Records tumble at Home Park

Sunday 6th Windsor 1st XI vs. Burnham 1st XI (MASL)

Windsor 280 for 3 40 Overs (Gould 170, Noble 82)

Burnham 140 all out 38.1 Overs (Suhbarkar 3-15)

With the sun burning down on Home Park, Windsor Sunday 1’s entertained league rivals Burnham in a Maidenhead and Advertiser Sunday League match. With a full strength side, Brian Davis won the toss and decided to make use of the hot conditions and bat first. This proved to be a wise choice.

Early pressure by Burnham’s Zubair on Windsor opener Paul Huggins saw fellow opening bowler Tawaz pick his wicket up cheaply for 9. This brought young prodigy Michael Gould to the crease to join Noble and Windsor CC’s two most in form batsmen began to impose themselves on Burnham’s attack. Gould and Noble worked the ball around the field well, scoring freely with no great effort and brought up their hundred partnership at the end of the 18th over. Both passed fifty and the scoring continued in earnest as they took a hold of spinners Mohindru and Asif, taking them both for 6 an over. When Gould passed three figures, bringing up his third century of the season, he began to cut lose and unleashed an array of shots sending the ball to all parts. With Noble taking the support role, Gould sped past 150 and the partnership flew past 250, breaking the previous club record for the second wicket. Heat exhaustion from all the endless twos that had been run caused both to fall in the last over of the innings. Noble finished with 82, (his second fifty of the weekend). However, Gould finished with a huge 170, a personal best for him and one of the finest innings to be played in front of the castle in many years. The final partnership was 263 for the second wicket off 35 overs, a record that may stand for some time to come.

With a huge target to chase, it soon became evident that Burnham did not have the firepower to get the innings going. Fine opening spells from Pitt and Condon, saw early pressure placed on the visitors and the run rate began to grow as the swing and seam of Granger and Griffiths further curtailed any chase. With suicidal runs taken to Wigley and Granger, the Burnham innings fell away and it seemed destined for the visitors to bat the overs out. Only Swallhall (24) and Evans (22) managed to get a start. The spin of Suhbarkar accounted for a further three wickets in another fine spell on his adopted pitch. With Mark Huggins and Wigley picking apart the tail, it was left to Pitt to return to take the last wicket of Windsor Saturday 1s’ Raul Mohindru. Windsor came out victors by 150 runs.

Despite Burnham having to field a depleted side due to cup commitments, this was a fine win for Windsor. Plus with all the records broken, (including longest wait at number four to bat), it will be long remembered. Windsor travel to Tiddington this Sunday looking to continue the strong start to the Sunday League.