Brondesbury 235-6 dec

South Hampstead 151

Brondesbury showed the all-round strength which looks likely to keep them up among the pacemakers in the Middlesex County League, with a comfortable victory in Saturday's derby.

They now share top spot with Stanmore and Teddington.

A successful weekend was completed with a 31-run win at Enfield in the Abbot Ale national competition on Sunday.

In the all-day game against South Hampstead, in-form opening batsman Richard Sherman was delayed, and skipper Mark Lowrey (38) moved up the order to partner Ollie Smith (57).

They gave Brondesbury a sound, but slow start in a stand of 99, off 28 overs, before Lowrey was bowled by Patel. Smith was caught by Fuller, off Collins and the same combination accounted for Sherman (14), who had enjoyed a tremendous run-spree the previous weekend.

Kerai (8) and Ian Kidd, run out for seven, soon followed, but Tommy Simpson (36no) played a sound innings, and found a determined partner in Bill Preest.

Hitting out with three sixes and two fours in his 39 not out, during a 32-minute stay, Preest shared an unbroken seventh wicket stand of 70 with Simpson, before Lowrey declared at 236-5, off 57 overs.

South Hampstead were rocked by a typical early blitz from Ricky Fay, who bowled opener Goodison (0) off his third ball, and had Battrum caught by Kidd, 13-2.

But Brondesbury had a long wait for their next succes as Armstrong (86) and Parmar (25) put on 108. Spinner Robert Nelson broke the stand when he lured Parmar into offering a return catch, and had Armstrong caught by Jonathon Pool one run later.

Nelson continued to wreak havoc, taking 4-3 in a devastating four-over spell as six wickets crashed for eight runs, leaving South Hampstead 129-8. He finished with the excellent figures of 4-49 in 21 overs.

Lowrey (3-50) mopped up, and the visitors were dismissed for 151.

In the cup-tie, Ian Osborne (73) And Stuart Daglish (39) got Brondesbury off to a good start. But wickets fell regularly before Melson (18) and Pool (17) put on 30 for the seventh wicket, and Brondesbbury totalled 202.

After the Allen brothers got Enfield off to a steady start with a stand of 42, Nelson (3-27) and Pool (2-34) struck back as three wickets fell for three runs.

Though J Allen held firm until caught by Preest off Lowrey for 64, another collapse saw the last five wickets fall for 26 runs as Enfield were all out for 171 (D Allen 32).

On Saturday, Brondesbury are away to Eastcote in the league.

Other results: Brondesbury II 219-4 dec (Hood 89, Osborne 84), South Hampstead II 111 (Dodds 7-26). Brondesbury III 220-6dec, South Hampstead III 169-9.

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