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Stratford skipper admits his side were second best




STRATFORD skipper James Urquhart admits his team were beaten by the better side on Saturday as Swans Nest visitors Attock claimed a five-wicket victory in their Warwickshire Cricket League Premier Division clash.

Opener Gareth Langman scored a half-century and there were two wickets for Archie Walker but Urquhart is keen to move on to two key fixtures which could define the season.

He said: “The previous weeks it was a case of we should’ve probably won but on Saturday it was a case of us putting our hands up and saying they were better than us in all three departments – better bowling, better bowling and we actually got out-fielded which is a rarity. We dropped a few catches, it wasn’t our best performances and hopefully we can just draw a line under it and move on.

Stratford batting against Attock on Saturday. Photo: Mark Williamson
Stratford batting against Attock on Saturday. Photo: Mark Williamson

“The next two fixtures will define how our season goes. I know it is early doors but if we win those two then we are back in the mix but if we don’t then we might have to reassess where we’re at.

“It is a league where everyone is beating everyone but if we are to have hopes of being there or thereabouts then these two games against Bedworth and Moseley Ashfield that, historically, we would have won.

“Last week we were missing four and we are missing two or three this week. That said, we do have a few coming back so it will be nice to have Tom Grundy coming into the team and we will also have Matt Warren in the team again who had been doing well on the batting side.”

Attock took the honours by five wickets at Swans Nest. Batting first, there was an early set-up for the hosts when opener John Stratton, in such good form with the bat this season, was caught behind off the bowling of Adam Mahmood for five with the score on 28.

Stratford batting against Attock on Saturday. Photo: Mark Williamson
Stratford batting against Attock on Saturday. Photo: Mark Williamson

Langman remained solid at the other end and built a steady 49-run partnership with Nathan Edwards until the latter was dismissed for 28.

Langman was next to go having scored 56 off 84 balls and this prompted a flurry of wickets. Ed Briggs was the only other batsman to offer any sort of resistance until he was run out for 37 and Stratford were finally dismissed in the 48th over for 194.

With the ball in hand, the home side made an early breakthrough when Archie Walker bowled opener Hasan Mahmood for just nine with Attock on 14.

But with skipper Arsalaan Mahmood (52) and Omar Ali (33) among the runs, the game swung in the visitors’ favour with an unbeaten 62 from Mohammed Ishtiaq seeing them over the line as they made 198/5 in 37 overs.

Walker finished with 2-53 with the other wickets being shared between Langamn, Urquhart and Liam Webb.

Stratford batting against Attock on Saturday. Photo: Mark Williamson
Stratford batting against Attock on Saturday. Photo: Mark Williamson


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