KENILWORTH Cricket Club suffered a seven-wicket defeat against Berkswell CC 2nds despite the best efforts of opener Sonu Kumar.
The home side won the toss and elected to bat first at Warwick Road only for Kenilworth to be reduced to 42-3 as Joe Atkinson (4), Quinn Bungard (14) and Connor Shingler (0) all fell cheaply.
However, a 50-run partnership between Kumar (45) and Henry Curran (15) helped Kenilworth towards a competitive total.
Kumar and Curran both departed as Berkswell took another flurry of wickets to leave Kenilworth on 110-7 after Stuart Cope (5) was trapped lbw and Sarfraz Hussain (0) went for a duck.
Kenilworth’s lower order provided some impressive resistance as Adam Huxford (27) and Matthew Casey (15) helped the home side reach 149 before they were bowled out in the 49th over.
However, Berkswell made a superb start to the run chase as openers Ajay Shingadia (36) and Frankie Ingram (60) put on 113 runs for the first wickets before both fell to the bowling of Matthew Casey (2-21).
Despite another wicket for Bungard (1-29), Berkswell eased to the required total in 42.3 overs to claim a seven-wicket victory as Kenilworth took a single point from the fixture to sit sixth in the Warwickshire County League Division Two table.
The club’s second XI secured a nervy one-wicket win against Wilnecote CC in a match dominated by some impressive bowling.
Tom Skinner (4-29) shone with the ball for Kenilworth whilst Ben Clarke (3-27), Matthew Bain (2-10) and Joshua Charlwood (1-13) took the other wickets.
Only a strong partnership between opener Robbie McQueen (29) and Chris Mills (46 not out) ensured Wilnecote reached 121 all out in 43 overs.
In reply, Kenilworth found the wicket similarly difficult to play on as Danny Boneham (21), Matthew Smith (19) and Bain (16) put the visitors in a strong position.
However, a flurry of wickets reduced Kenilworth to 114-9 before Louis Smithson (12 not out) and Skinner (2 not out) edged the visitors to victory with one wicket and five overs remaining.
The result means Kenilworth remain second in the Warwickshire County League Division Seven East table having taken 20 points from the fixture.
And the club’s third XI eased to a 69-run win against Broadway CC 2nds as Kenilworth scored an impressive 227-7 from their 40 overs.
Kenilworth won the toss and elected to bat and wasted no time in putting runs on the board as opener Dhruv Vyas (77) top scored and was supported by Will Thompson (69), Ben Cook (20) and Sam Davies (19).
And the bowlers shared the wickets between them in reply as Matthew Dadswell (3-13), Peter Alty (2-14), Ethan Tate (2-34), Davies (2-48) and Ben Kelley (1-33) bowled Broadway out for 158 in 32.4 overs.
Kenilworth came away from the fixture with 22 points to remain third in the Cotswold Hills League Fifth Division.
The club’s midweek first XI secured a 12-run win against Berkswell in the opening round of the Warwickshire County League T20 competition.
Kenilworth won the toss and elected to bat first as Kumar (51) and Cope (8) put on 56 runs for the first wicket.
And further knocks from Bungard (29) and Henry Curran (23) saw Kenilworth add 60 runs off just 24 balls to help the home side move onto 140-4.
Kenilworth eventually finished on 161-7 to leave Berkswell with plenty to do in reply.
And Steve Rhodes (2-23) made early breakthroughs for Kenilworth when he accounted for openers Chris Taroni (0) and Jan De Klerk (12).
A 51-run third-wicket partnership between Seyaam Khan (39) and Jonathan Coleman (11) aided the visitoes’ recovery before Darius Potten-Ravenshad (2-18) struck at a crucial time whilst Joe Atkinson (2-14) claimed the key wicket of the former.
This left Berkswell in trouble on 80-5 before Adnaan Riaz (37 not out) and Joshua Aspinall (24) threatened a late comeback.
However, Atkinson took the scalp of Aspinall in the final over after Casey (1-31) had Nicholas Bland (2) caught as Berkswell closed on 149-7, 12 runs short of the required total.
Kenilworth will play away at Standard CC in the next round with the game to be played on Tuesday, June 6.
