Arden Sunday League, Division Three
1st inns Pickwick 158 for 6 in 30.0 overs (Syed 7-0-23-1, Millard 8-0-36-0, Rizwan 3-0-18-0, Williams 2-0-13-0, Naseri 2-0-23-0, Adnan 5-0-21-3, Malik 3-0-16-0)
2nd inns Kings Heath 162 for 3 in 21.5 overs Rizwan bowled 46 (5 x 4s, 1 x 6) Altaf Ur-Rehman ct mid off 13 Saba Naseri 26 not out (1 x 4, 1 x 6) Adnan Ali caught 7 (1 x 4) Shak Syed 61 not out (5 x 4s, 3 x 6s) Did not bat: Mike Barlow, Malik, Bernard O'Connor, Josh Williams, Gregg Arrand, Stuart Millard
KINGS HEATH WON BY 7 WICKETS
Pickwick batted first on a dark damp, grey afternoon, and a series of rain showers meant that the players were on and off the field for most of the first innings, with nearly 90 minutes play lost in all. The Kings Heath vice captain even refused to bowl in the conditions despite large amounts of sawdust being used, claiming the conditions ‘dangerous and unplayable’, and only reluctantly agreeing to return to the field. The match was reduced to 30 overs a side and Pickwick lost a number of wickets whilst trying to score quick runs, Adnan Ali bowled the final five overs up the hill and was not only economical, but collected three wickets. Earlier Stuart Millard had been the pick of the bowlers, regularly beating the bat four or five times an over, getting prodigious away swing. The Pickwick captain soon demanded a new ball but was promptly presented with the league rules which stated that he could not demand a different ball. Due to the large required run rate of 5.30 and a reduced number of overs in overcast conditions, the batting lineup was changed to allow the less technical lower order sloggers the chance to play their natural game and get Kings Heath off to a good start. The team felt that this was a risk worth taking, and the team soon reaped the rewards. Rizwan, given free reign, hit 46 before he was bowled; Saba Naseri was controlled during his unbeaten 26 but hit a six when the pressure started to mount. Shak Syed came into bat at number five and hit his maiden fifty for Kings Heath, a very entertaining innings which contained five fours and three enormous sixes, finishing not out on 61. The pair carried Kings Heath across the finish line in under 22 overs, winning by seven wickets.
