MIDDLESEX CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION FOUR
Rajput Samaj 177 all out
Pinner Challengers 179-8
Rajput Samaj lost by two wickets
NOT even a Twenty20 style cameo from Sharad Desai was enough to save Rajput Samaj from a two-wicket defeat to Pinner Challengers on Saturday.
The Brentford side got off to a flying start, with Desai and Bharat Damania putting on 82 for the first wicket before Desai went for 55 in 37 balls, which included 10 fours and a six.
Thereafter, wickets fell at regular intervals as Rajput struggled to 177 all out, but when they took two early Pinner wickets for just runs, victory still looked on the cards. However, Pinner held to claim the win despite the best efforts of Bhavesh Sharma, who took 4-25.
There was better news the following day, when the Sunday side beat United Sports by six wickets in Division One of the Middlesex Premier League.
Seetal Patel took 3-41 as United Sports piled up 189-9 in 40 overs, before Patel joined Dhiren Darbar for a fourth-wicket stand of 111 to help Rajput’s reply from 57-3 to 168-4.
Darbar played some beautiful cover drives, hitting three fours and two sixes before being caught on 40, while Patel hit all round the wicket, smashing 12 boundaries in his unbeaten 63 as Rajput scored 190-4 in 27.5 overs.
However, the Sunday seconds lost by three wickets to DIU Daredevils after scoring a modest 155 in 38-2 overs, a target DIU reached in just 29-5.
