County League Play-Off Review 16th September
Author: Nick Archer
Date: 16/09/2023
Home advantage proved decisive in both the first two County League play-off matches with Milford Hall defeating Olton & W.W. by 78 runs and Old Hill running out winners by five wickets against Wellington. The two winning sides face each other, next week, at Moseley, with the winners, almost certainly assured of their place in Premier Division Two of BDPCL in 2024. Conversely, the loser of the Olton & W.W. versus Wellington match at West Bromwich Dartmouth, next Saturday, will find it extremely difficult to earn promotion.
Olton & W.W. won the toss at Milford and asked the National Village Cup Champions to bat first on a murky day with a pitch which promised to assist the bowlers. After the early loss of Jordan Bulpitt for seven, Dominic Afford (45), Sahal Malvernkar (43) and Waqar Saleem (40) helped Milford to 124 for three in 25 overs. Stuart Phazey (44 not out) carried on the good work with useful contributions from Aaron Afford (23 not out) and Dan Betty (16) enabling the South Staffordshire County League winners to close on 256 for six after 50 overs. The pick of the Olton bowlers was Bilal Arshad with 2 for 44 with good support from Jackson Darkes-Sutcliffe (2 for 45). Despite the early loss of skipper Adam Hussein, the Warwickshire County Cricket League Champions began brightly but the introduction of Bulpitt into the Milford attack proved significant. In his only over, he removed the dangerous Junead Zaman for 27 to begin an Olton collapse. Left-arm spinner Aaron Afford opened the attack and bowled his 10 overs unchanged before finishing with 4 for 28. Arwand Barnard’s 44 came too late to affect the result with Milford’s Ejaz Nawaz producing a steady spell of 3 for 21 towards the end of the innings. Olton were all out for 178 in 44.4 overs, a result that will not help their net run rate while Milford march on to a meeting with Old Hill, next weekend.
It was a different kind of game at Old Hill where the Worcestershire County League Champions won the toss and invited Wellington to bat first. The Shropshire side, soon, slumped to 22 for four due to an inspired opening spell from Aamir Manzoor (3 for 23). William Mashinge (49) resisted for 83 balls but, apart from the Zimbabwean, only James Flynn (15) and Wendell Wagner (10) reached double figures. Sam Wright finished with 3 for 21 and there were two wickets apiece for Bilal Hassan and Alex Elsworth as the Shropshire County League Champions were dismissed for 127 in 37.1 overs. Old Hill lost two early wickets to Hugh Morris (2 for 12) but a third wicket partnership of 28 between Hassan (51) and Waqas Ahmed (38) decided the match. Ahmed departed at 97 and Hassan followed at 114 but, despite the loss of a fifth wicket without further addition, Old Hill cantered to victory in the 34th over. Tomorrow, Wellington will play Worcestershire outfit Old Elizabethans in the ECB National Club Plate Final at the County Ground Derby while the other three sides will rest up in preparation for next weekend’s double header of deciding matches.
Olton & W.W. won the toss at Milford and asked the National Village Cup Champions to bat first on a murky day with a pitch which promised to assist the bowlers. After the early loss of Jordan Bulpitt for seven, Dominic Afford (45), Sahal Malvernkar (43) and Waqar Saleem (40) helped Milford to 124 for three in 25 overs. Stuart Phazey (44 not out) carried on the good work with useful contributions from Aaron Afford (23 not out) and Dan Betty (16) enabling the South Staffordshire County League winners to close on 256 for six after 50 overs. The pick of the Olton bowlers was Bilal Arshad with 2 for 44 with good support from Jackson Darkes-Sutcliffe (2 for 45). Despite the early loss of skipper Adam Hussein, the Warwickshire County Cricket League Champions began brightly but the introduction of Bulpitt into the Milford attack proved significant. In his only over, he removed the dangerous Junead Zaman for 27 to begin an Olton collapse. Left-arm spinner Aaron Afford opened the attack and bowled his 10 overs unchanged before finishing with 4 for 28. Arwand Barnard’s 44 came too late to affect the result with Milford’s Ejaz Nawaz producing a steady spell of 3 for 21 towards the end of the innings. Olton were all out for 178 in 44.4 overs, a result that will not help their net run rate while Milford march on to a meeting with Old Hill, next weekend.
It was a different kind of game at Old Hill where the Worcestershire County League Champions won the toss and invited Wellington to bat first. The Shropshire side, soon, slumped to 22 for four due to an inspired opening spell from Aamir Manzoor (3 for 23). William Mashinge (49) resisted for 83 balls but, apart from the Zimbabwean, only James Flynn (15) and Wendell Wagner (10) reached double figures. Sam Wright finished with 3 for 21 and there were two wickets apiece for Bilal Hassan and Alex Elsworth as the Shropshire County League Champions were dismissed for 127 in 37.1 overs. Old Hill lost two early wickets to Hugh Morris (2 for 12) but a third wicket partnership of 28 between Hassan (51) and Waqas Ahmed (38) decided the match. Ahmed departed at 97 and Hassan followed at 114 but, despite the loss of a fifth wicket without further addition, Old Hill cantered to victory in the 34th over. Tomorrow, Wellington will play Worcestershire outfit Old Elizabethans in the ECB National Club Plate Final at the County Ground Derby while the other three sides will rest up in preparation for next weekend’s double header of deciding matches.