VIDARBHA skipper Faiz Fazal roared back to form with a fine century while former Vidarbha opener-stumper Aniruddha Chore hit 80 but both the batsmen saw their respective teams lose in the Premier League cricket tournament in Ireland. Faiz’s ton went in vain as Lisburn Cricket Club lost to Waringstown by four wickets while Chore’s side North Down were comprehensively beaten by Woodvale by eight wickets. In the match played at Wallace Park, hosts Lisburn won the toss and decided to bat first. Southpaw Faiz played a responsible knock at the top scoring 128 runs. His 142-ball knock included 14 hits to the fence and one over it.

 

After the loss of three early wickets, Faiz found an able ally in C Burns who scored exactly fifty from 61 balls. He hit three fours and an equal number of sixes. The duo added an important 111 runs for the fourth wicket. The Vidarbha skipper, who led the team to consecutive Ranji Trophy titles along with Irani Cups, was ninth out at 239. The team could no bat entire 50 overs and was all out for 240 in 49.3 overs. For Waringstown, G Thompson (2-42) and Graham Hume (2-43) picked two wickets apiece. The chase was not that easy. Waringstown were 3-37 once and were reeling at 5-81. But number five Graham Hume had other ideas. Hume (93*; 114b, 8x4, 2x6) mixed caution and aggression and in company of skipper L Nelson (48; 70b, 3x4, 3x6) took the team to shores. M McClean (23*; 30b, 2x4) was the other not out batsman as Waringstown made 245-6 in 48.1 overs. For Lisburn, Josh Manley(3-41) and M Humphreys (2-45) were among wickets.

 

Faiz bowled ten overs for 31 runs without any success. In another game of the same tournament, Woodvale beat North Down by eight wickets. Chore scored 80 from 113 balls hitting nine fours to guide North Down to 214 all out in 48 overs at their home ground The Green Comber. P Eakin contributed a 59-ball 50 that had six fours. J Hall (10-0-37-3) was pick of the Woodvale bowlers. Contributions from the top four — Harry Warke (49), J Hall (93*), A Adey (9) and R Pretorius (42*) helped Woodvale score the required runs in 42.4 overs losing just two wickets. Opener Hall consumed 140 balls and hit 13 boundaries. He shared a 98-run opening stand with Warke, who missed hid fifty by one run.