Veerapen comes of age as Edgware win top of the table clash
Edgware Cricket Club went into Saturday's Hertfordshire Cricket League game knowing that a win against Cheshunt Rosedale would give them breathing space at the top of the Division 11E table. Like Cheshunt, Edgware were unbeaten going into the game after the heavy rain in May abandoned the side's first proposed meeting.
Winning the toss on an overcast day with storm clouds moving in, Edgware elected to bowl. Sajith Sriwickramasekaran and Dean Veerapen opened the bowling for the boys in blue and took full advantage of the astroturf wicket, with Sajith looking particularly threatening as the short ball raced through to the keeper. However, the damage would come from the other end as Dean Veerapen began a mesmerising spell which included 8 overs on the bounce and ended with career best figures of 6/29 (the third best return in Edgware history). Dean consistently hit probing lengths as the Cheshunt Rosedale batters time and again pressed their own self destruction button by lobbing catches to waiting Edgware fielders. Dean's spell ended with a fantastic caught and bowled opportunity which the Mauritian gratefully accepted as Cheshunt slipped to 57-7.
Sammy Patel provided some late order hitting to elevate Cheshunt to 82 (the 5th lowest total scored against Edgware) but Tushyam Sonecha and Raj Parmar finished off the lower order with two wickets apiece.
Edgware's response was led by Shuraj Vekaria and Jeet Swaminarayan after Ciaran Hosty left the field towards the end of the fielding innings with a broken arm. Shuraj Vekaria was bowled by an in-swinging yorker in the first over to introduce some nervousness amongst the Edgware faithful, but Sagar Raghvani and Jeet Swaminarayan steadied the ship soon after with some confident looking strokes. Jeet Swaminarayan in particular punished anything full and showed maturity beyond his 19-years and continued to show why the Edgware hierarchy rate the talented all-rounder so highly.
Despite losing the wickets of Sagar Raghvani for 12 and Prashant Pindolia for 15, Jeet Swaminarayan (31*) and Sajith Sriwickramasekaran (8*) knocked off the winnings runs to take 30 more points to Edgware and widen the gap at the top of the table.
Edgware's next game sees them hosts Old Camdenians at Watford Town Cricket Club and the boys in blue will be looking to extend their unbeaten streak which now stretches six matches.
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