Radlett skipper hits 79 and takes 4-12

HCPL Division One

Radlett 214-9

Aston Rowant 171

Radlett won by 43 runs

SKIPPER Shane Burger continued his good recent form with a sensational showing as Radlett beat Aston Rowant by 43 runs.

Burger, who hit an unbeaten 115 last week against Harpenden, delivered the goods with three wickets in the final over to give Radlett a welcome win at Cobden Hill.

The South African bowled Tom Needham with a wicked inswinger from the first ball of the over and grabbed the last two wickets with the last two deliveries of the game, both yorkers; one which bowled Karl Penhale and the other which trapped Paul Humphreys lbw.

Burger ended the game with 4-12 as well as top scoring with 79 in Radlett’s innings.

Buoyed by the return of vice-captain Tom Jenkins and a good performance last time out against Harpenden, the Cobden Hill side will have been disappointed to have lost Jenkins for 0 caught by Chris Eaton off the bowling of Wesley Morrick.

Tom Needham accounted for Sheilen Patel (17) and Kabir Toor (12) both players caught by Penhale as Radlett slipped to 37-3.

Enter Burger and Mike Crocker who put on 45 for the fourth wicket before Crocker (32) was run out.

Graham Dill failed to trouble the scorers and Fakir Dungaria was only able to add 11 as Radlett stumbled to 126-6.

Matt Soffair (15) and Matt Corran (34*) wrestled the impetus back Radlett’s way with Burger eventually falling on 79 caught by Morrick off the bowling of Rory Lyon.

Corran and Ben Charles (6*) helped Radlett to 214-9 from their 66 overs.

Aston Rowant, the league’s basement side, made a steady start to their reply putting on 33 for the first wicket before Tim Morgan fell to Burger.

Burger then held on to a catch to dismiss Aaron Todd (30) giving Toor his first victim but Radlett were frustrated as visiting skipper Morrick and Alex Jewell dug in.

The pair put on 75 for the third wicket before Jewell was run out for 31.

Morrick passed 50 but he was helpless as Chris Watling, Dominic Whatman, and Rory Lyon all came and went with just 10 runs added.

Morrick’s resistance was finally bought to a halt by Dungaria with Jenkins taking the catch to dismiss the visiting captain for 57. Chris Eaton added an unbeaten 18 but his efforts were in vain as Burger destroyed the visitor’s tailend to give Radlett the win.

The IIs secured a 40-run win over Totteridge Millhillians thanks to an unbeaten 42 from Lee Fortis and 4-24 from Deon Carlous.