All rounder Brannon Varley put in a stellar all round Player of the Match performance for the 2ndXI on Saturday in Division 3 of the DSL.
He scored a match winning 47 from just 33 balls and earlier opened the bowling taking 1-16 from his four overs combining seam and swing and no lack of pace to trouble the Stallions' top order. It was this spell, along with 18-year-old off spinner Trish Shetty, that ensured the Wanderers were on top right from the off. Neither gave anything away as each claimed a wicket. Shetty would return to bowl two overs at the death too, also with aplomb, and would finish with highly impressive figures of 2-23 from his five overs. He also took a fine catch and rightly won the Wanderer of the Day award.
Bilal Siddiqi also returned fine figures of 2-23 form his five overs straight and debutant Usman Mukhtar claimed his first Wanderers scalp with some very useful off-spin. The most pleasing sight in the bowling attack was the return of Navalesh Naidoo who bowled four very impressive overs at the death, claiming 1-23, as his rehabilitation form a meniscus operation continues in a positive fashion. The bowlers were well backed in the field with wicket-keeper Ben Willgoss having a fine day behind the stumps.
The Stallions were bowled out for 135 on what was a good Sevens Stadium pitch. It has to be said that the Wanderers batting line up made somewhat hard work of the chase. Their were contributions all the way through the order but Varley's innings, full of pleasing drives and hard sweeps ,was the stand out. Mukhtar made 22 but when they both lost their wickets in consecutive deliveries and Naidoo soon followed, it meant it was left to captain for the day Jack Luffman and Shetty to muster 13 runs to win from the final two overs. The pair needed just six balls and both hit a boundary apiece in the 24th over to claim a third straight win.
On Sunday night the 2ndXI took to the field in its first game in the JMR Ultra competition. Unfortunately the side suffered a 51 run defeat at the hands of a strong ABC CC.
Despite the defeat there was some pleasing performances and it had meant that 20 players across the two days had been given an opportunity which shows just how far the club has come in just 18 months of existence.
ABC posted 191 from its 20 overs. This was a total based around an opening partnerhsip of 135. On another day, if catches had been taken, this could have been a different story. Captain Danny Pawson, unable to bowl himslef due to a slight shoulder injury, used seven bowlers in total. Experienced duo Clint Berkenshaw (1-21) and Avinash Karia (1-27) both bowled their four overs tidily. Wickets were also claimed by Thinus Steyn (1-42) and Trish Shetty (1-36). Teenager Raghav Awasthi also bowled two impressive overs of left arm spin during the mammoth opening partnership.
The run chase got off to the worst possible start as talisman Berkenshaw was bowled first ball of innings. Dannie Rees and Arif Khan soon followed as Wanderers slipped to 19-3 in the fifth over. A 56-run partnership between Pawson and Steyn then followed in just seven overs as the Wanderers sensed a glimmer of hope of a victory. However, when Pawson departed for a well played 35 from 27 balls and Steyn soon after for 22 the momentum swung back in ABC's favour. Wicket keeper Ben Willgoss chipped in with 20 and Ivaashan Nair showed good intent in his 12-ball 23. The Wanderers finishing the innings on 140-7.
Brannon Varley claimed the Player of the Match award in Saturday's DSL Division 3 victory.
Ivaashan Nair struck 23 from just 12 balls in Sunday night's JMR Ultra defeat.
Danny Pawson top scored with 35 from 27 balls on Sunday night.
Avi Karia claimed an impressive 1-27 from his four overs under the lights.