Swapnil Gugale’s brilliant all-round display combined with a thrilling knock from Tejas Wagle to steer Harborne to a comprehensive 107-run Birmingham Premier League Division Two win at Bromsgrove.

Indian pro Gugale’s fluent 60 laid the base from which Wagle smashed a 72-ball unbeaten 90 to boost the visitors to a challenging 267 for five.

And the 30-year-old from Maharashtra then finished the job by spinning out five home batsmen at a personal cost of 19 runs to dismiss Bromsgrove in 39.4 overs for 160.

Harborne captain Tom Arnold was delighted with his team’s display against opposition who many good judges believe will challenge for promotion.

“We have some guys finding form at the right time and it was a pleasing win against opponents who have some very good players,” he said.

“We put a decent score on the board on a wicket that turned sharply in the second innings.

“Swapnil batted well at the top of the order then after we’d had a bit of a wobble and lost a few wickets Tejas was superb.

“We were very happy with 267 as we thought a par score was around 220, but we didn’t start too well with the ball and Bromsgrove got off to a bit of a flier.

“But it was turning big for Swapnil and he dragged it back very well. He didn’t play a lot of cricket last year because of Covid, then we had a wet May, but he has worked hard in recent weeks and looks like he’s back to his best which is great news.”

Useful contributions from Guriq Randhawa (26) and Karan Bharaj (24) helped Gugale take the visitors to 108 for one before the loss of three quick wickets forced them to rebuild.

Wagle began cautiously in the company of wicket-keeper Jack Holloway (28) to add 63 for Harborne’s fifth wicket.

But when his innings blossomed in the company of his captain Bromsgrove’s change bowlers came under pressure.

Arnold contributed a breezy unbeaten 27 to their unbroken quickfire 91-run partnership while Wagle struck eight fours and four sixes in his exhilarating knock.

While Jordan Levitt smashed ten fours in making 50 from the top of the home order Harborne’s attack also looked to face a tough afternoon.

But after left-arm paceman Dan Wright removed both openers, the introduction of Gagale’s off-spin transformed the contest to such an extent that seven Bromsgrove batsmen fell for the addition of 33 runs.

A handy 52-run eighth-wicket partnership between Tom Downing (24) and Mark Evenson (38) then delayed Harborne’s victory charge before the visitors’ seven-man attack finally wrapped things up with more than 15 overs remaining.

“We’ve now had two wins and a winning draw in our last four so we’re happy with how things are progressing,” Arnold added.

“We have two Warwickshire derbies against Dorridge and Kenilworth Wardens next and we go into those games with confidence high.”

Written by Paul Smith at Stumped4Words.com