Fab Fizz sparkles in losing effort for Bedworth
A BATTLING effort from Fizz Abdullah narrowly failed to secure Bedworth a Warwickshire Premier League losing draw at Attock.
Abdullah made 40 from 57 balls and while he was adding 51 in a stubborn defensive rearguard with wicket-keeper Harry Edgar the visitors retained hopes of sharing the draw points. But once Abdullah was trapped lbw by Hasan Mahmood the end was in sight for a visiting team who were eventually bowled out for 168 to suffer a 149-run reverse with 33 deliveries remaining.
Attock had earlier racked up an imposing 317 for five on the back of an astonishing display of hitting from former IPL star Anureet Singh who smashed 11 sixes in a whirlwind unbeaten 135. After Mahmood made a useful 51, Anureet’s onslaught enabled the Moseley-based hosts to blast 98 from the closing ten overs and in the process put themselves in a dominant position.
The four points secured from this round 11 contest see Bedworth reach the seasonal midpoint in ninth position in the table where they lie 14 points away from fourth-placed
Walmley but also 40 points above Moseley Ashfield who currently occupy the second relegation berth.
Ashfield were unable to strengthen their hopes of avoiding the drop when they failed to polish off bottom-of-the-table Bablake after Ollie Thomas (65) and Mo Akeel (58) took them beyond 300. Led by 81 from Haaris Azam and an unbeaten 70 from Ruari Willis the Coundon-based visitors responded with 243 for eight. Coventry & North Warwickshire top the pile but their lead over Sutton Coldfield was cut to 12 points when the visitors left Binley Road with a winning draw. Solid contributions from Jack Smith (66), Aaron Thomason (50) and his brother Lee (72) took Sutton to 251 for seven and Smith (3-35) then starred with the ball as the hosts hung on for a draw at 220 for nine after opener Will Iles made a fluent 87.
A repeat title is looking unlikely for mid-table Stratford who slipped to a five-wicket defeat against upwardlymobile visitors Rugby.
After the Avonsiders were bowled out for 178, Wes Landsdale’s unbeaten 68 saw the visitors home in the 42nd over.
Led by Jonathan Stanley’s 99 plus 86 from Nathan Boyce and James Roslyn’s 63, Solihull Municipal romped to a 226-run win at Walmley. The visitors racked up 305 for six before the hosts were bowled out in 29.2 overs for 79 by a Muni attack which was superbly led by Alex Roslyn’s 6-17.
Aston Manor lie third after Bhargav Patel’s 83 steered them to a 113-run home win over Olton. Manor posted 261 for eight before the visitors were then bowled out for