BABLAKE produced a dominant performance to claim a winning draw against Highway Spartans in the Warwickshire Cricket Premier Division.
The day was warm and with thunder, lightning and torrential downpours predicted, there was always a strong possibility that the weather was going to be a factor in the result, this proved to be the case.
Highway Spartans were bowled for 196 with five balls to spare off their permited 50 with the main contributions in the innings coming from Doak-Smith (50) and Bharj (49). Wickets were spread evenly amongst the Bablake bowlers.
In reply, Ross Arnold, Tom Betts and Josh Manning all made good starts before Azhar Ali’s 57 not out helped get them to within five runs of victory before a heavy downpour stopped play.
Umpires Greenway and Hope reluctantly, but correctly took the players off for a second time and ultimately prevented an almost certain Bablake victory. Bablake’s dominant performance earned themselves a winning draw with 17 points, whilst Highway Spartans escaped with eight.
Frustrated Bablake skipper Tom Cowley commented: “Although it feels like seven points lost we will take the positives out of a very solid batting display.
“Despite two rain interruptions curtailing our overs we still got ourselves to the brink of victory. Unfortunately the weather had the final word with just an over to go.”
Elsewhere in the Birmingham League Division Two, Tony Bristow scored 72 as Coventry & Nort Warwickshire claimed a winning draw against C&R Hawks.
Bristow was supported by Zuhaib Akhlaque (36) and Jack Horsley (39 not out) as Coventry set their opponents a target of 209 for 7 from their 50 overs.
Omar Ali was the standout performer for the visitors as he struck 70 as his side reached 196 for 9 before the rain came with ten overs left.
