Difficult Debut in the SLB Championship

Winning toss, BPCC decided to bowl first. Alex Ashwin made an early breakthrough bowling Chris Beale for 8 before Australian overseas Blake Wolstenholme and last year’s SLB Championship leading run scorer Josh Newton started to build a strong partnership. Helped by some wayward BPCC bowling, both players bought up their 50s and their partnership moved well past 100. With the score at 149-1 Stuart Biggs finally found the breakthrough for Burghley when Newton mis-timed a pull shot into the grateful hands of Ryan Gilmour at mid-wicket. As they say, one brings two and this was very much the case as Chris Logan removed Robbie Townsend for 3 and then Mohammed Azhar took the prize wicket of Wolstenholme, caught by Logan for 75. Following a small partnership by Matthew Rose and Matthew Barnett, wickets fell regularly for MHCC. Rose was caught by Ahsan Azhar off the bowling of Biggs, A. Azhar removed Flynn McMillan without scoring and Ashwin trapped Barnett LBW to leave the score 192-7 and both sides looking for maximum bonus points from the innings. Another wicket a piece for Ashwin and Logan meant that MHCC finished their innings 198-9. This represented a great fightback from Burghley following drinks, when the score was 133-1. Wickets shared around by the BPCC attack, Ashwin taking 3-33, Logan 2-25, Biggs 2-45 M. Azhar 1-20 & A. Azhar 1-10.

Burghley’s batting innings got off to the worst possible start with Mike Hobbiss falling LBW to Rose for 0, Josh Gallimore bowled by Travis Harrison for 3, Pete Foster unluckily bowled by Rose for 4, and last week’s centurion Sam Potter, caught well by Harrison at gully off Rose for 0. This left BPCC 17-4 and with a mountain to climb. Ryan Gilmour and David Platt started to steady the ship before Gilmour was LBW to Rose to give him his 4th wicket and leave Burghley 41-5. Ahsan Azhar was then caught off the bowling of Lee Eyett for 12 and Logan made a quick 20 before becoming Eyett’s second victim bringing the score to 93-7. Skipper Ashwin then joined Platt at the crease and the pair looked to take the momentum away from MHCC. However, with the partnership at just 20, Platt was caught on the pull off the bowling of Townsend for 39. Stuart Biggs made 11 before becoming Rose’s 5th Victim, caught behind to leave Burghley 136-9. Mohammed Azhar came out to join Ashwin and the pair began to chip away at what would have been a remarkable run chase. Ashwin bought up a well-made 50 before the dreams of a near miracle were halted when Eyett found the edge of the Burghley captain’s bat for 53 to bowl the hosts out for 174. Matthew Rose the pick of the MHCC bowling with 5-28, Eyett with 3-16 and a wicket a piece for Townsend & Harrison.

Burghley Park 1st XI now have a week off before hosting Billingborough on 4th May whilst Moulton Harrox also host Billingborough this coming weekend. Burghley Park 2nd XI kick off their league campaign this weekend at home to Baston.

Thanks to Rutland Security for their sponsorship of this match.