Big win keeps promotion push alive for Hinckley
HINCKLEY Town travelled to Kibworth on Saturday and continued their late challenge for a promotion place with a resounding 201-run victory yielding a maximum 30 points.
This was a solid team performance with outstanding contributions from the Crowe brothers, Suki Singh and Janack Valand.
After losing the toss, Hinckley were invited to bat and the openers, Carl and Craig Crowe immediately made their intentions clear, racing to 50 in just five overs.
A change of bowling brought some degree of control, but the brothers continued to dominate, scoring steadily at around five runs per over.
Craig’s 50 came in the 20th over and Carl followed suit in the 23rd.
Sibling centuries seemed inevitable until Craig was dismissed for 88 in the 33rd over with the score on 192.
Carl was dismissed for 95 shortly afterwards.
As often happens after a big stand, wickets followed quickly with batsmen attempting over-ambitious shots before becoming established at the crease, and the scoring rate dropped.
However Janack Valand and Avish Patel steadied the ship with a stand of 30 and skipper Raj Sen guided the tail to a final score of 263-9.
In reply the Kibworth response was poor.
They were dismissed in just 17.2 overs for 62.
The innings started in sensational fashion with Suki Singh demolishing the dangerous Raj Hayat’s stumps, first ball, with a superb swinging yorker.
Suki proved too quick for the Kibworth batsmen, hitting the stumps twice more and with Raj Sen also claiming two wickets the score quickly stood at 29-5.
A stand of 31 between Harry Pounds and the veteran Steve Thompson took the score to 60 before Pounds was well taken at slip by Carl Crowe off the bowling of Janack Valand.
This was the start of Janack taking four wickets in four balls – the second and the hat-trick with the aid of smart catches close to the wicket by Rohan Kelker and Sayed Abrar.
Avish Patel finished off the innings.
Next week the team travels to the Langtons, who presently top the table.
In the present form they will go into the match with confidence high.