DIVISION 2 league leaders HARPSDEN won their top-of-the-table clash at BRAYWOOD on Saturday in a match that saw Horatio Cary hit a century.
In a fiery encounter, Harpsden extended their lead at the top to 20 points with a comfortable six wicket victory.
Harpsden started well with two early wickets and some tight bowling from both Wright and Hancock which meant that the home side were 80-2 at drinks.
A wicket with the first ball post drinks from Brown brought Satti to the crease who used the short boundary and the wind to his advantage, eventually getting caught out by Wright at long on. Harpsden kept on taking wickets through Whittaker and Braywood continued to attack the bowlers and eventually ended up 30 short of a par total at 251 all out.
Harpsden made a cautious start in their run chase, not helped by the early loss of Watson for 9.
Bryan and Cary set about rebuilding the innings, mixing quick running with hard hitting. They put on 57 for the second wicket before Bryan was caught for 31. Hancock fell soon after for a quick fire 13, with the match in the balance at 94-3.
What followed was a fine partnership between Imlay and Cary, with both players regularly finding the boundary with regularity. They took a particular liking to Yasin, who decided that short bowling was the way forward, a tactic he persevered with despite getting hammered to all parts. This partnership turned the match on its head, when Imlay was bowled for 53, Harpsden were cruising to victory.
Shortly after, Cary brought up an outstanding century, and with assistance from Whittaker, Harpsden completed a comfortable victory with 5.2 overs to spare, with Cary finishing on a match winning 111 not out.
BRAYWOOD
H Rackley-Hayes, b Wright
8
M Waheed, b Brown
38
N Jathavedan, b Hancock
0
S Kazmi, c Brown, b Whittaker
27
N Satti, c Wright, b Hancock
73
Y Ahmned, c Whitaker, b Wright
16
A Raza, b Whittaker
27
F Muhammed, c Hancock, b Whittaker
30
F Shah, st Ward, b Whittaker
0
P Singh, c Ward, b Brown
19
A Bhatti, not out
0
Extras
13
—
TOTAL
251
HARPSDEN
H Cary, not out
111
B Watson, c Shah, b Ahmed
9
A Bryan, c Waheed, b Bhatti
31
B Hancock, c Shah, b Bhatti
13
S Imlay, b Shah
54
C Whittaker, not out
8
Extras
26
—
TOTAL (4 wkts)
252
HURLEY ran out 64-run winners at home to CHALFONT ST GILES despite being bowled out for 187 with Richard Reading taking 7-35 for the visitors.
Winning the toss Hurley skipper Naeem Akhtar chose to bat first. His plans were in tatters as both openers were sent back inside the first two overs. Dave Simoes was bowled by one that seamed back while Vik Bhagwani opted for an expansive drive and saw his timbers rearranged.
A much needed rebuild through Akhtar and Cameron White added 102 with White playing an invaluable restrained knock to the more aggressive Akhtar who had a life, dropped on 16.
Drinks were taken at 26 overs and Hurley well placed on 91-2. White was stumped soon after and Scott Taylor meekly pushed back to Reading. The introduction of Reading then triggered Hurley’s demise. Akhtar fell to slip and Imran Arshad and Steve Taylor lobbed to long-off and long-on. Abdullah Ali kept the wheels turning with some big-hitting while the wheels wobbled at the other end.
Joe Graham hit three crisp boundaries as 28 was added for the eighth wicket but he also fell to long-off. Hurley were dismissed in the 47th over as Kuldeep Nothey fell first ball, Hurley closed on 187, short of maximum batting points.
Visitors Chalfont laid a solid foundation adding 48 between R Patel and Frank Turner as Hurley’s old ball spin attack failed to yield a breakthrough.
Hurley’s Akhtar took the new ball and it brought immediate results as Patel’s off-stump was pegged back. Akhtar and Arshad made steady inroads though Hurley’s fielding frayed as dot balls went through fielders for boundaries.
Payne and Wood added 21 for the fifth wicket as Chalfont limped to 97-5 in 32 overs. Payne was bowled by Arshad and Wood fell to a good catch by Joe Graham at gully. With 12 overs to hang on and three wickets in hand, Akhtar returned and brought back the left-arm spin of Steve Taylor. Taylor had Kapadia snaffled by Henry Graham at short mid-on with the third delivery of his second spell, Akhtar bowled Gibbs next over and then Taylor trapped Reading the following over to leave Hurley victorious.
HURLEY
V Bhagwani, b Plested
1
D Simoes, b Ayres
0
N Akhtar, c Patel, b Reading
89
C Wright, st Turner, b Reading
22
Sc Taylor, c & b Reading
4
A Ali, not out
33
I Arshad, c Holgate, b Reading
0
St Taylor, c Holgate, b Reading
1
J Graham, c Holgate, b Reading
14
H Graham, c Ayres, b Reading
3
K Nothey, b Patel
0
Extras
20
—
TOTAL
187
Best bowling: R Reading 7-35.
CHALFONT ST GILES 2nds
R Patel, b Akhtar
21
F Turner, c Simoes, b Arshad
32
P Plested, c J Graham, b Akhtar
14
G Holgate, c White, b Arshad
7
T Payne, b Arshad
6
R Wood, c J Graham, b Nothey
18
S Kapadia, c H Graham, b Taylor
8
H Gibbs, b Akhtar
10
C Ayres, not out
0
R Reading, lbw, b Taylor
3
Extras
4
—
TOTAL
Best bowling: N Akhtar 3-21, I Arshad 3-27.
HARPSDEN 2nds remain top of Division 4 after defeating visitors LITTLEWICK GREEN 2nds.
A good opening spell from Tom Ham, taking 4-43 in his six overs, left Littlewick on 39-5 before Blundell came in to join Jack Mason-Apps. The duo put on 55 for the sixth wicket despite an aggressive burst from Ed Birkett who was able to extract significant bounce.
A steepling bounce broke the partnership as Blundell could only glove to gully. Paul Isherwood joined Mason-Apps and they added 59 for the seventh wicket before Will Stevens removed them both. Tight bowling at the death from Stevens and Rod Birkett restricted Littlewick to 174 in their 47 overs.
With a grassy pitch and good opening spells from Qasim Khan and Isherwood it looked as if this was going to be an awkward chase for Harpsden.
At 17-2 after nine overs, with Justin Bradley and Adrian Whyles back in the pavilion, it was starting to look more problematic for Harpsden but the in-form Stevens settled quickly and added 60 with James Paice before the latter toe-ended a catch behind off the youngster, Bundell.
Jon Stanley and Tom Imlay both proved to be good partners for Stevens and Harpsden were able to chase down the required runs with five overs to spare and the loss of only four wickets.
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