Mayor of Harrow Twenty20 Cup Final - Kenton beat Bessborough by 61 runs.

KENTON ended a 43 year wait to be crowned winners of the Mayor of Harrow Cup by overcoming Bessborough at Harrow Cricket Club last Thursday.

Schopun Jooma was the star of the show, as he crashed home 102 in 47 balls – including seven sixes - of Kenton's colossal 205 score.

A herculean effort was required by Bessborough to chase down the target but needing in excess of 10 runs an over, it failed to materialise.
Kenton’s potent spin attack of Sami Haider, David Sweeney and Zubair Ayub, coupled with some good fielding gave their opponents little hope, despite a fine effort from Sherrick Chavda.

Kenton skipper Deepak Singh was presented with the winners plate as the Kenton players lifted the trophy for the first time since 1966.
Earlier, Bessborough skipper Chavda won the toss and invited Kenton to bat. It proved to be the wrong decision as the Kenton openers Jooma and Sohail Butt found the boundary regularly. When Butt was ran out for 25 in the 10th over the score had already exceeded 70.

After a brief cameo from Chetan Vala, Sachin Patel joined Jooma as the runs continued to flow. Jooma passed his 50 in the 12th over and then his 100 in the 17th before departing for 102. Patel continued the onslaught, striking three successive sixes to finish on 50 from 27 balls.
BLOB Kenton sustained their promotion push with a 148 run victory over Wycombe House on Saturday.

Deepak Singh was once again unfortunate at the toss and Kenton were put in to bat. Despite the overcast conditions Kenton still went along at around five an over. Johnny Mills and Jooma dominated the Wycombe House opening attack before Jooma fell for 48 from 61 balls with the score at 92 in the 19th over.

There was to be no let up for the Wycombe House bowlers as Sachin Patel joined Mills and Kenton continued to flay the ball to all parts. Both batsmen passed 50 with Mills playing a perfect anchor to Patel’s aggression as the pair registered a century stand. Patel finally departed for 81 from 69 balls bowled by Salman Choudry as he aimed another lusty blow over mid off. Mills went soon after having played elegantly for 88. However, the foundations for a big total had already been laid and the score had rocketed towards 250 at nearly six an over. Cameo innings from Deepak Singh and Mitul Shah ensured that Kenton finished strongly on 285-6 at 50 overs.

With Wycombe House languishing at the foot of the table the general feeling was that they would try and chase down the Kenton total in order to secure ten valuable points. However, Sami Haider soon bagged his 56th league wicket of the season and when a couple of run outs accounted for the rest of the top three - Wycombe House had slumped to 30-3 from 12 overs.

The next 90 minutes proved extremely frustrating for Kenton as Ben Taylor and Moshin Shah shut up shop and seemed happy to kill the game and take a solitary point. Kenton’s spin duo of David Sweeney and Sami Haider toiled away; frequently beating the bat yet still the breakthrough eluded them. Taylor in particular could count himself very lucky as the umpire adjudged a ball he edged to Mills at slip off the bowling of Haider not to have carried.

With just 16 overs left and the game seemingly heading for a draw, Sweeney coaxed Shah out of his crease and Rahul Kotecha completed the work behind the stumps. Bizarrely, with 150 still needed for victory from just 15 overs Wycombe House had a change heart and looked to attack the bowlers in hope of a win. This confused thinking resulted in a flurry of wickets with Sweeney (4-49) and Haider (4-40) running through the middle and lower order. And, in the space of six further overs Wycombe House had been bundled out for 137.

Fourth placed Kenton are just twelve points behind local rivals Harrow Town in second and visit third placed Barnet this weekend.

SHEPHERD NEAME MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION THREE Highgate 105 all out Kenton 108-1 Kenton won by nine wickets

KENTON produced a ruthless display to beat Highgate before tea at Kenton Park Lane on Saturday.

