MIDDLESEX COUNTY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

Richmond 194-9

Stanmore 178-8

Winning draw for Stanmore

STANMORE secured a winning draw against Richmond on Saturday in a match that had more twists and turns than the Monaco Grand Prix.

Both sides will feel they could have won this one, but it was Stanmore who came away with the four points to leave them third in the Premier Division table.

Richmond won the toss and elected to bat first at Stanmore Common.

They were under the cosh from the outset as Sam Helm and Pazman Agha looked intent on causing plenty of damage with the ball.

By lunch, they had only reached 84-2 and with a maximum of 66 overs available, a sizeable total seemed unlikely.

With good knocks from Kevin Barrett (49) and Simon Elliot (47no), they reached 194-9, which included four run outs, with Whitaker (2-63) and Helm (2-50) the pick of the bowlers.

What was to follow was quite remarkable as Stanmore took possession of the bat.

In no time at all they found themselves at 1-3, although it could have been worse as a wayward Jimi Chialoufous shot was dropped by Alex Cama. The hosts looked dead and buried.

Chialoufous somehow made 24 before being bizarrely run-out, but only after being dropped a staggering three more times by Cama.

When Chialoufous went, it was 44-5, however all was not lost as the weather closed in and only 59 was needed off 20 overs to secure a winning draw.

Stanmore made it to 59-5 at tea as the rain started, but the predicted deluge never materialised and Stanmore had to graft to save the game, let alone secure a winning draw.

Youngsters Stevie Eskinazi and Kunal Mehta were magnificent and despite the gloomy conditions they put on a superb 120 for the sixth wicket. Just when a 10-point victory was in sight, Mehta (55) fell lbw to Scott Power and skipper Nicholas Goh (0) went the same way three balls later.

It was now 164-7 and 15 runs were needed to get what had appeared a highly unlikely winning draw.

Agha came to the crease with his unorthodox method of batting and, along with Eskinazi continuing to show his class at the other end, any result was possible.

Agha went for three and was replaced by Dipesh Jadav as the score stuttered to 178-8 with 4.2 overs left.

Stanmore needed 17 to win as Richmond looked to pick off the two remaining wickets, but down came the rain to bring the curtain down on an electrifying contest.

Eskinazi (80no) was the star of the show for Stanmore, but as the weather proved the winner once more, both sides were left to wonder what might have been.