Quorn drop to third from bottom in league

FOR the third Saturday in succession, Quorn bowlers almost, but not quite, managed to dig themselves out of the hole that their underperforming batting lineup had left them in.

On a scorching hot day, and a hard flat batting track and fast outfield, Quorn were not unhappy to be asked to bat by Leicester Banks. Although Quorn lost Bill Reynolds early, Andy Kenneth (28) and Richard Sharp (16) appeared to have got the innings back on track. Opening bowlers Jitu Naik (1-31) and R Rajesh (1-34) bowled with a testing line and length, making scoring difficult, but Kenneth and Sharp seemed to have the measure of them.

Kenneth in particular started to play some booming drives and although the scoring rate was not as high as Quorn might have hoped, the batting side looked to be gaining the ascendancy, as the Banks bowlers and fielders wilted in the heat. After the first drinks break, at 15 overs, Banks turned to veteran bowler Raj Ganatra with immediate effect, Kenneth getting a leading edge to cover from the first ball.

Sharp was joined by Richard Cooper and the pair put on 27 before Ganatra made one go straight on to bowl Sharp for 16. Cooper was joined by his brother Chris and the pair looked comfortable putting on 39, as Quorn seem to set to make a respectable total. Richard Cooper’s (23) dismissal, to make the score 104-4, triggered the now all too familiar Quorn collapse, as Aquib Patel (2-21) and Brijesh Patel (4-21) devastated the Quorn middle and lower order, seeing them acquiesce meekly, falling to 144 all out. Chris Cooper, who made a typically powerful 48, was the lone beacon of resistance in the innings.

After the break, Ross Errington (1-23) took an early wicket, but A Azyan (55) and N Pravin (34) carried on, looking untroubled by the Quorn bowlers. With the score 121-2, and with 29 overs left to score the 24 runs required, Banks appeared to be cruising to victory. However, Andy Kenneth (4-51) and Andy Stovel (2-13) threw a spanner in the works as six wickets tumbled for 21 runs, leaving a jittery ninth wicket pair of Rajesh and Naik to edge the three runs required for the Banks victory.

On Saturday, Quorn visit Sileby Town. And having dropped to third from bottom in the league, their batsmen will know that they need to perform if they are not to be drawn into a relegation battle.