CRICKET: STANDARD further strengthened their mid-table position in the Warwickshire Premier Division following a crushing 150 run win over Coleshill.
Visiting side Coleshill won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision which they would reflect on with regret as Standard made a comfortable start to the game.
Openers Ryan Leybourne (42) and Thomas Kidd (61) teamed up to put on 112 runs for the opening wicket at a run-a-ball rate.
Kidd eventually departed having reached his half century while the score was on 112 before Leybourne departed 12 runs later.
That brought Steve Vaughan to the crease. Though his partner Andy Jones fell for 16, Vaughan went on to hit a standout 63 from just 79 balls to guide Standard past the 200 mark having lost only three wickets.
Coleshill, who are in a relegation fight this season with Highway Spartans and Studley, had to wait until the score stood at 234 before they claimed a fourth wicket when Vaughan was bowled out by Muhammed Naeem.
Wicketkeeper Bradley Curtis further helped Standard’s total with a quickfire 45 while James Searle hit 39* from just 27 balls to take Standard past the 300 mark.
The only downside to Standard’s innings was Jason Fox’s departure for a duck as the Coventry side reached a massive 311/6 – boosted by 42 extras including 31 wide balls.
In reply, Coleshill made a disastrous start when opener Wajid Hussain was caught out by skipper Ryan Leybourne for a duck.
A partnership of 25 followed between Muhammed Fahim and Waseem Mazhar before wickets fell at regular intervals which saw Coleshill reduced from 25/1 to 44/5.
Mazhar provided some resistance for the visiting side by hitting a tidy 57 from 81 balls, however he failed to receive proper support as middle order batsmen Kamlesh Kadam, Mohammed Usman, and Sajid Kapadia all returned to the pavilion without scoring.
Some late tailend resistance helped Coleshill limp past the 150 mark as their innings ended on 161.
Ben O’Hara starred with the ball for Standard by picking up three wickets for 35 runs.
Jamie O’Hara, Steve Vaughan, and Thomas Kidd also chipped in with multiple wickets.