Deepak Singh put the visitors in to bat and Chetan Vala picked up where he left off last week by dismissing James Warburton for a duck.

Highgate's other opener, Jake Sharland, looked to take the attack to Kenton but the immaculate line and length from Vala and the mesmerising spin of Sami Haider soon had him tied down.

Haider accounted for Binns, who had made a scratchy five, and then took the key wicket of Sharland (38). When Vala got rid of Jenkins without scoring Highgate were in trouble at 51-4.

Skipper Dave Benton (17) looked to rebuild the innings along with Nicholas Brunner (18) but Haider soon had the pair on their way with Benton well caught by Sachin Patel.

Haider and Vala then combined to rip through the lower order leaving the visitors on 90-8.

The last two partnerships only served to eat up some overs as Duckett (4) and Joseph (6) battled valiantly but with little success. Highgate were eventually all out for 105 from 48 overs. Haider finished with figures of 6-57 from 24 overs while Vala took 4-45 from a 24 over spell.

Kenton's rapid over rate meant that there was to be 45 minutes of the Kenton innings before tea, although they lost Johnny Mills (1) with the score on seven.

Schopun Jooma and Sachin Patel set about smashing the attack to all parts of the ground and Kenton wrapped up the win in just 12.4 overs for the loss of one wicket with Jooma scoring 51 from 35 balls and Patel 47 from 37.

Kenton, in third, visit Barnes on Saturday aiming for a fourth successive win.

Meanwhile, Kenton's second string lost to their Uxbridge counterparts by 23 runs, having been skittled for 177 in 48.1 overs. Uxbridge had posted 200 all out in 51 overs.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY LEAGUE DIVISION THREE Kenton beat Hornsey (169ao)

KENTON edged closer to a spot in Division Two on Saturday and could seal promotion with victory at Bessborough this weekend.

Deepak Singh won the toss and invited the visitors to have a bat.

Chetan Vela continued his rich vein of form with the ball by dismissing Deepesh Makwana with the second ball of the match. After the early loss Hornsey looked to accumulate steadily with Garfield Struthers looking comfortable. And although Sami Haider bowled overseas player Wesley Koskela for six, Hornsey continued to make steady progress. By drinks the away side had reached 82-2 from 25 overs.

Struthers (47) fell soon after the break but Kirit Makwana (50) and skipper Chetan Patel (26) looked to take the attack to Kenton. However, it was not long before Haider (7-73) accounted for the pair and along with David Sweeny (2-43) turned the screw on Hornsey to trigger a collapse. Of the lower order only Martin Tucker (29) offered any resistance as the spinners tore through them, with Rahul Kotecha exemplary behind the stumps. From a relatively good position at 123-3 Hornsey were dismissed for 169.

The Kenton reply couldn't have started better as Johnny Mills stroked three boundaries off Joel Gregory in the first over. Schopun

Jooma continued in aggressive mode as the pair proceeded to chase down the target. The introduction of Ian Gregory slowed the rate somewhat but the runs continued to flow from the other end as a century partnership was recorded. Hornsey did eventually break through when Jooma was adjudged lbw off the bowling of Oliver Yew, departing for 59 from 55 balls. Mills fell in the next over to Gregory for 28 after losing patience with the seamer's immaculate line and length.

At 104-2 Kenton had victory within their grasp but consolidation was still required. Mark Sweeney and Rishi Kotecha were then both dismissed cheaply, the latter being given run out despite having both feet inside the crease.

It was then that skipper Singh joined Sachin Patel and the pair proceeded to patiently tick the scoreboard over, with Patel severe on anything loose. Further drama was to ensue when Singh was bowled by Yew with the score on 162 and then, with just two needed, Patel fell for 30 to Gregory (4-33).

When Dave Sweeney went in the next over Kenton still needed two with three wickets now remaining as tensions started to mount. However Mitul Shah required just two balls to finish the game as he flicked Gregory away for four, giving Kenton a possibly season defining win.