Kedarnath takes five wickets as Ifield gain 120-run win

Skipper Jack Groves true to form lost the toss and Ifield were asked to bat first.

Determined to avoid a repeat of the batting collapse seen earlier in the season at Findon they made a really solid start and Joe Smith and 15-year-old Anas Vora looked comfortable and put on an opening stand of 66 before Vora went for a really well played 35.

Guru Kedarnath came to the crease in good form and with Smith continued to build on the good start but with the score on 90 he was out LBW to Bradley Bridson for 16 trying to accelerate the run-rate.

Ifield’s middle order failed to make the most of the situation and in the space of a few overs 90 for 2 had become 126 for 5 and when Smith’s excellent innings finished on 46 the home side were 129 for 6 and in danger of posting a score significantly below what their good start had promised.

For the second week running a partnership between Daniel Groves and Mahad Ahmed helped get Ifield back on track and they put on an unbroken stand of 64 runs for the seventh wicket with Groves finishing on 39 and Ahmed 26 and the innings was declared on 193 for 6 with one ball to go.

Findon’s reply got off to a steady enough start with skipper Bradley Bridson and Curtis Howell batting cautiously against good line and length bowling from Pratik Patel and Daniel Groves and they had moved to 27 before Patel made the breakthrough when he clean bowled Howell for 18.

Not to be outdone, Groves bowled the dangerous Harry Matters for just four and then the weekly Kedarnath show started when he had Iago caught at short leg by Joe Smith for 7 and at 50 for 3 Findon were in a spot of bother.

New batsman Glen Bridson went cheaply when caught and bowled by Kedarnath and then without any further addition the crucial wicket of opener Bradley Bridson who was caught Ahmed bowled Jigar Parekh for 28.

Findon’s batsmen simply couldn’t handle the accuracy and probing of Ifield’s spin attack and the innings completely fell away and from 68 for 5 they collapsed for 73 all out with 5 wickets for Kedarnath and 3 for Parekh.

This was a huge win for Ifield which gave them 30 points against Findon’s two and moved them up four places in the table to fifth place.

Next Saturday they face an equally important game when they host Ansty.

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