Hillhead 2nd XI: 134/8 (38.2 overs) Woodhall East Kilbride: 133 all out (37.5 overs)
On a pleasant day for cricket, Hillhead 2nd XI faced Woodhall East Kilbride in a tightly contested match. Woodhall East Kilbride won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to set a challenging target.
Woodhall East Kilbride’s innings began with a cautious start. Hillhead 2s opening bowler Agrim Jain who was also playing his debut match in the 2s started off beautifully and gave just 7 runs of his first 5 overs. Opener G Sachar was run out by R Mohammed for just 4 runs. A steady innings from M Osman, who scored 48 runs, held the innings together, but he received little support from the other end.
The Hillhead bowlers maintained pressure with consistent breakthroughs. Ayush Agarwal and S Kumar Rokkam were particularly effective, taking 2 wickets each. The middle and lower order struggled to build substantial partnerships, and with the fall of I Khan, bowled by S Kumar Rokkam for 0, Woodhall East Kilbride was all out for 133 in 37.5 overs.
Key contributions came from extras, with Woodhall East Kilbride benefitting from 43 extra runs, including a notable 39 wides. This helped boost their total to a somewhat competitive 133.
Chasing 134, Hillhead 2nd XI’s innings got off to a shaky start. They lost early wickets with J Grosvenor (6) and S Kumar Rokkam (5) falling cheaply. However, a solid partnership between D Patel, who top-scored with 36 runs, and J Thornhill, who contributed 26 runs, steadied the innings.
Despite the middle order collapse, with B Singh (11), H Aqeel (1), R Butt (0), and R Mohammed (0) all dismissed in quick succession, Hillhead managed to keep their composure. A vital contribution from G Kathiravan, who remained unbeaten on 10, and Ayush Agarwal (5 not out) saw Hillhead 2nd XI over the line in 38.2 overs, reaching 134/8 and securing a narrow victory by 2 wickets.
In a match that saw fluctuating fortunes, Hillhead 2nd XI emerged victorious by 2 wickets. The game was marked by strong bowling performances from both sides and crucial contributions from the middle and lower order batsmen.
Hillhead 2nd XI will look to carry this momentum into their next game against GHK 2’s on June 8th.