Donald fifty puts Wardens on road to victory

Donald, who stroked ten boundaries in his 69-ball 57, shared an opening stand of 91 with Dan Vernon (29) to take the Glasshouse Park outfit most of the way to their target of 162.

Although Sarfraz Ali dismissed Vernon and skipper Scott Stenning in quick succession, Sitanshu Kotak’s unbeaten 25, and some ill-disciplined Attock bowling, which contributed 36 extras, saw the hosts over the finishing line with 26 overs to spare.

This came after Wardens’ opening attack made good early inroads, with three wickets shared between Tom Allin and Ali Wilkinson. Only veteran opener Sultan Mahmood (59) made much progress, adding 50 in a patient fourth-wicket alliance with Asim Khan (32).

After Kotak trapped Mahmood lbw in the 28th over, the visitors’ middle order struggled to accelerate against Wardens’ spinners. Vernon (2-35) and Kotak (3-37) ensured Attock never threatened a competitive total despite Wardens dropping four straightforward catches.

Robin de Regt’s superb unbeaten 79 steered Wardens 2nds to a three-wicket triumph in the club’s first visit to Barnard’s Green.

The South African left-hander hit 13 fours in his outstanding 87-ball knock as the visitors reached a testing 192- run target to claim their second consecutive Birmingham League Division Two (South) win.

After James Madley’s team were reduced to 96 for five by opening bowlers Matthew Brookes and Tom Clack, de Regt dominated partnerships of 55 with Andy Linfield (21) and 38 with Jack Sorrell (11), to take Wardens to victory with six overs remaining.

Barnards’ top order batted solidly before tea, led by a useful 63 from Elliot Hennessy. Openers Andrew Wheeler (34) and Jonathan Lewis (27) also made good contributions, but the hosts never quite broke the shackles of spinner Michael Challis-Brown and paceman Andy Fox, who finished with four for 38.

 Sitanshu Kotak’s first hundred of the English season took Wardens to a comfortable 107-run home win over Bedworth on the opening weekend of the Warwickshire Sunday League.

The 41st ton of Kotak’s 16-year Wardens’ career came from 106 balls, with 12 fours, as his team recovered from 49 for three to post a formidable 40-over score of 245 for five.

Two wickets apiece for left-armers Danny McDowell and Andy Linfield, plus three run-outs, then ensured the visitors’ response died on the vine at 138 all out.

Dan Vernon (55) added 92 with the Indian ace for the fourth wicket, hitting 11 boundaries in his first half-century of the season. A typically quickfire unbeaten 25 from Linfield rounded things off as Bedworth’s change bowlers struggled to maintain the early standards set by skipper Oldham and Turvey (both two for 35).