MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION TWO

Shepherd’s Bush 145 all out

Uxbridge 146-6

Uxbridge won by four wickets

NISHEL Patel was the five-wicket hero as Uxbridge stumbled to victory at Shepherd’s Bush, writes Ryan Curtis.

Patel (5-56) helped skittle out high-flying Shepherd’s Bush for a meagre 145 and eventually knocked the runs off, but not before losing six wickets.

After winning the toss, Bush decided to bat. Some tight bowling from the Uxbridge attack and a regular fall of wickets meant the home side never really got going, eventually prodding their way to 145 all out from 52.5 overs.

In reply, Uxbridge conspired to collapse to 63-5 when chasing, the top order lacking the required concentration.

Thankfully for the away team, Adrian Green (27, pictured left) got stuck in alongside Prabhjot Singh (45 not out) to guide Uxbridge most of the way.

Green will have been upset to have been stumped given the situation, with just 44 still required, but the jitters in the dressing room would have been staved off by number eight and wicketkeeper Will Hansen’s (11 not out) knock to spare the blushes of the top order.

In the same division, Ickenham were comprehensively beaten at home to Brondesbury by a nine-wicket margin.

After being asked to bat, Ickenham’s top order were torn apart by the Brondesbury new ball bowlers. The top five contributed just 22 runs between them and will take the lion’s share of the blame for the result.

A resolute effort from the lower order with knocks by keeper Daniel Pope (53), Steve Gibson (32, pictured left) and number nine Vrushant Patel (37) restored a little respect as Ickenham scrambled to 191 all out.

Brondesbury’s top order had no such trouble knocking off the runs in just 27.1 overs to maintain their lead at the top of the table.

Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Eastcote’s woes continued as they fell to a six-wicket defeat at home to Hampstead.

Eastcote would have been disappointed to make just 184 batting first, especially given the amount of starts their batsmen got.

Will Van de Spar (30), Nathan Rabnot (39), Jawwad Rasheed (41) and Ajay Sangha (23) will all be disappointed to have built platforms but not contributed with a big score.

Hampstead inevitably cruised home with six wickets to spare in 36.3 overs.