Season-best figures from Bhatti help Warwick beat Bournville

Warwick continued their unbeaten start to the Warwickshire Division Four campaign with a five-wicket win at Bournville.
Chris Moore plays uppishly for Warwick 2nds at home to Hunningham 2nds. Pictures: Morris TroughtonChris Moore plays uppishly for Warwick 2nds at home to Hunningham 2nds. Pictures: Morris Troughton
Chris Moore plays uppishly for Warwick 2nds at home to Hunningham 2nds. Pictures: Morris Troughton

After Warwick won the toss and chose to bowl on a very green wicket, it did not take long for the first two wickets to fall.

Bournville captain James Beech fell for one and was soon followed by Neil Spragg for five, both off the bowling of Rajan Bhatti, to leave the hosts on eight for two.

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Richard Rudnicki (9.3-3-21-1) bowled his typical probing line and was rewarded with the wicket of Cherry (7) before Joshua Osborne (12-4-16-2) had the dangerous Oliver Mann caught at mid-on for 20.

Steve James celebrates the dismissal of George Charczan.Steve James celebrates the dismissal of George Charczan.
Steve James celebrates the dismissal of George Charczan.

Leg-spinner Ashu Sharma (12-4-18-2) bowled Mahmood without scoring and Mitchell and Rob Ball then seemed intent on seeing out the overs with some very cautious batting.

This ended when Mitchell was smartly stumped by Graeme Burke off the bowling of Sharma.

The extra pace of Bhatti brought an end to the innings as he finished with season-best figures of 10-4-15-4 as Bournville were bowled out for 74 in the 44th over.

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After a couple of early boundaries, Warwick found themselves 15 for one as Adrian Passey was caught for seven and then 24 for two when Burke (12) was also caught.

Shubhayan Chandra and James Sood edged Warwick to a more comfortable position before Chandra was bowled for 11. Sood followed soon after for eight to leave Warwick wobbling on 50 for four on a difficult wicket.

However, youngster Adam Southorn and Tazik Sharma (17 not out) combined to take Warwick within three runs of victory.

Southorn was caught at slip for seven, which left Thomas Cox to hit a thunderous six off his third ball to take Warwick to victory in the 25th over.

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Warwick 2nds continued their poor run of form as they lost by seven wickets at home to Hunningham 2nds in Division Eight East of the Warwickshire League.

The hosts lost the toss and were asked to bat first in overcast conditions and lost opener Naresh Airody (0) early.

Jon Davis (17) and Steven Smith (27) put on 40 for the second wicket but from 41 for one, Warwick collapsed to 63 for five in the midst 
of an unplayable spell 
from Lewis King who took three wickets and conceded just two runs in his seven overs.

Chris Moore scored 19 
before becoming one of three victims for Steve James and it needed some late-order 
resistance from George Charczan (14) and Joe Evans (22) to ensure the hosts reached 132 all out in the 43rd over.

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James finished with figures of three for 27 from his ten overs.

Hunningham’s reply never looked in doubt as Alan Stainforth (25), and Stuart Bird (26) made a positive start to the reply, combining for 43 for the first wicket before being parted by Safiq Shaikh whose seven overs went for 48.

Michael Cook went cheaply but Charles Wale (36 not out) and Ed Russell (19 not out) combined to get Hunningham over the line in the 26th over.

Warwick 3rds suffered an 82-run defeat at home to Welford-on-Avon 2nds to slip to third in Cotswold Hills Division Five following a promising start to the season.

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Warwick’s stand-in skipper Matthew Hodgkin elected to bowl first on a helpful-looking wicket and initially this looked a good decision as the visitors were reduced to 22 for two in nine overs.

However, the early wickets brought Welford’s number four Mark Weston to the crease and he began to dismantle the Warwick attack with some powerful hitting.

Assisted by Malone (35) he put on 91 for the four wicket and then carried his bat to finish 136 not out as the visitors post 248 for seven from their 45 overs.

Only veteran Warwick bowler Paul Coleman was able to stem the flow of runs, returning four wickets in ten miserly overs.

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Warwick began a spirited reply with Hodgkin (32), Prashantha Panja Narasimha (40) and youngster Louis Papworth (33) all making contributions.

However, the run rate was always too much of an ask and the home side only managed 166 for nine in their allotted 45 overs.