresh on zero.

With Grey’s Green now on 41-8 and needing 25 for victory the match was poised for an exciting climax.

Hanson (12-7-4-20) was replaced by Chris Sanders (5-1-1-5) whose first over was a maiden, and whose second saw Simon Stanger caught on five by Rakesh, diving forward from silly mid off to hold the ball just before it hit the ground.

Tailenders Rugg and Dawkins battled through seven more overs, whittling away at the target, reaching 62 and needing three runs from five remaining overs. The innings ended as Grant forced Dawkins into a defensive stroke which he edged up and backwards, almost looping over Richards who gloved it one handed as he stretched back to reach it. Grey’s Green were all out with Rugg on 10 not out, Dawkins on three, and the team three runs short of victory.

There were two wickets apiece for Harry Harper (2-24), Farzan Moin (2-26) and Rob Murdoch (2-28), but PEPPARD STOKE ROW MAHARAJAHS were beaten by 43 runs at home to RICHARD DENNER XI in their home game on Sunday.

The visitors recovered from 30-4 to post 178-8 in their 35 overs, and while there were several starts in the PSR reply, a lack of a substantial individual knock saw them dismissed for 135 in reply.