Batting sets tone for Lions in T20 victory

Royals and Railways have come away with victories in round 2 of the Albany Cricket Association Twenty20 competition after wins over North County and Denmark respectively on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions lost their first match of the day convincingly to Manypeaks but after winning the toss and batting against the Bulldogs on Turf North, they fared much better.

Englishman Shameer Ahmed found touch in the opening game with 30 and continued that form on making 32 as he and fellow opener Cohen Chapman set the platform for their sides 36-run win.

Ahmed was run out for 32 to end a 64-run first wicket partnership and skipper Jack Hastie added a rapid 16 before he was bowled by Tyler Crommelin.

Chapman produced a dashing innings as he reached a half- century to steer the Lions towards a competitive total before he was dismissed for 51 off Steve Tupluk.

Tupluk claimed John Dobson (8) and Ian Attwell (0) cheaply but an unbeaten 31 from Matt Wolfe helped the Lions reach 5-151 from their 20 overs.

Needing another big knock from acting skipper Craig Tonkin, in the absence of a host of first choice players, the Lions snared the vital early breakthrough when rival captain Hastie trapped the aggressive left-hander lbw with the fifth ball of the innings.

Aaron Williams produced a fighting 45 and James Plowman added 31 but the Bulldogs scored slowly, mainly restricted by Jack Hastie (3-21 off four) and Jeremy Ellis (3-15 off four), to end up 8-115 in reply.

Meanwhile at Hard North, the Tigers, in their only game of the day, were too strong for Denmark as they easily chased down the small target of 102 with more than six overs to spare and eight wickets in hand.

Batting first, the Magpies lost regular wickets with Jujar Johal top scoring with 27 to go with contributions from Michael Pratt (19) and Shawn Meek (18) as they finished on 7-101.

Coen Marwick snared 3-32 and Hayden Davies was impressive with 2-20 off his four over spell.

Mitch Green (14) and Coen Marwick (16) got starts before being dismissed but destructive batsman Matt Walters steered the Tigers home comfortably as he belted 57 not out, which included three sixes and three fours.