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Ahmed knock ends Moonrakers' hopes

Mike Floyd
10/ 7/2008

MILNROW eased to a five-wicket win over Middleton at Towncroft on Saturday.

While they will be pleased with the result, they will be a little disappointed to have lost five wickets chasing the hosts’ meagre total of 159.

The visitors needed a sterling half century from Naseem Ahmed to see them home.

He stood firm in the face of some hostile fast bowling from Middleton’s Tasmanian deputy pro Brendan Drew, standing in for Werner Coetsee who has been called up to the South Africa A team, to bring up his half century in 89 balls.

Ahmed's stand of 56 with Greg Jennings (24) was crucial, and had either gone cheaply the outcome may have been different.

Middleton batted first and got off to a brisk start, despite the loss of Steve Davey (8) and Grant Jones (6), both of whom had their stumps shattered by Steven John.

Martin Roberts should have been run out when stranded in the middle of the track, but Steve Dryden’s fielding was woeful and he lived to fight another day.

He and Drew kept the scoreboard ticking until, in the 24th over, Drew edged Michael Baer to Brown in the slips.

Four runs later Roberts was back in the pavilion, stumped by Vishal Tripathi off Nigel Doyle’s bowling.

Tom Read became Baer’s second victim, brilliantly caught by Doyle diving to his right at short mid-off. And, when Stuart Fitton was trapped leg before by Doyle, Middleton were 99 for six.

John Punchard nudged and nurdled the score along and he received good support from Sam Warren (9), as the duo added 32 runs.

Warren was out lbw to John, and Richard Fitton took on the support role.

In the final over Punchard attempted to launch Brown over mid-wicket and was bowled for 37. Fitton was eight not out when the innings closed.

Brown and Steven Hall started aggressively with an opening stand of 22. Hall (10) was then given out leg before when their appeared to be more contact with bat than ball.

Tripathi played one or two nice shots as Milnrow edged their way towards the 50-mark, but with the score on 47 his firm drive was too close to Drew who took a smart return catch.

Brown (31), who was just getting into his stride, then played a sloppy shot off the second ball of Dale Highton’s first over, and he too was caught and bowled.

Ahmed and Jennings set about repairing the damage. Good balls were dealt with sensibly and the bad ones were dispatched to the boundary.

Milnrow were in sight of the winning post at 128 for three when Jennings tried to hit Highton out of the ground and was caught by Jones on the mid-off boundary.

John seemed intent on ending the game in quicktime, hitting two fours, but he perished attempting a third, caught in the deep by Jones off Highton.

It was left to Ahmed and Dryden (4no) to guide Milnrow past the winning post and to four valuable points.