Cricket: Harvey’s 79 can’t save Hampstead

Published: 22 July, 2010
by STEVE BARNETT

Middlesex County League – Division One
Hampstead 213 ao
Finchley 214-4

A SCORE of 79 not out from Mark Harvey couldn’t stop Hampstead from slipping to their seventh defeat of the season on Saturday away at Finchley. The visitors started brightly with opener Brandon Buckley hitting 47 runs off 77 balls, including seven fours and a six, before being trapped lbw by Rishi Verma. 

Harvey came in and offered stability as he patiently scored 79 off 139 balls, hitting six fours and a six along the way. Without any real support, however, his efforts went unrewarded as Hampstead were dismissed for 213 runs in the 64th over. 

It proved a fairly comfortable target for Finchley with Peter Sogbodjor and Leigh Wooldridge hitting respective scores of 79 and 62 to drive the hosts home with a winning score of 214-4 off 53.3 overs.

Midd slump again despite skipper Flowers’ flair start

Division Two
Harrow 228-8 dec
North Middlesex 190 ao

NORTH Middlesex slipped to a second successive defeat on Saturday when they surprisingly lost by 38 runs at home to Harrow. 

North Midd started the game well enough with Darren Eckford taking an early wicket. Harrow climbed to 90 runs before losing another wicket, this time to spinner Jaron Semper.

Captain Evan Flowers then led by example as he took two quick wickets to leave the visitors struggling and looking out of it on 112-4. 

But For the second week running North Midd dropped a series of simple catches, and again it proved costly as Harrow were given the chance to recover and record a score of 228-8 off 52 overs before declaring. 

Semper ended the innings with impressive figures of 4-64 off 16 overs, while wicketkeeper Alex Hill took two catches and two stumpings. 

Needing 229 for victory North Midd knew they faced a challenging total despite the relatively benign pitch.

Flowers and Adam Evans Holmes began confidently but it wasn’t long before Harrow were celebrating their first wicket as Flowers was dismissed for 20 runs, closely followed by Hill to leave the hosts on 35-2. 

Maxwell Creese joined Holmes in the middle and looked to have steadied the ship as they patiently added a further 51 runs. 

The partnership was broken up when Holmes got an inside edge on to the stumps to depart with a score of 26, while Creese went for 33 runs after being run out attempting an optimistic quick single. 

Semper came in to top-score for North Midd with a quick-fire 52, but when he was caught by Tushaar Karia it triggered a collapse and the home side quickly found themselves dismissed for 190 after 43.4 overs.

Division Two
South Hampstead 165 ao
Winchmore Hill 79 ao

AMIT Chakrawarti put in one of the most ferocious bowling displays ever seen in the County League on Saturday when he claimed five wickets for just eight runs against Winchmore Hill.

The ruthless seven-over spell also included four maidens as Winchmore Hill were bowled out for 79 runs to hand South Hampstead an 86-run victory. 

Nish Patel had earlier put in a starring role for hosts South Hampstead as he hit an unbeaten 117 off 60 balls, including 14 fours and five sixes. He was the only ray of light in a dismal afternoon for the batsmen which saw South dismissed for just 165 runs.