VIXINS end campaign unbeaten with second Vipers win

VIXINS won the toss and put Vipers, boasting a full eleven although quite a short-sighted side in the field, in to bat, but for the second time this season they were unable to capitalize fully. Parallels with the previous times the teams had met were rife, with an early B1 wicket, Dan Miles clean bowled by Charles Ronayne, followed by a period of consolidation for Vipers, with Alan Chamley and Chetan Davdra, as they had at the Obelisk, first stabilising and then laying a solid base for the innings, albeit a slow one.

The partnership lasted for around ten uneventful overs before Chamley was dismissed, again as in the previous meeting, by being run out, this time after a fantastic throw from deep square leg from Alastair Provan.

The feelings of déjà vu, however, also suggested that Davdra was in for a long innings, as he proved by taking a main role in the Vipers innings, sharing decent partnerships first with Bernard Cornell, brought out of retirement (and the pub) specially for the game, and Ian Clarkson, who finished with a very respectable score of around 30. Chet was eventually out for 100 exactly, top edging a full toss from Ronayne high into the air, to be caught expertly by wicket keeper Simon Ledwith.

Once Chet was out Vipers pushed on, with Clarkson scoring freely around the wicket, helped by the VIXINS captain’s decision to give the Vipers as many runs as possible so that they could declare. Eventually the declaration was generous, leaving Northants to chase 255 from 28 overs, but it did not come before Ledwith was able to take his first competitive wicket for the VIXINS, a full-ish ball taking leg stump out of the ground.

The decision to declare was generous given the explosive nature of the Northamptonshire batsmen. Vipers were handed hope when Simon Ledwith departed early, but specialist No. 3 Ian Goodearl was able to steady the ship and keep up with the run rate, while at the other end David Gavrilovic stopped wickets from falling, and was watchful, helping Goodearl to the majority of the partnership. The two batted well but when Gavrilovic fell caught well at point, VIXINS were only just up with the run rate, and with Vipers pushing their most sighted fielders out to the boundary to stop 4’s.

Shah Miah, however, was in no mood to be dictated to by the field, and used some clever reverse sweets and strong shots through the leg-side to help the VIXINS above the run-rate, and to help his average, which had been dented by his golden duck in the game before against Birmingham. At the other end, Goodearl was as reliable as ever, scoring 71 invaluable runs, including the only two sixes of the innings, using the strong wind to his advantage.

Goodearl fell with VIXINS less than 100 short of their target and Alastair Provan also boosted the run rate with some lusty blows at no. 5, although his part in the run chase was to score runs rather than to spend time at the crease, he did it admirably. Mahomed Khatri also performed well, scoring his first competitive runs for the club, and getting bat on ball encouragingly often, although he fell after only making two his partnership with Miah would be invaluable.

Having lost so many wickets, VIXINS would have hoped that Shah Miah could bat through, but he was expertly dismissed, to leave VIXINS looking shakily at having to chase 14 in 3 overs with 2 new batsmen at the wicket. Ronayne and Dave Keeling, however, showed all their experience in guiding the team through the last overs, Keeling hitting a brilliant boundary to give VIXINS a 4 wicket victory that should dispel any doubt over the most consistent side in the BBS league this year, and may send out a signal that, whoever their opponents next year, Northamptonshire can make a game of it.

Northants team: S Ledwith, D Gavrilovic, I Goodearl, S Miah, A Provan, M Khatri, C Ronayne, D Keeling, T Willis, G Radford

back to results