A STUNNING display by Rugby’s bowlers ensured that they secured a second successive win in the Warwickshire County Cricket League Premier Division against Bedworth.
Three wickets apiece for Vishaal Rathod, Lee Golding and Owen Edwards ended the visitors on a 73 total after just 23 overs, providing some relief for the host’s – who only managed 110 themselves.
After winning the toss, Rugby went into bat first, but got off to a slow start when losing openers Lee James (1) and Henry Wilkins (12) at 19-2.
The hosts were unable to build up much momentum, and were searching for an effective combination that could help them accumulate a strong number of runs.
With the dismissals of Jeevan Barhey (6), Edwards (9) and Henry Parker (1) leaving Rugby on 43-5, the introduction of number five Michael Hughes (39) helped considerably.
He oversaw partnerships of 25 and 18 with Hugh Cochrane (13) George Terry (8) respectively, before Hughes was dismissed himself at 108-8.
From there, Rugby only accumulated two more runs, finishing on their 110 total after Rathod’s (3) and Jonathan Sage’s (0) dismissals in the 39th over.
But a stunning start by the host’s bowlers ensured that Bedworth were on the backfoot straight from the get-go, losing opener Ryan Parnell (0) from the second ball of the game after Wilkins’ catch from a Rathod (3-32) delivery.
That was followed up by Rathod’s dismissal of Scott Friswell (8) and a couple of wickets for Golding (3-26), taking out Griegan French (4) for an lbw and then removing Kyle Taylor (0) moments later.
Ross Parnell (0) was Golding’s final victim, going for another lbw, before Rathod claimed his third and final wicket of the day.
He bowled towards Inderpal Singh Nandra (5), who’s shot was plucked out of the air by Barhey, to leave Bedworth struggling on 22-6.
The fortunes of the visitors did improve somewhat when the partnership of 34 between Abdul Hafeez (5) and Faizan Abdullah (31) took Bedworth to 56-7, but that was to prove their only real surge towards the 111 target.
Barhey took a second catch of the game to dismiss Abdullah from Edwards’ (3-2) delivery – who then took the straight dismissals of Lewis Noon (1) and Lewis Peacock (1) to win the game for his side.
Rugby move up to seventh as a result, and hope to claim a third win a row when visiting leaders Walmley on Saturday (noon), before hosting a friendly against Marylebone on Tuesday (11am) at Webb Ellis Road.
