Tonbridge Celebrate Double Delight
Burns Leave Their Mark
Tonbridge CC 1st XI - 197 All Out
Sibton Park CC 1st XI - 190 All Out
A close battle at the weekend saw Tonbridge pick up a much needed win to go third in their division.
Winning the toss, Tonbridge skipper Mike Jessop elected to bat but saw his openers dismissed with the score still in single figures. Both players were removed by Sibton youngster Alexander Lumsden (3 for 31). When Ollie Peake snicked off soon after, at 13 for 3 there was serious cause for concern. Up stepped Mark Burns and Steve Hall who saved the Tonbridge innings. Mixing up some excellent running between the wicket, along with some big hitting, their 139 run partnership propelled the visitors towards a score that could be defended. Burns would hit five sixes in his fantastic 95, before being dismissed by Josh Woodward. Sibton spinner Miles Clayton (3 for 42) helped to rip through the middle order, including the final wicket of Hall for a well played 48, leaving Sibton Park with 198 for victory.
A wicket in the first over got Tonbridge off to the best start possible, with Martin Batley ripping through the defence of Woodward. A 50 run partnership between Andy Allon and Tom Carr helped the home side to settle into the innings, but both were dismissed in successive overs. Satyajeet Jadhav hit a rapid 23 before being trapped by Mark Burns, and then Chirag Patel would return to remove Sibton Park captain Ben Allon to give Tonbridge a strong grip on the game. Australian Oscar Roberts, who came in at four, was quietly building his score, and with the middle order removed, he began to up his scoring rate. The main issue was whether he would run out of partners in the process. Entering the final five overs, fifty was still required, but there were only three wickets remaining. Miles Clayton hit a quick 17 before being bowled by Khurram Shehzad (2 for 32), and Patel would bowl Lumsden in an inexpensive 43rd over, leaving 28 runs required off the final two overs. 13 runs off the penultimate over, which included a big six from Roberts, meant 15 off the last. Patel would bowl it and watched his first delivery sail over the fence. A dot and a single would follow as Patel (4 for 29) held his nerve. He would finish the game with two balls left, bowling Graham Bingham, and thus completing an excellent seven run victory.
At half way through the season Tonbridge 1st XI sit in third, having played a game more than most of their promotional rivals. They travel to Kings Hill this weekend.
Top-Class Tuscano turns it on for Tonbridge
Tonbridge CC 2nd XI – 194 for 9
Cowdrey CC 2nd XI – 94 All Out
Tonbridge 2nd XI turned in a cracking all-round display on Saturday, comfortably seeing off Cowdrey 2nd XI by 100 runs.
Batting first after winning the toss, Tonbridge made a wobbly start, losing two early wickets. A steady partnership between John Tuscano (36) and Daniel Sanders (23) helped rebuild the innings, with Captain Nick Helyar (27) and a lively knock from Dilshan Fernando (33) keeping things ticking. The innings was rounded off in style by Kenias Gwatida, who smashed a rapid 34 off 25 balls, pushing the total up to a competitive 194 for 9 from their 40 overs.
Cowdrey’s reply started steadily, with Nico Van Der Colff looking in good touch on his way to 42. The key moment of the innings came when John Tuscano trapped him LBW with the score on 70 for 5. From there, Cowdrey’s chase unravelled, with Nabeel Ahmad Gulzar leading the attack superbly with 3 for 24. Tuscano followed up his strong batting with an excellent 3 for 29, whilst Fernando and Sanders both took two apiece.
Tonbridge travel to bottom place Staplehurst this weekend.
Picture below of 2nd XI following last week's victory.
