Seven wins for Brentham on remarkable Bank Holiday weekend

Our Chess Valley team celebrate their 10-wicket opening day win over Crouch End

We were one away from the perfect weekend with seven victories across League, Cup, and Friendlies over the Bank Holiday.

Saad Rehman’s 2s recorded their first win of the Division One campaign, seeing off Finchley by 38 runs at Arden Road.

Our total of 212, a third straight 200+ total to begin the season, was mainly built around Henaksh Surve’s 56 at the top of the order.

Ably supported by Saad (20), Thirath Goane (24), and Meet Goswami (31), the 2s built a solid foundation of 126-2 to attack the closing stages of the innings. And that’s just what happened; Atif Shah’s 41 off 47 balls providing late impetus to take the score north of 200.

In reply, Finchley were in trouble from the off. Ayaz Khan (2-16) struck with his second ball before further early wickets reduced the hosts to 31-3. An 81-run stand for the fourth wicket looked to have brought Finchley back into the game but again we struck when it was needed.

Atif Shah (1-39) ended that partnership and when Dhiraj Khullar (2-37) got the big scalp of opener Ross Sutcliffe for 84 the writing was on the wall.

Pravin Jadhav (3-19) was brought on to run through the tail as Finchley were all out for 174 – the final five wickets going down for 32.

There’s a week off for the 2s next week due to Osterley’s withdrawal.

The 3s bounced back from last week’s narrow defeat to Harrow Town in style by ending Harrow St Mary’s unbeaten start to the campaign.

Winning the toss and bowling first on a damp track, skipper Ciaran Brett led the way with 4-32 as the hosts were reduced to 45-7 at one stage; Will Pye (1-21), Stefan Tsang (1-32), and a Ranveer Singh runout accounting for the other wickets.

A determined eighth wicket partnership of 65 threatened to take the game away from us but Jayraj Jadeja (3-36) eventually made the breakthrough before finishing off the innings at 131.

The reply got off to a rollicking start as Dan Taylor (40*) and Unmesh Wagh (30) put on 78 for the first wicket at a shade under a run a ball.

There was a mini-wobble following Unmesh’s departure – 78-0 becoming 95-3 and 119-5. However, Dan remained there to see us home to a hugely impressive five wicket victory.

It’s second against fourth on Saturday with Winchmore Hill heading to William Perkin.

Krushna Kerai’s 4s also won chasing. Wycombe House’s 134 proved no match for the Trees who won by seven wickets.

The first innings damage was done by Praveen Nair (4-35) and Yogesh Solanki (2-23) – the duo reducing the away side to 60-6 at one stage. Krushna’s men were briefly held up by a 43-run seventh wicket stand but Pratyesh Desai (3-16) made light work of the tail to bring the innings to an end.

Brentham lost Marcus Bethel (0) early but Abdul Shukkoor (10) and Rajesh Kerai (62) put on 81 for the second wicket to break the back of the chase.

After a couple of quick wickets, 14-year-old Dhruvin Patel (31) joined Kerai in a 50-run partnership to guide Brentham to a seven-wicket win.

A trip to winless SKLPC comes up this weekend.

The award for the most convincing win of the weekend went to Bhavin Raniga’s 5s who dispatched Chiswick by eight wickets at Perivale Park.

Gurvinder Singh (5-24) was the star of the show as only two Chiswick batsmen passed five. Raniga (2-1), Kashif Riaz (2-37), and Jaston Fernandes (1-1) also chipped in as the visitors were bundled out for 67.

Brentham needed just 12 overs in reply to complete the victory – Christian Ladwa (18*) and Akshay (21*) seeing us home to an eight-wicket win.

A visit to Barn Elms to take on Barnes comes next for the 5s.

The 1s were unable to follow up their victory over London Tigers last time out as they fell to a 137-run defeat at home to Enfield.

The visitors’ 262-5 was built around a patient 85* from Tasin Iqbal at the top of the order. He shared an opening stand of 130 with Tony Sayers, further contributions through the innings taking Enfield through to their imposing total.

The returning Ned Watts (2-40) was the pick of the Brentham bowlers as runs came freely at Meadvale Road once again.

Our reply never really got going with scoreboard pressure telling from the off.

Early wickets left us 28-3 before a period of consolidation between Aadil Khan (22) and Louie Millman (28). However, they both went with the score in the 70s and from there the result wasn’t in doubt.

George Allen (14) and Harry Marston (18) took us past 100 but, following their dismissals, the innings was quickly wrapped up for 135.

Sitting eighth in the early table, the 1s head to ninth-placed Harrow Town this weekend.

On Sunday, Ealing Trailfinders forfeited our Middlesex Trophy tie setting up a Quarter-Final with South Hampstead or Winchmore Hill next month.

The Chess Valley team got their season up and running in style with a 10-wicket win over Crouch End at Meadvale Road.

Ayaz Khan (3-21), Hemen Mehta (3-34), Imran Raza (2-34), and Yogesh Solanki (1-20) were the wicket takers in Crouch End’s total of 149.

Our reply was ruthless. Henaksh Surve registered consecutive weekend 50s on his way to 94*, able supported by Vijay Pamu with 53, in an unbroken stand of 155 to secure the victory.

This Sunday sees us remember one of our own, taken from us 10 years ago, with the James Pettifer Memorial Match, starting at 1pm.