1st XI League Round Up - May

May saw the start of the League season for our newly promoted 1st XI, now playing in the 1st Division of the Middlesex County Cricket League (MCCL).

The season opener saw us travel to Indian Gymkhana. Rishabh Choubey (4-29) and Jermey Christian (3-14) made light work of the IGK batting as the hosts were skittled out for 139. Openers Rishabh Choubey (68 not out) and Dylan Rawal (50) put on 99 for the first wicket as we strolled to a 9 wicket win inside 28 overs. (SCORECARD)

Our first home game of the league season saw us welcome Hampstead, a team we had already played in pre-season who promised to be a very tough opponent. Half centuries from Dylan Rawal (56), Pansilu Wijesinghe (66) and Shreyas Malur (67), saw us post a formidable 315 in our 45 overs. The visitors started strongly and looked more than capable of chasing the runs, until the two spinners combined to turn the game. Pansilu Wijesinghe (4-45) and Jermey Christian (2-48) ensured that the good work of the batsmen was not wasted, as we ran out comfortable winners by 84 runs. (SCORECARD)

The third league game of the season saw us travel to Acton. Having reduced the hosts to 60-5 it seemed like a relatively straightforward win was on the cards. However a 183 run partnership changed the complexion of the game as Acton rallied to post 284-9 off their 45 overs. Another good opening partnership laid the platform as Dylan Rawal (57) scored his third fifty in a row. At 135-2 the game was still evenly poised. Until Captain Sanjay Mishra (83 not out) joined Rishabh Choubey (109 not out) to put on 155 in no time and cruise to the winning score inside 35 overs. (SCORECARD)

We returned to Payne's Folly for our final league game of May, to take on Brondesbury. Winning the toss and batting, fifties from Dylan Rawal (55), Pansilu Wijesinghe (61), Sanjay Mishra (55), and Niam Bhattacharya (55 not out) saw us set the visitors 300 to win. Their run chase never really got going, as Fahim Baharami (2-24), Jermey Christian (2-53) and Syan Bulthsinhala (3-29) made sure that wickets fell regularly. We won by 89 runs. (SCORECARD)

It has been an excellent start to the season, and the team has won all its matches so far.