HALF-CENTURIES from Mathew Nobes and Ankit Haushik guided Coventry & North Warwickshire to their fourth win on the bounce in last weekend’s six-wicket triumph over Attock.
On an afternoon where Warwickshire League Premier Division leaders Stratford dropped points, Vikram Sodhi’s third-placed side ensured the gap has been closed to 29 points – courtesy of a fine batting performance to win the game in just 37 overs.
The Wake Green Road hosts had managed 207 from their innings after recovering remarkably from 54-7, much in part to big-hitting from Mohammed Ishtiaq (63) and Tazeem Chaudry Ali (44, no) that produced a partnership of 93 runs.
Eventually reaching a final tally of 207, in spite of fine bowling displays from Harry Horsley (3-18) and Sameer Vohra (3-32), Coventry now had a more sizeable task on their hands.
But the visitors’ reply showed no sign of being unnerved despite losing opener Taran Toor (9) at 25-1, as Nobes (53) and William Iles (30) set the tone with a second-wicket partnership of 64.
Then, after the latter was seen off by Chaudry Ali (2-49), the introduction of Sodhi (35, no) bore even more fruit for the away side.
It was the Coventry skipper, in tandem with number five Kaushik (63) that pushed their side to within inches of victory thanks to a stand of 91 runs.
Kaushik’s quickfire runs produced eight boundary shots and two sixes in just 56 balls faced, meaning the visitors were all but assured victory despite being caught out at 204-4.
A real test of Coventry’s mettle now awaits on Saturday, in a home encounter with fourth-placed Moseley Ashfield – who arrested a run of three successive defeats by beating Barby (Northants) by 160 runs last time out.
