RADLETT slip to 182-run defeat at reigning champions Henley

HCPL Division One

Henley 291-8

Radlett 109

Henley won by 182 runs

HENLEY’S Tom Lambert condemned Radlett to one of their biggest run defeats on record in the Home Counties Premier League as Shane Burger’s side succumbed to a 182-run defeat.

The Henley bowler returned fantastic figures of 6-27from his 10 overs to dismiss Radlett well short of the 291 Henley had posted.

Burger had won the toss and elected to bowl and alongside Matt Corran had made a promising start testing the hosts opening partnership of Michael Roberts and David Barnes.

Burger struck first cramping Barnes who could only nick the ball to Graham Dill in the slips.

Jonno McLean didn’t last long well caught low down by James Lewis at point off the bowling of Heath Paynter for just one.

Henley skipper Bjorn Mordt and Roberts began to rebuild the Henley innings and looked to be doing so well when Mordt left a Paynter delivery that nipped back and bowled the home captain.

Things got even better for Radlett before lunch when Roberts misjudged a sweep shot again Kabir Toor and was given out lbw to leave Burger’s men in a commanding position at the break with Henley 87-4.

Toor and Fakir Dungaria continued after the interval and looked to be frustrating the home side not giving them the chance to score easy runs. Toor dismissed both David Allaway (13) and Steve Horne (10) caught by Burger and Mike Crocker respectively but Henley’s number five Carl Crowe remained resolute and notched his half-century in the 54th over.

Once that milestone had been passed Crowe and Todd Ferguson shed the shackles and began dispatching the visiting attack all around the ground.

Toor was hit for three 6s in one over by Ferguson and Burger and Paynter went for 16 and 20 respectively in single overs as Crowe went past 100.

Ferguson eventually fell, bowled by Dungaria for a 33-ball 59 that included four 4s and four 6s.

Chris Ellison hit a quick-fire 19 before departing caught by Burger off the bowling of Paynter as Henley finished on 291-8 from their 66 overs.

The Henley onslaught in the latter overs seemed to switch the impetus to the home side and Lambert ripped through the Radlett top order.

Andre Sharma went without troubling the scorers and was soon followed by Graham Dill (4), James Lewis (15), Shane Burger (10) and Kabir Toor (8) all to Lambert with wicketkeeper Todd Ferguson picking up three catches leaving Radlett on 43-5.

Nick Denning then entered the attack and accounted for Dungaria, courtesy of a fine reaction catch by Ellison at short cover, before dismissing Sheilen Patel (1) with a well taken caught and bowled.

At tea Radlett were virtually dead and buried at 48-7. Mike Crocker ensured the Cobden Hill outfit didn’t go down without a fight though hitting an unbeaten 47 but with Corran (2), Paynter (4) and wicketkeeper Ben Charles (8) falling at the other end his efforts were in vain.