NCU Senior League Section 3
Drumaness Superkings 213 (33.5 overs)
Victoria 177 (33.2 overs)
Drumaness Superkings beat
Victoria by 36 runs
By Sophie Cranston
DRUMANESS Superkings first XI continued their fine run of form with their fourth win in a row against Victoria on Saturday, moving them up to second in the NCU Senior League Section 3 table.
On a day threatened by rain, Victoria captain Matthew Parks won the toss and elected to bowl.
Opening the batting for the home side, James Cunningham (68*) and Darren Oldroyd (1) aimed to build a steady innings. Despite Oldroyd’s standout batting last week, the opener was dismissed for just one off six balls by Sarath Sathyan.
Sathyan did not hold back, dismissing Garry Walsh (4) via LBW in the eighth over.
James Cunningham continued in fine form, holding up an end after the dismissals of Neil Gelston (8) and Senthilkumar Santhanakrishnan (5) by Robin Hendricks and Joel Davison respectively.
Zaheer Gondal (52) came to the crease, and Gondal (52) and Cunningham (68*) put on a fine 66-run partnership, accelerating the total to 132. Gondal hit a quickfire half-century off just 19 balls, including five fours and five sixes, before being caught by David Gilpin.
After minor contributions from both Eoin Gelston (1) and Kannan Vijaykumar (3), Raj Dhruv (27) and James Cunningham then smashed a 60-run partnership, in which Cunningham brought up his half-century.
After getting caught by Matthew Parks, Dhruv went back to the hutch for 27 from 31 balls.
The pick of the Victoria bowlers were Sarath Sathyan (2-37), Aimal Khan (3-35), Joel Davison (2-61) and Robin Hendricks (2-37).
The opening Victoria partnership of Andrew Gray (13) and Matthew Green (2) could not capitalise, as Muhammad Abid struck in the fifth ball of the first over, sending Green back to the hutch for two.
Rohan Jose followed suit in the following over after a plumb LBW from Darren Oldroyd. A 28-run partnership then followed for Andrew Gray (13) and Robin Hendricks (34) before Gray was caught by Gondal off a ball by Muhammad Abid.
Mahadeva Nidaghatta Shivakumar (57) came to the crease not long after Robin Hendricks went for 34.
Shivakumar (57), supported by Matthew Parks (28), Praveenraj (2) and David Gilpin (0), held up his end, hitting nine fours and five sixes before getting stumped by Raj Dhruv.
Aimal Khan (10*) and Joel Davison (1) then closed out the innings for Victoria.
The pick of the Drumaness bowlers included Muhammad Abid (4-22), Neil Gelston (2-39), with Darren Oldroyd, Eoin Gelston, Senthilkumar Santhanakrishnan and Manjunath Srinivasamurthy each taking one.
Drumaness Superkings wish Victoria all the best for the rest of the season.
