A CENTURY by Hawkesbury Cricket Club’s Antum Naqvi has seen the club’s second grade team advance into the NSW Premier Cricket competition’s semi-finals, to be played this weekend.
Naqvi was not out on 123 when Hawkesbury was bowled out for 400 against Sydney University at the weekend in the two-day match, and was a key part of the victory.
The second grade team’s semi-final will be played against Manly-Warringah, and in a big boost to the club will be played at Owen Earle Oval, following the qualifying final, which was also played at Hawkesbury’s home ground.
A home final is a big deal for the club, as is the season the second grade team has been having. The second-placed finish is easily the best ever for the club in second grade.
While Naqvi had the big score, the second grade team benefited from a number of solid performances with both the bat and ball.
The good team worked started with captain Tim Wilson and Chaitnya Sharma, who opened the batting after Hawkesbury won the toss.
Wilson and Sharma combined for an opening partnership of 54, laying a solid platform for the team to build on, before Wilson was dismissed for 37.
Sharma continued on with Eknoor Singh, forging a 61-run partnership before Sharma was back in the sheds after being caught on 39.
Kerrod Gordon make a quick-fire 60 runs with Singh, as the pair put on 80 runs in their third-wicket partnership, before Gordon was caught after hitting two sixes and seven boundaries.
Singh also made a half-century, anchoring the innings while scoring 51 runs.
After Gordon’s dismissal, Jay Dyball went cheaply and Singh was out not long after, before Harry Ridgewell and Antum Naqvi steadied the ship.
Ridgewell put on 41 runs before being run out, while Naqvi stole the show, piling on the runs to reach 123.
Naqvi hit 15 boundaries during his 198 ball innings, which lasted nearly three hours.
The tail did not wag for Hawkesbury and they fell cheaply, however, the damage had been done by the batsmen.
After making 400 from 131 overs in the middle, Hawkesbury bowled out their opponents in 70 overs for 304.
Sydney University had a 49-run opening partnership, but once Matthew Powys was dismissed by Dyball, the wickets started coming easily.
James Crowley added some starch to the Sydney University batting line-up, making 76 runs, but he too was dismissed by Dyball’s bowling.
Dyball had figures of 12-3-3-34 with the ball in hand.
He was joined by Ridgewell in taking three wickets in the match.
Hawkesbury now has to play third-placed Manly-Warringah, who crushed Mosman in their qualifying final.
Manly-Warringah posted 308, before toppling Mosman for just 69 runs.
Hawkesbury will host Manly-Warringah at Owen Earle Oval on both Saturday, March 24, and Sunday, March 25. The three-day final is the following weekend, and Hawkesbury will qualify if it beats Manly-Warringah.
