Under-strength Wardens see promotion hopes evaporate

Although injury and unavailability saw Wardens field a much-depleted side, they produced their worst display of the season and were outplayed in every department.

Barring a miracle of biblical proportions, the result ends the Glasshouse Park club’s promotion hopes.

However, their first season back in Division One has brought many positives, and with two games remaining, a third-place finish, which remains a strong possibility, would set them up for a tilt at the title next year.

After being inserted, and losing two wickets in the opening 15 overs, Stebbings and Langford began cautiously against seamers Dan Wood and Ali Wilkinson.

However, as their innings went into its final 25 overs, they launched a concerted attack on spinners Tony Wilkinson and Dan Vernon, which took the score beyond 200.

Wardens missed a number of difficult half-chances in the field, but without Kotak, Tom Allin and James Jordan, skipper Scott Stenning had few bowling options with which to stem the tide.

Vernon eventually trapped Stebbings for 87, after which Langford was run out for 77. However, a late flurry from Jonny Walker (48 not out) and Tom Austwick (23 not out) saw the Herefordshire outfit close on a substantial 272 for four.

Despite a flat pitch, a home win looked unlikely at the tea interval. An hour later, after a rash of poor shots, and some fine bowling, even Wardens’ survival hopes were in ruins, with half the side back in the pavilion for 60.

After a few defiant blows from Vernon and Wood, teenage debutant James Ray displayed great composure in making an unbeaten 23.

However, wickets continued to tumble around him, which brought Brockhampton a deserved win with two overs remaining.

Veteran opener Mike Sorrell rolled back the years with a gritty unbeaten half-century, as Wardens 2nds salvaged a battling draw against their Brockhampton counterparts.

The left-hander batted through the visitors’ innings, striking 12 boundaries in an unbeaten 79. He added exactly 100 for the second wicket with Mike Challis-Brown (48), before acting captain Liam Newton (27 not out) joined him in an unbroken 50-run fourth-wicket alliance.

This enabled a very weak Wardens side to reach the safety of 188 for three after their hosts had earlier amassed 270 for eight.

Before tea, seamer Nick Whiting took three for 49 and there were two wickets apiece for Newton and Challis-Brown as Wardens struggled to contain Brockhampton fifth-wicket pair Andrew Watkins (51) and Charlie Scott (56 not out).

There were also useful contributions from Ashley Nahorniak (39) and David Mokler (37) as the hosts amassed maximum batting points, but perhaps missed a chance by failing to consider an early declaration.

For the third successive week, Leamington were on the receiving end of a magnificent hundred from a first-class professional as they held on for a losing draw at home to Wellington in the Premier Division.

Having won the toss, Leamington reduced their visitors to 43 for two before Ross Aucott (81 not out) and Northamptonshire player Bilal Shafayat put on 216 for the third wicket.

Aucott anchored the innings while Shafayat scored 140 off 128 balls before Tom Lewis returned to have him caught on the boundary.

Lewis went on to finish with 12-0-50-3 as Wellington closed on 289 for four.

In reply, Leamington started brightly, reaching 184 for four thanks to a 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Mark Lewis (66) and Paul Best.

Despite the loss of Lewis, Leamington were still well in the hunt as Best took the attack to Wellington bowlers.

However, when he finally fell for 74, Wellington struck back as Shafayat (17-4-58-4) showed his skills with the ball to pick up three quick wickets and reduce Leamington to 247 for nine.

This left the last Leamington pair of Jason Young and Mohammed Faisal Khalid a nervous eight balls to block out for the losing draw, which they safely did.