Hat Trick Hero Helps Bablake To Victory

Vivek Desai proudly took home the match ball after the first hat-trick of his life was the deciding factor in the Bablake U15s' convincing 85 run win over local neighbours, Princethorpe.

Vivek's dismissals, all bowled, ripped out the opposition's middle order and paved the way for the victory. After taking two wickets with the first two balls of his third over, it took a few moments before the bowler and his team-mates remembered he had closed his previous over with a wicket. It was a moment he will remember for a long time and rightly so!

Earlier our top four batsmen had all made double figures without going onto a big score, before Emile Pokoj's hard-hitting innings of 72 not out laid the foundations for the win.

In the U14 fixture against Princethorpe, Bablake enjoyed a convincing 156 run win. Matt Clements hit 103 not out, his second ton of the season, and Matthew Payne an unbeaten 64 before Adam Clements took an impressive 5 wickets for just 10 runs.

Princethorpe had cause for celebration in the U13s game, taking the spoils with accurate and penetrative bowling. In a low scoring game, Matthew Bird's hearty knock of 38 was the only resistance as Bablake succumbed to a 35 run defeat.

U13 player Scott Spencer may well look at Vivek Desai's achievement rather ruefully and reflect on how unlucky he was not to also be celebrating a hat-trick. After taking 2 wickets with consecutive deliveries, the crucial hat-trick delivery was hit in the air to midwicket. The fielder unfortunately spilled the chance- offering a premonition of Rob Green's error later the same day for England's football team- but had the excellent presence of mind to return the ball swiftly to Scott who promptly ran the batsman out. One to celebrate as a team hat-trick, perhaps!?