Knowle Village CC 302-4 (16pts)
Drew with
Rowland United CC 255-5 (9pts)
AFTER last weekend’s demolition of Castle Bromwich CC, table toppers Knowle Village looked to extend their lead at the top when they welcomed Rowland United CC to Hampton Road.
On a scorching day, Knowle won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket which on the surface looked an absolute belter.
Runs flowed from ball one with Clarke’s patience proving to be the perfect foil for the more aggressive Dunne. With the score racing past 50 in less than 10 overs everyone in attendance felt a big score was on the cards.
Later Dunne exploded with some fluent stroke play and took Knowle’s score past the 100 mark and brought up the skippers third 50 of the season.
Then a slight lapse in concentration Dunne as he tried to charge the spin of Mark Randle saw him stumped by the grateful Daniel Simms for 76, the score now 131-1 off 25 overs.
Youngster Daniel Clarke appeared unfazed as he was joined at the crease by Khizar Zaman who continued where Dunne had left off, playing some inventive shots. Clarke finished on 52, his first Saturday 50 for the club.
With the score now 167-2 with 15 overs remaining, Knowle had the ideal platform to try and set a huge total. Joe Jarema joined Zaman at the crease and pushed the score past 200 in the space of five overs. However the dismissal of Zaman (42) lbw by the metronomic Randle appeared to spark the hosts into overdrive.
Jarema, now accompanied by Michael Dinneny, needed no encouragement to punish Joe Golding’s pace, taking him for 16 and 11 in consecutive overs. However, with just five overs remaining and the score at 245 it was to be Golding who would have the last laugh as he changed tack, surprising Jarema with a shorter delivery which resulted in a top edge and the Knowle number four heading back to the pavilion for 47 off just 31 deliveries.
Martin Richmond and Michael Dinneny had five overs to try and take Knowle towards the impressive 300 mark.
The pair duly obliged with both batsmen finishing not out, Dinneny 41 off just 21 balls and Richmond 23 off 18 deliveries to make a total of 302-4 with only Rowlands Mark Randle (3-50) providing any real resistance to the Knowle onslaught.
In reply Rowlands made 255-5 with Khizar Zaman the pick of the bowlers with 2-62.
On a day where Knowle put on the highest score in the division, their lead at the top was cut to just 14 points as second placed Lyndworth secured a 24 point victory over Aston.
Knowle look to consolidate their position at the top away at Old Edwardians CC next weekend.
