North Enfield feel the pain

The Village 1st XI visited the very well appointed North Enfield ground on Saturday on a bright and pleasant early Summer's day. The below strength hosts won the toss and decided to insert but were soon regretting the decision. North Enfield's bowlers were flayed around from the outset with Naz his typical flamboyant self, smashing 40 before being dismissed in the 8th over. Dan Potter and Smudger set about building a solid platform, at a decent pace, with a 2nd wicket partnership of 116. Smudger was 2nd man out for 48 in the 27th over, with the score at 180. A silly run out was quickly followed by Dan Potter finding a man on the square leg boundary, dismissed for a top score of 84. Another fine knock but another great opportunity for a three figure score goes begging. The run rate was slowed only briefly and once settled, Felix Charles (50) and Majid Asif (27) continued to punish the frequent wayward bowling. Some late hitting helped push the final score to a very imposing 347 for 7 from the 50 overs available.

In reply North Enfield started well and the top 3 or 4 batsmen looked in good order. However the required run rate was always beyond them and there was little further depth in the line up. It was the early change bowlers who did the damage and reaped the rewards for bowling straight. Majid picked up 3-33 in 10 overs, while Marcus had a devestating spell of 4-14 in his 6 overs. It was just a question of how soon the innings would end, as the match became meangless as a contest after about 25 overs. In the end the middle order and tail were blown away and the North Enfield innings ended on 165 all out after 37.4 overs.

The imposing total set will certainly send a message to the rest of the Division. The Village victory run moves to 3 in a row. Still a long way behind last year's 8 successive victories but certainly another step in the right direction towards the desired 5th promotion in a row.