Kew Thrashed By Third Team

After losing the toss and being put into bat, the Third Team began solidly in the face of disciplined swing bowling, and reached the 10 over mark without loss of a wicket. Despite AliPartner falling shortly after for 22, Will Darraugh began to look more and more threatening at the crease. He was later joined by the in-form Benn Kempster (pictured), after Tom Calder was dismissed for a duck as Kew’s impressive opening bowler Ludovic Leatham picked up his second of the day.

Kempster wasted no time settling in, as he smote a couple of glorious drives over extra cover. Darraugh continued on with several imperious pulls over the midwicket boundary, on his way to a well-made half century. He was quickly joined on 50 by Kempster, as the pair feasted on the Kew change bowlers. The runs continued to pile on for Tring, with Darraugh eventually being caught on the cow boundary for an intelligent, yet devastating 85.

Just as the fielding side breathed a sigh of relief, Kempster put his foot down amid an increasingly hostile environment. As Kew tempers rose, so did the Tring faithful, in applauding his second ton of the season. Curry added a brisk 28, before declaring, with an imposing 275-3 the target for Kew.

The third team started well with the ball and stifled Kew’s response. The Seagrave twins showed all their wile and experience, with Jake in particular seemingly having the ball on a string. Toby struck first, lulling their opener Moaz Khan into an uppish drive which was gratefully pocketed by Sanjoy Bassi. He then made way for Curry, who scented blood. Him and Jake formed a miserly partnership, and both were rewarded when they removed Kew’s Jamie Gogay and Karan Gavalli in back to back overs.

Some good positive batting began to shift the momentum, as Hugh Taylor eased his way to a defiant half century. The Third Team remained patient, with Tom Darling bowling an impressive, aggressive spell and Bassi finding sharp turn in his first over.

This prompted Curry to turn to the mercurial left arm twirl of Ed Pike, with the ball soon spitting and turning from both ends. Before long, Tring reaped the benefits of this partnership as Bassi enticed Razaq into a false shot that found its way into the thankful hands of Will Darraugh at cover.

With the door now firmly open, Pike pounced and dismissed the impressive Taylor, as golden boy Darraugh snaffled another catch. Pike used flight, turn and bounce to pick up his first, and so the next Kew batsmen was taken by surprise as a faster, flatter delivery soon decimated his stumps.

A unfortunate head injury in the first innings left the Third Team needing just a further three wickets to win, with over twenty overs in hand. Sanjoy Bassi took a stunning catch off his own bowling, before clean bowling numbers 10 and 11 to seal his first Tring hat trick, and an emphatic victory with it, as Kew were bowled out for 134 inside 38 overs.