Bedford Cricket Club’s Sunday first team are back in the hunt for promotion in Division One of the Bedfordshire League after a comfortable win against Lutonians yesterday.
Skittling their Luton-based opponents for just 87, the runs were knocked off with ease as the six-wicket victory keeps Bedford in second place behind Biggleswade, who were victors against third-placed Biddenham.
Rylan Sellers was the pick of the bowlers for Bedford, a well-earned promotion to the 1st XI paying dividends as he returned figures of 3-19 alongside the ever-dependable Shiv Odedra with 3-26.
Biddenham could have jumped to the top of the league but failed to chase down a meagre target of 116 at Biggleswade.
5-17 for Huw Turner and three wickets for Matthew Cannon looked to have given Biddenham the advantage but they could only muster 69 in response with Ross Fensome gaining five wickets of his own for the hosts.
A truncated 2nd XI travelled to Eaton Bray in Division Four but were put to the sword as the hosts smashed 326-9 against a depleted Bedford side.
Three wickets apiece for Alfie James and Sudheesh Sudhakaran were brief moments of light in a tough fielding effort for Bedford, with stand-in captain Reece Gascoyne top scoring with 43 as Bedford responded with 170.
First win for the Women
Bedford Women’s XI chalked up their first ever victory at the beginning of last week with a 28-run victory against Ampthill at The Bury.
Bedford posted 298-3 in the pairs format game; with Jean Fitch and Mahveen Rai top scoring, while Vicki Barrett stole the show with ball in hand; a hat-trick helping her towards figures of 4-19 as Ampthill reached 270 in reply.
Bedford’s Women now sit top of the inaugural Bedfordshire Women’s division, although some teams have yet to open their accounts.
The Saturday XI are finding life tough in Division Four of the Northamptonshire Cricket League; a host of long-term injuries leaving their side missing key players.
They travelled to Brixworth on Saturday and toiled in the field as the hosts smashed their way to 310-4 on a flat pitch and with a very quick outfield.
Half-centuries for Luton Stonier (63), Ramkumar Jayaraman (72) and Shiv Odedra (78) were all in vain as a spirited effort in the chase ended with Bedford 49 runs short on 261.
Under 15’s fall in regional T20
The Under 15’s began their ECB Under-15 Twenty20 tournament on Sunday morning and fell to an agonising three-run defeat against Cambridge St Giles.
Bedford dragged Cambridge back well, restricting them to 142-5 despite half-centuries for both opening batsmen.
Oliver Briggs’ late 26 looked to be helping Bedford cause a shock win, but Cambridge held on to book a spot in the quarter-finals.
They do however stay top of their Bedfordshire Youth League with a 100% record; their latest win by 8 wickets against Ampthill.
Elstow Under 13’s kept the pressure up on Bedford’s table-topping Under 13 ‘A’ team, as Zack Jepp and Umer Shakoor helped Elstow post 131-3; a total that Bedford fell 21 runs short of.
The action continues in promised sweltering conditions this week, as the Sunday 1st XI travel to bottom of the table, Potton while the Saturday side look for revenge against Bowden Cricket Club from Leicestershire.
Tom Carr is a player and volunteer for Bedford Cricket Club
