Batting collapse put Hinckley on course for defeat

HINCKLEY Town visited Houghton and Thurnby on Saturday and considering their league positions this was a game Town thought they would win but ended up losing by five wickets in a disappointing performance.

Houghton and Thurnby won the toss and elected to field first and this soon paid dividends as captain Rag Sen caught Oliver Ellis bowled by M Chhabu for 15 in the ninth over with the score on 28.

Pinto Patel was also bowled by Chhabu for 0 in the same over leaving Hinckley 28-2.

This soon became 38-3 when Avish Patel was brilliantly caught in the slips by Ellis off the bowling of James Scudamore.

Hinckley continued to struggle and were 81-6 after 32 overs.

A seventh wicket stand of 40 between Janack Valand and Mo Bhola helped matters but with the score on 121 Valand was caught by Chhabu, bowled by J Scudamore for 43 in the 42nd over leaving Hinckley 121-7.

The tail did wag at the end as Hinckley reached 157-9 after their 45 overs Mo Bhola scored 31.

J Scudamore took 3-34 and M Chhabu 3-26 for the home side.

Hinckley got off to a good start when Suki Singh bowled Dan Scudamore for 2 leaving Houghton 3-1.

Then the whole context of the game changed with a 2nd wicket stand of 119 between A Khunti and Waqas Akter.

Akter reached is 50 in the 21st over although he was dropped early on and this probably cost Hinckley the game.

The stand was broken when Khunti was caught Bhola bowled Avish Patel for 40 in the 23rd over.

Singh had Acker out for 60 when the score was 124-3.

But Houghton reached their target in the 34th over finishing on 158-5 and earning 25 points where as Hinckley only gained five leaving them seventh in the Leicestershire and Ruland Crickey League Division 1 on 59 points.

In a poor overall bowling performance Suki Singh had Hinckley’s best bowling figures taking 3-28 in 10.3 overs.

Next week Hinckley host Oakham.