Scorecard

Welwyn Garden City IV v Radlett CC 5th XI on Sat 25 Jul 2009 at 1.30 p.m.
Radlett CC Won by 8 wickets

Match report Radlett fifths overturned the Division 11 form book with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Welwyn Garden City IV at Welwyn village.

Sohaib Rehman took the plaudits with the team's first five-wicket haul of the season, a startling return to form after losing his place in the side. He was reprieved with a late call-up on Friday night and, as the sixth bowler used, produced a decisive 5-26 that turned the match on its head. WGC were bowled out for a below-par 142 on a well-prepared pitch that offered good carry.

The home side had only lost one league match before Saturday and, having been put in by Charlie Randall, they roared away after the day's second and third deliveries from John Mansell had been struck for four and six to a short leg-side boundary. Until Rehman was brought on, the seam bowlers -- including Ruan Louw, another welcome newcomer --struggled to cope with a pronounced down slope and following breeze.

Randall's left-arm spin up the hill slowed the runaway train, and when a Sam Kutner full-toss broke the opening stand in the 21st over WGC had scored 'only' 81. But fears that Radlett would face a target well in excess of 200 soon disappeared as the tall Rehman struck a length immediately at an energetic pace and started rattling the stumps.

The score reached 104 when a stumping by Ross Bratt off Randall accounted for the second wicket in the 26th over, and by the time Rehman had finished demolishing the tail, nine wickets had fallen for 38.

Rehman -- or Raymond, as the scorebook had him for a while -- and Randall, 18 overs unchanged, steadily worked their way through the WGC order, assisted by safe wicketkeeper and some lively ground fielding all round.

Availability for the weekend was very high, and there was a player surplus of at least a dozen, excluding under-16 youths, which meant a number of players did not get a game. So good old Raymond took his chance perfectly.

Radlett's batting did not have things all their own way. Tom Clare was dropped at slip second ball as by tradition, survived a modest skyer -- the bowler and wicketkeeper left the catch to each other -- and was dropped at mid-off when the result was secure, but his fifty was full of good strokes, and the three sixes he hoisted to the short midwicket boundary helped subdue Sumpter, a dangerous-looking off-spinner.

Though Rikin Shah perished with an injudicious cut at the second ball bowled by the off-spinner, Bhavin Kakkad settled into a mature supporting role for his second fifty in two matches for the fifths. A satisfying victory arrived in the 34th over.

Good availability has a knock-on affect for all the teams below the firsts, and the good results on Saturday throughout the club could hardly have illustrated the point better.

Welwyn Garden City IV Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
142 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Radlett CC 5th XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
John Mansell4.011700.004.25
Bhavin Kakkad4.002200.005.50
Ruan Louw2.001800.009.00
Charles Randall18.0041410.252.28
Sam Kutner5.0017117.003.40
Sohaib Rehman11.232655.202.29

Radlett CC 5th XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 2 wickets
0
143
(0.0 overs)		    
Tom Clare Caught  55
Rikin Shah Caught  10
Bhavin Kakkad Not Out  58
Dinesh Yogendra Not Out  9
Joe Wharton  
Ross Bratt   2 1
Sam Kutner   1
Ruan Louw   1
John Mansell   1
Sohaib Rehman   1
Charles Randall  

Welwyn Garden City IV Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
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