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Played at Jubilee Sports Ground, The Avenue,  Highams, E4 9RZ
Report by Steve Hamilton

These Hawks needed to be tamed as they beat us last season quite comfortably.

We had perfect weather, sunny with temperatures reaching 26C. Captain Azaz Khalil won the toss again and he elected to bat. We agreed on a 30-over game.

We put on 41 for the first wicket, then an in-form Raj Rajender got bowled and then Ammar Malji faced an unplayable delivery – a yorker that clean-bowled him!

Sachin was now on a hatrick as Zubair Gardiwala came to the crease, with tension building and fielders coming in close – but Zubair calmly hit his first ball straight for a massive six!

Things started to turn in our favour, Farhad Waqar was back to his best with cuts, pulls and drives, reaching his fifty with four fours and two sixes – his sixth 50 of the season including two centuries.

Farhad then lost his wicket LBW for 53 after putting on 99 for the third wicket.

By now it was the Zubair show – a batsman who simply oozes confidence and self belief in every stroke he attempts, depositing the ball over the boundary into back gardens, disrupting barbecues – no one was safe!

He reached his fifty in no time and he continued to murder the bowling with pure class and destruction. Zubair went on to reached his hundred with eight sixes and six fours, but unfortunately was trapped LBW for 102. However, by then his great contribution had set a very competitive score of 233.

After a delicious West Indian chicken curry, we were keen to ensure our revenge for a 7-wicket defeat last season.

Pete Taylor and debutant Muhammad Zubair opened our bowling. Muhammad, a twenty-two-year-old fast bowler, reaching 70mph plus, took our first wicket when opener Lomd hit the ball hard and low to mid-off where Azaz took a difficult catch at his knees.

Pete Taylor continued where he left off last week with hostile deliveries and he soon got his reward when he clean bowled the other opener Dryhead. It wasn't long before he took another wicket when Thomas hit a ball to mid-off which had Azaz diving in goalkeeping style to his left to take another superb catch!

Azaz also finished off an over for young Muhammad after side strain forced him to give up the ball - and took the middle wicket of Shovon! We were dominating the game by now, when our second new recruit Mohammed Hossain came on on and clean bowled Sachin.

Hawks were 50 for 5 off 12 overs and never quite recovered from the early lost of wickets.

Raj bowled a tight line and removed Stanley who couldn't figure out how to play him and, in frustration hit the ball straight into the bucket hands of Farhad at mid-off. Raj finished with excellent figures of 1 for 13 off his five overs.

Humza took his first wicket for the club towards the end of the innings and Hawks, always massively behind the run rate, reached 150 for 7 off 30 overs.

Man of the match: Zubair Gardiwala

All round the perfect day and a return fixture is definitely on the cards!

A man and his shed: Peter Taylor in the hut scoring                                   Photo: Steve Hamilton

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