IIs Win Away at Wheathampstead

Old Elizabethans IIs continued their impressive start to the season with an emphatic win over Wheathampstead IIs. Skipper Nav won the toss and gladly took the opportunity to bat on a hot day. Having hit the second ball of the innings for six, Barber settled into a nice rhythm, picking off the bad balls. Both he and Amal worked hard to see off the opening bowlers before the first wicket fell. Simmo, off the back of a good run of form, came in and helped push the run rate forward. He hit a number of confident boundaries before being removed for 50. Barber (73) continued well as a couple of wickets fell in a cluster, able to take advantage of an understandably tiring fielding side. Unfortunately those fielders then had to greet Indee Mali to the crease. With a mixture of both hard hitting and hard running he was able to take the boys to 239 off 50 overs.

The skipper set the team the challenge of taking all ten wickets again, mindful of the change in format arriving. Abdullah and Janiel opened well, bowling with pace and control on a wicket that had a tendency to keep low. Pressure was maintained throughout the innings as every bowler kept to tight lines. Wickets fell at regular intervals as the pressure of the big score forced batsman into playing risky shots. The wickets were shared round with Luke picking up a 4-fer and Kelly continuing his sparkling form with another 3. The side will be aiming to keep the 100% record going in a home fixture against Broxburne IIIs next weekend.