Swann Ton Supe!

Hampton Wick 220 all out in 59 overs.

NLCC 221 for 3 in 37.3 overs.

 

North London cruised to a compelling win on Saturday, their fourth of the year so far, easily defeating the struggling Hampton Wick Royal hopefuls by seven wickets. Chasing a tired 221 from fifty-nine overs, the team from Montennotte road only needed thirty-seven of their forty-one overs, to handsomely grab the ten points.

 

   For the third innings on the trot the left-handed brilliance of 24-year-old Richard Swann stole the day. His 122 once again contained all the shots in the book and then some. The opening partnership of Swann and Johns easily picked off seemingly inadequate Royal attack from ball one. Swann blasted his first fifty off only 37 balls setting the tone for the rest of the innings. When Johns fell, a spurious LBW, on 56 the score had raced along to 137.  Maroon Anwar shared the next partnership worth fifty, but only managed to put 6 on the board. By this time Swann was in full flow crashing the ball to all over the Shepherds Cot ground.  Not since David Gower had his golden summer have we’ve witnessed such an awesome display of blades-manship. Swann has now completed back to back league hundreds, a feat not to be equalled for 11 years, the last man to do it NLCC legend Alan Cox. When Pat Mills wrapped up the win beefing two sixes, the back of the inning had already been broken. This afternoon once again belonged to Richard Swann.

 

The day hadn’t gone so smoothly with North London’s fielding, for once, letting them down. Tom Amedee opened up well, swerving the ball both ways, picking up a couple of early wicket. Old-timer Ben wake ford joined in the fun bowling with pace to grab three for not many. NLCC were well on top and should be disappointed with what followed. Having the Royal 97-7 one would have expected North London’s reliable bowling attack to drop the batting side for around the one fifty mark. The following wicket would have to wait as HW stumbled to a slow 220 in 59 over. With seven dropped catches, five straight forward, NLCC will have to sharpen up for next weeks clash with Old Actonians.