Match Report: 3s vs Stanmore CC 3s (18/06/2022)

Toss: Kenton won the toss and decided to field first.

Kenton travelled to away to Kingsbury to face stanmore. Stanmore welcomed a number of their uni players back and being one of the form teams in the league following three wins on the trot. Added to this, Kenton were missing their middle order guns Sajjad and Pranav Dave, all roads pointed towards a hard battle ahead. Kenton won the toss and inserted stanmore on what can be best described as a back garden wicket. A solid start from the opening stanmore pair saw them see if the first 6 overs without much alarm, then the pitch attacked and Prish had one opener pinned plumb infront with a grubber. Next over Ravi bowled the other opener with a straight one. Kenton on a roll, and all of sudden stanmore found themselves 50-4 off 16. Then a big couple of moments, Kenton missing the chance to take out no.3 and no.6, dropping chances they would expect to take. First keeper Samit dropping a chance off the glove down leg, then Ravi under a high one off his own bowling. Stanmore partially recovered to 100-4, and showed with patience what could be achieved on such a wicket. Enter Pranav Shah, a late replacement, claiming a wicket in his first over. Stanmore continued to add to the score as the bowlers offered up the odd loose delivery. However, Chirag came in and took three quick wickets which meant stanmore were all out for 166 in the 46th over.

In the chase, Kenton were aware of the difficulties the new ball brought, and the overseas opening bowler was tying down an end. Kenton crawled to 5 off 8overs but no wicket lost. Unfortunately, Hameed feel to a short ball, enter Karan, who felt attack was the best form of defence. A few lusty blows had stanmore thinking, but then one shot too many, and he was caught behind. This meant tilak, returning from injury, joined Saif at the crease with the score at 30-2. Both batsmen showed great application and patience. The score ticked along as Kenton edged closer to the target. Stanmore tried their various bowling options, but were unable to remove either batsmen. Both began to push the rate, with tilak taking on the bowling and upping the tempo with some mighty blows. As Kenton approached the 30 over mark, we were behind the rate by around 12 runs. A couple overs later, a couple of sixes and boundaries and Kenton edged ahead. Just as the rain was setting in, Saif (41) fell to a very good catch by the point fielder. A couple overs and one reverse sweep later from Tilak (41no) would prove to be the ultimate end of the game as the rain returned briefly. With no covers available, an already terrible pitch made further wet and one bowler having already been injured on their follow through, the match was called with Kenton on 118-3, with victory within sight.

Kenton leave with 4 points and a sense of what could have been.