Herts and Essex Cricket League

Division One

A strong all-round performance saw Ilford Catholic beat Nazeing Common by 80 runs away from home on Saturday.

Batting first, Catholic started well with Steve Ward (45) and Ed Tooth (23) putting on 67 for the first wicket. Ward was unlucky not to reach an excellent 50 when he was caught in the covers. After Tooth departed, caught at mid-wicket, Abbas Saleem and Vince Mulholland added further runs until Abbas Saleem was caught at first slip for ten.

Vince Mulholland (16) and Sule Saleem (58) then put together a fine 53-run partnership as Saleem smashed four sixes and two fours. Saleem was eventually caught at long on for an excellent 58 as Catholic finished on 199 for eight.

In reply, John Rogers (three for 16) was rewarded with the wicket of Dan Reese (five). Mulholland (two for 18) added pressure at the other end and dismissed Rivers and Mackie.

Two more wickets for Rogers and a great catch behind by Ward from the bowling of Abdul Wahab saw Nazeing reeling at 39 for six.

Barker hit two sixes and four fours in his 39 to take their score to the 100 mark but was dismissed by Ravi Ramanuja, caught behind by Ward. Ramanuja (three for 39) and Anujan Thiru (one for 31) then mopped up the tail-end to dismiss Nazeing for 119.

Division Four

Ilford Catholic Seconds comfortably beat High Beach by 105 runs.

After losing the toss, Catholic were asked to bat on a green but flat looking wicket at Barkingside.

Ilford lost wickets regularly with Bob Marsh (3), Annanth Kumar (9) and Andy Humphrey (10) all departing to reduce the batting side to 38 for three.

Sandeep Barot (23) and Wesley Benjamin (54) boosted the innings with Benjamin particularly aggressive in hitting three sixes in an excellent half-century. Once Benjamin departed, skipper Martin Riches (14), Yash Agarwal (19) and Nigel Costin (22 not out) all contributed well to take the score to 199 for eight after 45 overs. Ilford’s Arul Gopalasamy (one for 27) and Mukhtiar Singh (three for 28) kept things tight, followed up by Agarwal (three for 20) and Nomi Quershi (two for 14). The Catholic bowlers were helped by some superb fielding with six very good catches taken by Benjamin (2), Riches (2), Humphrey and Gopalasamy.

Committed ground fielding kept the batsmen under pressure with skipper Evans (27) and Sumner (10) the only two players to reach double figures as High Beach were bowled out for just 94.

Division Six

Ilford Catholic Thirds beat Birchanger Seconds by four wickets.

Fred Fernando (two for 47) and Smaran Thirunagari (one for 20) opened the bowling for Ilford. In next to no time, Fernando had P Tyler caught behind. Thirunagari then trapped the next batsman leg before wicket.

Birchanger batsman J Hampson (78) played an excellent innings, starting slowly to get used to the pace of the wicket and then accelerating towards the end.

Mayur Bodhakhe (one for 45) chipped in with a caught and bowled while Ben Dharmanandan (one for 24) got a wicket from a catch by Bodhakhe at point.

Fernando then got another wicket from another caught and bowled while leg spinner Adrian Swain (one for 22) got a stumping behind from captain Mo Zaman.

Some late hitting from Birchanger pair Squires (38) and Thornton (27) saw Birchanger post a commanding 207 for six.

The Catholic openers, Ricki Saha (25) and Dave Revell (34), got off to an electric start with 47 brought up in just eight overs. Saha then played a lofted on-drive off the bowling of A White that was superbly caught one-handed in the deep at long on.

Birchanger subsequently brought on their best bowler, M Thornton (three for 34), who bowled with great pace moving the ball both ways, accounting for Revell and Afghan Khan.

However, while wickets tumbled around him, Zaman (94 not out), played a superbly composed and well-timed knock to seal the game for the Catholic, who finished on 208 for six.