Reigning champions have one hand on the trophy again

The last match of the season will determine the winners of the Hunts Indoor Cricket League for 2022.

Reigning champions Bretton are in pole position after winning a top-of-the-table clash against AK 11 at Bushfield last weekend, but they need to beat Pak Azad to ensure they finish in first place again.

Bretton beat AK by two wickets thanks mainly to some excellent fielding after they had conceded 21 runs in the first over.

Pick of some fine catches was a low effort from Ryan Evans as AK were dismissed for just 99.

Former Bretton player Sham Khan top scored for AK with 32 and Hamza Shamim continued his impressive indoor season with a quickfire 20. All bowlers bowled tightly for Bretton with Mark Buckingham the pick.

In reply Bretton looked to be cruising to victory at 52 without loss, with both openers Evans and Buckingham batting well.

But when Buckingham was dismissed for 21, three more quick wickets followed.

Evans eventually went for 26, but experienced indoor campaigner and captain Andy Bennett saw Bretton home with an unbeaten 34.

Hampton have moved up to second and are the only team who could topple Bretton, but they are only in the title race due to the brilliance again of Muhammad Waqas.

In the last round of matches Waqas single handedly beat CAMRA with an unbeaten 99 and this week he was there at the end to see Hampton home from the last ball of their match against Werrington.

Werrington made 140-5 from their 10 overs, with captain Muhammad Toseeq top scoring with 28 and he received valuable support from Mudassar Shafiq and Ansar Ali who both scored 26.

In reply Hampton slipped to 21-2, with two players out for ducks. The rest of the Hampton batsman buckled down with all of them retiring on 25.

Waqas returned after a quieter 25 (after nearly being run out without facing), but when the chips were down he delivered. Needing 17 from the last over and three from the last ball he produced, finishing with a cover drive to keep Hamptons hopes of a first ever Huntingdonshire Indoor League title alive.

Hampton finish their season against Ufford Park.

Results

Pak Azad beat Orton Park by 2 wkts: Orton Park 122-4 (J. Calpin 39, S, Johnson 27no, H. Richardson 21), Pak Azad 124-4 (A. Waris 31no, S. Johnson (2-22).

Ufford Park beat CAMRA by 87 runs: Ufford Park 178-2 (A. Larkin 51no, S. Dahiya 27, J. Bigham 25no, J. Harrington 25 ret, W. Javed 20). CAMRA 91 (S. Tyler 37, W. Javed 2-11).

Hampton beat Werrington by 3 wkts: Werrington 140-5 (M. Toseeq 28, M. Shafiq 26no, A. Ali 26). Hampton 141-3 (M. Waqas 45no, J. Ali 29, V. Vijayan 28no, S. Ali 25).

Bretton beat AK 11 by 2 wkts: AK 11 99 (S, Khan 32, H. Shamin 20). Bretton 101-4 (A. Bennett 37no, R. Evans 26, M. Buckingham 21).

Standings

1 Bretton 15 points, 2 Hampton 15, 3 AK 11 12, 4 Ufford Park 12, 5 Pak Azad 9, 6 Werrington 6, 7 CAMRA 3, 8 Orton Park 0.

*Head to head results count in the event of tied points.

Hampton CC’s indoor cricket team.