Donald’s batting heroics prove in vain as Wardens pay for lack of cutting edge

Last season’s runners-up made light work of chasing down Wardens’ formidable 260 for seven, coasting to a comfortable victory thanks to opener Henry Langford’s beautifully crafted unbeaten 102.

Home skipper Donald, who had earlier cracked a powerful 52-ball 82, was left to rue three dropped catches, plus the absence of unavailable Sitanshu Kotak and Jason Young, without whom Wardens’ attack lacked penetration on a flat Glasshouse Park pitch.

After Wardens’ opener Nick Seager contributed a typically belligerent 28, Keith Bell (51) and Scott Stenning (43) battled some steady bowling to add 86 in a fluent second- wicket partnership.

That paved the way for Donald to launch a blistering onslaught during the latter part of the innings. He hit six boundaries and five sixes, taking full advantage of some ragged out-cricket from the visitors, to add 83 for the sixth wicket with Anthony Wilkinson (26).

Jamie McIlroy (3-46) and Callum Stewart (2-29) had offered Brockhampton skipper Ben Stebbings good control with the ball and his top-order batsmen wrested control of the match in determined fashion after tea.

Opener Adam Hewlett, who struck seven fours in his 69-ball 72, played aggressively through the opening 15-over powerplay to dominate a fine opening stand of 105 with Langford. He then gave way to the experienced Chris Boroughs, who survived an early life in the covers, to produce an equally entertaining 70.

However, it was left-handed opener Langford whose perfectly-paced knock clinched the points for the Herefordshire visitors. He finished with an unbeaten 137-ball 102 as Brock cruised home with seven balls remaining.

Scott Stenning’s fine all-round display grabbed the plaudits as Kenilworth Wardens progressed into the second round of the ECB National Knockout with a tense eight-run win over former champions Old Hill.

Former Wardens skipper Stenning followed a fluent 43 with a match-clinching four for 32 in nine overs of tidy off-spin. This enabled Donald’s side to narrowly defend a below-par 179 for nine.

Stenning dominated a useful opening stand of 67 with Raj Chohan, who went on to a compact 44 before being the fifth man out at 129.

A slow wicket made stroke-play difficult, and a number of the hosts’ middle-order perished in their attempts to up the run rate against an accurate Old Hill attack.

Useful late contributions from Tom Brammer (15) and Mark Pidgeon (12 not out) saw Wardens to a 43-over total of 179 for nine, which seemed 20 below par despite a sluggish, rain-drenched Glasshouse Park outfield.

Old Hill’s response took a very similar pattern to Wardens’ innings as several batsmen got starts but none were able to force the pace due to the sluggish pitch and outfield.

Dan Wood, Brammer and Pidgeon all produced tidy bowling spells, but none were able to remove Tom Genders, whose battling knock nearly delivered victory.

He finished with an unbeaten 89-ball 56, which in the company of lower-order partners Nigel Davenport (15) and Billy Cox (18 not out), meant 16 runs were required from Pidgeon’s final over.

However, the visitors were unable to ruffle the slow left-armer’s feathers, leaving Wardens triumphant by a slender eight-run margin.

Harry Johnson’s excellent unbeaten 75 steered Wardens 2nds to an emphatic 68-run BDPCL Division One victory over their Streetly counterparts.

The teenage wicket-keeper produced a dazzling array of strokes as the visitors posted 226 for four in their 50 overs. Streetly were then dismissed in 37.2 overs for 158 despite opener Mo Rizwan’s fine 71.