BPCC v CCC

The final day of tour saw more records made and although the result didn’t go BPCC’s way, was an excellent game of cricket.

Winning the toss and electing to bat, opening pair Matt Sisson and Will Evans got off to another blistering start, putting on 74 within 8 overs before Sisson was caught by Ahmad Elech off the bowling of Kapil Dave for 52 off 32 balls (9 fours and 1 six). Stuart Drakeley and Gary Knight both were out LBW in the next 2 balls to give Dave his hat-trick. In the next over, Evans lobbed a catch to Alex Ellis off the bowling of Joseph Parry for 16, having scored his 500th run for the club but putting BPCC very much on the back foot.

Tom Knight and Micky Martin then grafted hard to steady the ship, putting on a club record partnership of 158 for the 5th wicket before Knight was caught by Mohamad Choudhry off the bowling of George Duke for 93 (9 fours and 2 sixes) in the 46th over. David Roffey ended his batting week with a first baller, bowled by Joseph parry in the 47th over. Dominic Manthorpe fell in the 48th over, skying a delivery from Gareth Severin, with the bowler also claiming the catch.

Micky Martin was the last wicket to fall in the 49th over when he was caught by Choudhry off the bowling of Parry for 62. BPCC ending on 256 for 8 in their 50 overs.

The bowling reply started about as perfectly as can be when Mohamad Choudhry was castled by Mike Harling 5th ball, leaving CCC 0 for 1 off the first over. However, with the pitch playing true, anything remotely short being punished and some imperious batting, it wasn’t until the 21st over, after a 121 run partnership that the next wicket fell – Ahmad Elech caught by Dominic Manthorpe in the deep off the bowling of Stuart Drakeley for 42.

The BPCC bowling attack was made to work hard but the game was slowly and surely taken away from them by a virtually chanceless innings by Gareth Severin, who between him and Akashsivan Suresh put on 136 runs before Severin misjudged a David Roffey delivery and was bowled for 139 (17 fours and 2 sixes). Tom Murray was also bowled for a duck two balls later, giving Roffey his 10th scalp of the week. Suresh ended the innings on 65 not out (8 fours) when Jean-Luc Talbot hit the winning runs 2 balls after that.