KENSINGTON & CHELSEA CC
MIDDLESEX CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO
Swamibapa 234-7 (47 overs)
Kensington & Chelsea 222 all out (49.3 overs)
Swamibapa (10pts) beat K&C (0pts) by three wickets
FRUSTRATION hung in the air like a bad smell after K&C’s second defeat on the spin.
Unlike last week’s mauling by Wycombe House, Saturday’s reverse was a lot closer than it might have been after 20 overs.
The opposition from Barnet were looking at 300 after winning the toss and electing to bat.
But vice-captain Martin Chamberlin and William Tarrant then got stuck in to take three wickets apiece and stem the flow.
It was a case of more of the same when K&C batted.
Swamibapa saw off the opening order cheaply to make a great start in the field, but then a man known for sticking around through thick and thin did his bit once again.
Rony Das took the bull by the horns to gradually work his way up to 47. Supported by Muhammad Insaf (33) and Fahim Iqbal (28), a quick-fire defeat was turned into a late bid for victory, only for Das to fall three short of a deserved half-century, and herald a late tumble with victory only 15 runs away.
Sailesh Vikeria was the man whose effigy K&C were sticking pins into after a match-winning 7-70.
The defeat meant the west Londoners slip to fifth out of 10 in the league.
n weighing in: Martin Chamberlin, seen here batting, took three wickets in the defeat to Swamibapa Photo by Waliid Ackbar
