HALE BARNS CRICKET CLUB

HALE BARNS CRICKET CLUB

 
First XI Move Clear At The Top With Win Against Alvanley - Hale Barns Cricket Club

First XI Move Clear At The Top With Win Against Alvanley - Hale Barns Cricket Club

27 Aug 2020

First XI Move Clear At The Top With Win Against Alvanley

First XI Move Clear At The Top With Win Against Alvanley

Hale Barns First XI were narrow winners in a nail-biting top of the table clash against Alvanley CC, which extended their lead to eight points in the CCCL Division 2 West.

In a rain-reduced match (35 overs), a poor batting performance was rescued by Tom Saddington, who hit an unbeaten 43 before a solid effort across the board from the bowlers guided the hosts to victory by 12 runs.

Following a delayed start due to the wet weather, HBCC made a patient start to their innings, with Sam Smith and Joe Cooper remaining unscathed at 37-0 after 12 overs.

However, a quick flurry of wickets halted the home side’s progress, as S Smith departed for 23 and Cooper (13) followed soon after, while Khurram Hussain also came and went without scoring.

Ben Tumilty (4-16) had taken two of those dismissals in the space of four deliveries to restrict Barns to 44-3, and he doubled his tally with a couple of middle-order scalps, including Rory Allan for 11.

The visitors remained on top as HBCC struggled to 78-6 with 14 overs still remaining, although Saddington and Tommy Smith sparked a resurgence late on, adding 38 for the seventh wicket at around a run a ball.

T Smith eventually fell for 14, but Saddington continued to play a crucial hand, edging Barns towards a defendable total. Despite running out of overs to reach what would have been a deserved milestone, he did seal a red inker to end on a match-saving 43 not out.

Chasing 123 to win, Alvanley made a disastrous start when Younas Saeed and Ben Hicks removed both openers inside three overs. And the wickets continued to tumble, with Saeed adding to his tally and Cooper and S Smith taking one apiece to leave the away team reeling on 17-5.

Sam Baxter and Chris Wright (11) provided some reasonable resistance, but the latter could do nothing to keep out a terrific delivery from Christian Dodson (1-7), while Baxter was eventually bowled by Cooper (2-27) for 17 to put Barns on the brink of victory.

However, Alvanley showed great character to battle their way to 85-8 with four overs to spare, as Arthur Brummitt refused to give up the chase and received healthy support from James Ecclestone (12) before being sent back by Saeed (3-25).

Hicks completed his seven overs with exceptionally economical figures of 1-7 to keep Barns in the driving seat, but the game headed towards a terrific climax with 20 runs required off the last 12 balls.

Bilal Ahmed (1-13) held his nerve to dismiss Brummitt for 33, which all but ended Alvanley’s chances of a terrific fightback.

S Smith (2-19) managed to finish things off in style, claiming the final wicket with the last ball of the innings to continue Barns’ march towards sealing top spot in the table.