Ley Hill vs Hawridge & Cholesbury, 18th June 2005
Robin Carr
Top of the table Hawridge opener Rifai gave Ley Hill a lesson in batting in the local derby match on Saturday. Scoring 128 from 137 balls in just over 3 hours, Rafai was rarely in trouble as the Hill toiled in the field in temperatures of 90f. After his fellow opener’s wicket was lost early on Rafai and third man Garner (55) staged a magnificent second wicket stand of 151 before Garner was brilliantly run out Ottaway. Rafai finally fell to a superb catch by Birkett during Shakoor’s only over leaving Hawridge with a match winning total of 243-3 after 45 overs.
Will Rothwell was the pick of Ley Hill’s bowlers with 1-28 from 10 overs. Elton Rennard was unlucky not to be amongst the wicket takers but proved hard to hit conceding only 25 runs from his 8 overs.
Exhausted by their long hours in the field, the Hill’s batting was a shambles with only one batsman reaching double figures. Wickets tumbled regularly; the Hill were 17-3 and a short while later 34-6. Mark Curtis showed he had regained some of his missing batting form with a fine 32 but it was all in vain. Hawridge’s bowlers all produced impressive figures: Ahmed 3-12, Latif 3-22, Fayyaz 2-13 with Rifai’s 2-25 deservedly earning him Man of the Match.
Ley Hill did not win
Hawridge: 243 for 3
Ley Hill: 80 all out (Curtis 32)