Victoria Park Community Cricket League

Weekly League roundup by George Watson

Week Ten - 1 July 2018 (download report as a PDF here)

A magical moment ...

Division 1

It was a scorching week in the VPCCL as Sky started in blistering fashion against Bansko Bears on Monday. The unbeaten runners-up walloped 248-4 and at one point looked on course for 300 with some dominant hitting from openers Ali (50) and Gurfran Hassan (53). Despie Andrew Tate’s (34) Bankso fell short finishing on 135-4.

Rose & Crown dispatched Old Fallopians 1st VIII with ease on pitch 3. OF nudged their way to 135-5, Jack Wright (32) and Mohammed Junaid (26) leading with the bat. The defending champions continued their unbeaten run with a typically ruthless chase finishing on 139-2 in 12.5 overs, with Nat Mangalagiri retiring on 50.

Tuesday was a day that saw the rarest of them all on pitch 1. Millwall, unbeaten this season hit a formidable 200-4, Muzzammal Salman (52) Ahmed (50) top scoring. However, the heroics were left for Mile Tailenders opener Sanj Gunewardene (see photo below). Despite batting for the losing side, he came back out after retiring on 50 and went on to score the first century for a long time - including being dropped at the boundary on 99. He was eventually run out for a magnificent 103, with two balls remaining as the Tailenders finished on 182-7, 18 runs short.

London Fields saw off Regents on pitch 2, chasing 109, LF finished on 111-3 off 11.4 overs, Paul Teasdale top scoring with 46. London Tigers completed Wednesday’s action with an comfortable win over Best Nationals. Put into bat, the National finished on 96, with the Tigers, eager to watch the second half of the Argentina match, chased down their target finishing on 97-1 off just 7 overs.

Divison 2

Monday saw Victoria Lounge continue their good run against the Old Fallopians 2nd VIII, despite losing an early wicket. Opting to bat first, the Lounge hit a daunting 174, with Rob Tatton-Brown, Stefan Phillipson and Rob Morgan all retiring. OF finished their response on 94-4, with off-spinner Tim Garrett taking an impressive 3-13.

Camel Lights and Crossrail enjoyed a high scoring game on Wednesday. Skipper Tom Porter led the way for The Lights, last year's defending champions of Division 2 with 50, Dave Sendall also aiding the score, finishing just four runs short of retiring. Crossrail valiantly chased their target but good bowling denied them the run rate they needed as they finished 30 runs short.

Homerton saw off Sports Interactive on pitch 2, the newcomers hit their highest score of the season with a confident 134-1, openers Duncan Greenwood (43) and Keith Flannery (44) top scoring. Homerton had little problems chasing, in form Len Hutchinson hitting another half century as homerton finished on 137-1 in 11.4 overs.

With England playing Belgium on ITV, Pacific and Ex-Pats took the a sole slot on Thursday and enjoyed a thrilling high scoring match on. Pacific, batting first and despite being down on numbers finished with an impressive 209-4, veteran and local favourite Riz Siddique hitting 68. But, Ex-Pats were not to be denied, exploiting the gaps in the field, as they stormed to 210-0 in 12.3 overs, thanks to unbeaten retirements from Dom Fanning and Will.

Sanj Gunewardene after his century for Mile Tailenders v Masiha - Week 10     Photo: George Watson