Berkshire Cricket League: Woodcote 1st XI (188-5) beat Woodley 1st XI (187 all out)
WOODLEY were beaten by five wickets against high flying Woodcote as they fell to a tremendous individual batting display.
Woodcote won the toss and chose to field first. Woodley opened strongly and Rizmy Nilamdeen hit a fine innings as he top scored for his side, but he lost his opening partner Mohamed Rimzan on 11 runs as the first wicket of the day fell.
Jonny Clark then claimed his second wicket of the day as he dismissed Woodley’s captain Fasul Nufail for a duck. Wicket keeper Arshad Mohamed then went for just five runs as Nilamdeen was denied a consistent batting partner to put Woodley’s innings in some jeopardy.
Nilamdeen eventually lost his wicket having hit an impressive score of 78, and Arshad Mohamed joined him at the crease and added some much needed runs to bolster the total as he knocked 58 runs.
But the tail end fell quickly thanks to the clinical bowling of Woodcote’s Simon Fitzgerald. He ensured that Woodley were bowled out for 187 after 43 overs as he took the final four wickets of the innings to take his tally to five and secure an illustrious five wicket haul.
With 187 to defend, Woodley began their task well as they removed opening bowler Ryan Lennard for just 10 runs as he was caught out by Naveed Asghar from the bowling of Arshad Mohamed.
Mohamed took two more quick wickets to take his tally to three as he clean bowled Tim Fitzgerald for two runs and then did the same to Simon Fitzgerald to put Woodcote in danger.
But Jonny Clark provided some stability as he joined Paul Knox at the crease as the two built a good partnership to build a platform of runs to put Woodcote in a promising position of reaching the target.
Naveed Asghar picked up two consecutive wickets as he removed Clark on 35 before dismissing Rakesh Patel for 13 runs.
However, with Woodley unable to break the resolve of Knox, they were beaten as his mammoth innings as 107 not out saw his side capture victory after 33.4 overs, joined by the crease by Mike Stroker who contributed 13 runs as Woodcote won by five wickets.
The defeat leaves Woodley in eighth position in the league table having played ten fixtures.
Woodley batting: Nilamdeen 78, Rimzan 11, Nufail 0, Asghar 5, Mohamed 58, Zulfiqar 5, Fauz 8, Gadafi 0, Kini 3no, Harsha 3, Riyas 1.
Woodley bowling: Mohamed 3-32, Zulfiqar 0-34, Rimzan 0-28, Nilamdeen 0-19, Harsha 0-25, Asghar 2-30, Riyas 0-11.
