MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
Hampstead 234-9
Eastcote 235-2
Eastcote won by eight wickets
SOME explosive batting from Adam Rossington and Ben Dougall fired Eastcote to an eight-wicket win over Hampstead on Saturday.
Rossington and Dougall put a combined 207 runs on the board to secure victory for the hosts after Gurjit Sandhu had taken six-wickets in a superb performance with the ball.
Hampstead won the toss and decided to bat, however it immediately looked like the wrong decision as Sandhu dismissed their opener for a duck.
That was the start of a terrific afternoon’s work for the Eastcote star who was to claim five more wickets, including a middle-order partnership which threatened to put the result beyond the hosts.
Sandhu was the top performer with the ball, but he was supported superbly by Ravi Patel and David Goodchild as Hampstead finished on 234-9 after 66 overs.
With a sizeable total to chase, Eastcote knew it was not going to be easy to chase down the runs they needed.
They made a sloppy start to their innings as opening pair Tom Scollay (8) and Jared Sewell (9) failed to find their rhythm at the crease before meeting an early end.
But in stepped Rossington and Dougall who stunned the visitors with their big hitting, regularly finding the fence with some lovely strokes.
Rossington finished unbeaten on 126, including five sixes, and Dougall was unbeaten on 81 as the duo successfully chased down the target in 38 overs.
Elsewhere, Paul Manley hit an excellent 77 for Eastcote’s second-string but could not prevent his side slipping to a three-wicket defeat against Teddington.
Eascote’s thirds travelled to Richmond and were forced to settle for a losing draw.
