Words by Paul Smith – www.Stumped4Words.com
Another superb hundred from Swapnil Gugale was unable to prevent Harborne slipping to a tense three wicket home defeat at the hands of Birmingham Premier League Division Two rivals Dorridge.
The Indian pro’s 109-ball 119 provided the backbone of his team’s 272 for nine only for the visitors to edge over the line with two balls remaining courtesy two match-clinching sixes in the penultimate over.
Gugale struck 14 boundaries and two sixes in his typically fluent knock, but with none of his top- order colleagues going beyond Tom Arnold’s 26, at 183 for eight the hosts seemed likely to fall short of a competitive score.
However, the arrival at no.10 of Dan Wright changed the complexion of the contest as Gugale hit the accelerator to score 37 of their 45-run ninth wicket partnership.
And following the 30-year-old Maharashtra batter’s 45th over dismissal, Wright picked up the baton to such good effect that the hosts’ final pair added a further 44 runs from only 33 balls.
Wright closed with an unbeaten 36-ball 45, while Josh Craven, Jack Mills and Perry Derrick all claimed two wickets for the visitors.
With four of their top five getting to 25, Dorridge then laid a good base but through losing wickets regularly were never able to take the game away from Harborne.
Luke James (38) added 61 with opening partner Mo Talukder before Ben Shepparson (25) and Aussie pro Dave Ball (44) combined to good effect in a 63-run third wicket alliance.
When wicket-keeper Joe Dodd fell for 39, the visitors’ final four wickets were left requiring 70 from ten overs, but in seventh wicket pair Derrick (32) and George Sitch (32no) Dorridge had the men for the job.
The duo’s even-time 62-run partnership included 15 runs from the pivotal 49th over – but even then there was a late twist in the tale as Wright’s dismissal of Derrick raised home hopes before Craven’s cool head delivered the coup de grace.
