Club Cricket Conference

Thursday, 28th March 2024

Beaven's spin undermines Sikandar-inspired holders

By Charles Randall 

8 July 2014


The holders Waltham were eliminated from the Conference Cup, now sponsored by Barbados & Smile Group Travel, in a sensational third-round match at Reigate Priory after Tanweer Sikandar, the Essex all-rounder, had done his best to turn the tide almost single-handed.

Sikandar helped restrict Priory to 169 with figures of 4-35, and this relatively modest 45-over total probably made Waltham favourites, but all the batsmen apart from Sikandar struggled against an attack led by the Berkshire and Unicorns all-rounder Luke Beaven, who opened the bowling with his left-arm spinners.

Beaven nipped out the dangerous Syed Kazmi for a duck and wickets fell steadily, but Sikandar, at No 1, almost batted through, taking Waltham to the brink of victory before Beaven returned to bowl him, last out for 91 off 126 balls with one over remaining. Beaven finished with 4-15 off nine overs and Steven Hirst 3-19 to take the runaway Surrey Championship leaders to a quarter-final tie at the Essex surprise packages Harold Wood.

Blackheath, the 2013 beaten finalists, returned from Ealing with a thrilling four-run victory, thanks to an excellent all-round showing by Warren Lee. Blackheath slipped to 103 for six before Lee spruced up the innings with 68 off 63 balls. That produced a final total of 181, with Chris Glasper and Chris Peploe taking three wickets apiece. Thanks to Oliver Wilkin, with 83 off 82 balls, Ealing were in the driving seat at 160 for four, but Lee returned with four quick wickets to turn the momentum. With plenty overs in hand, the last pair needed seven runs for glory, but last man Jack Sheppard fell lbw to Jahid Ahmed with the score on 177.

Blackheath next have a home tie against fellow Kent club Bexley, two-wicket winners over Essex League leaders Brentwood. Abbas Mehdi took 5-11 to destroy Brentwood, all out for 89, but Bexley found themselves in the soup after Mehdi's breezy 27 had given them a flying start.

The individual limelight of the round was grabbed by the Weybridge opener Luc Durandt with 151 off 113 balls in a crushing defeat of Stanmore. With Harry Cripps retiring hurt for 10 and the captain Joel Pope hitting a fluent 92, Stanmore did not take a wicket until the score reached 237. The target of 329 was always going to be too much, and Weybridge cruised to a home game against Aston Rowant. Kunal Mehta's 90 gave Stanmore's reply respectability after they had slipped to 18 for four.

Quarter-final draw (to be played on Sunday 27 July)
 Blackheath v Bexley
 Harold Wood v Reigate Priory
 Bromley v Sunbury
 Weybridge v Aston Rowant is:

Third round results
http://www.club-cricket.co.uk/conference_cup