KENILWORTH CC pulled off a stunning last over win as they chased down a target of 299 to claim a sensational four-wicket victory with four balls to spare against Hampton and Solihull.
Openers Joe Atkinson (86) and Dan Horner (116) put on a massive 216 runs together for Kenilworth’s first wicket in reply with the former out in the 38th over and the latter falling shortly after.
They still needed 84 runs from 73 balls as Stuart Cope made a run-a-ball 16, Shyaan Imam 21 off 14 balls and Steve Rhodes 19 from 11 deliveries.
Kenilworth required four runs off the final over as Sandeep Kumar (11 not out) got the home side over the line against the bowling of Gohar Nisar, who took all six wickets, to finish on 302-6 with four balls remaining.
That came after Hampton recovered from 9-2 to post a solid total as Aadam Din top scored with 97 with Darius Potten-Ravenshad (3-29), Steve Rhodes (2-60) and Atkinson (1-55) and Stuart Cope (1-63) taking the wickets.
The win acts as a massive boost to Kenilworth’s Warwickshire County League Division One survival hopes with the club four points adrift of their closest rivals with three matches left to play.
However, the club’s 2nd XI suffered a six-wicket defeat against Berkswell thirds in Division Seven East.
Town posted 244-8 from their 50 overs as Jonathan Sparks (75) and Dave Smithson (48) impressed with the bat whilst Louis Smithson (20), Dhruv Vyas (18) and Sam Leach (13) all made double figures.
In reply, Stephen Parker smashed 84 from just 44 deliveries before Deepinder Dyal (57 not out) and Akshat Sinha (39 not out) produced a match-winning 101-run partnership with Town’s Tom Best (2-44) the pick of the bowlers.
Lastly, the club’s 3rd XI lost by eight wickets against Henley-in-Arden in the Cotswold Hills League Division Four North.
Henley eased to the required total in just 24 overs after Kenilworth were bowled out for 163 after Arden opener Thomas Williams scored an unbeaten century.
Vickram Joshi (56), Will Thompson (34) and Andrew Dadswell (18) were the only Kenilworth batters to reach double figures as Williams (5-12) ripped through Town’s tail end.
