Hertfordshire v Cambridgeshire, 8 - 10 June 2014...
Unicorns Championship
Hertfordshire v Cambridgeshire
8-10 June 2014, at Balls Park, Hertford CC
Herts 351 and 243
Cambs 371 and 227-4
Cambs win by six wickets
Not even a brilliant Minor Counties Championship debut by former Stevenage and Potters Bar all-rounder Tanveer Sikandar, who made a century in each innings could prevent Hertfordshire from sliding to a disappointing defeat by Cambridgeshire in their opening three-day game at Hertford.
Sikandar, 27, who made his County Championship debut for Essex last month, only became eligible for Herts this season and made an almost instant impact after Nesan Jeyaratnam won the toss and decided to bat first on a glorious day and on a perfect batting surface.
After James Scott, of Welwyn Garden City, fell for 21, Sikandar and Eddie Ballard, the Bishops Stortford batsman, set about making the best use of the toss and the conditions. They put together a controlled and elegant partnership of 155, looking in no trouble at all, and it came as a huge surprise when Ballard was out to a fine catch behind off an under edge.
That became two wickets in two balls as Jeyeratnam, the North Mymms batsman, was pinned leg before first ball. Jamie Southgate joined Sikandar to rebuild, but when Southgate went for 27 with the score on 265 it triggered a mini-collapse, with Ben Frazer, of Harpenden, North Mymms' Hamsa Qayyum and Harpenden's Alex Spencer all falling quickly. In amongst it, Sikandar was finally out after completing a masterly 116 off 131 balls and including 14 fours.
The collapse left Herts, who had been aiming at a score of 420-plus while Ballard and Sikandar were cruising, on a disappointing 283 for eight. Thanks to the efforts of the Harpenden pair of James Latham (23) and Simon White (35) and Welwyn Garden City keeper Simon Greenall (14 not out) the tail wagged enough for Herts to reach 351, which was still a long way short of where they had hoped to be.
Just how short was shown by the Cambs openers as Ben Howgego, the former Northants batsman, and Alan Burton put on 198 for the first wicket. Both made centuries, and Aseem Butt hit an aggressive 66 at No3 to leave Herts looking down a very long barrel.
But a typically determined and competitive marathon of offspin from Frazer, and some tigerish fielding, with Scott, Latham and Spencer to the fore, triggered a Cambs collapse as they slid from 307 for two to 371 all out and a lead of just 21. Frazer finished with six for 126 from 37 overs.
But any joy Herts felt at having worked so hard to get back into the game was distinctly short lived as Scott, Ballard and Qayyum found themselves back in the pavilion with the score on just 19.
Sikandar, though, just continued his sublime form of the first innings, and together with a determined Jeyaratnam took the score up to 108. Southgate joined Sikandar to push on to 197, but just when Herts were beginning to think of being able to set a testing target, Southgate fell for 48, a horrible mixup saw Frazer run out cheaply and Spencer was out for a duck to leave Herts on 212 for seven.
Sikandar was the only hope of putting Cambs under pressure, and completed his second beautiful century. But when he was caught at long on for 127, made off 178 balls with 18 fours and a six, the writing was on the wall.
Herts were all out for 243, leaving Cambs 224 to make on a pitch that was still perfect. Howgego matched Sikandar with his second century of the game and despite a late wobble, with Qayyum taking three wickets, they eased home at 227 for four.
Hugh Bateson
Full Scorecard
PE McEwan | v Norfolk | 127* | 106* | Watford (on debut) | 1980 |
MH James | v Suffolk | 119 | 143 | Ipswich School | 1997 |
DM Ward | v Staffordshire | 104* | 122 | Long Marston | 1999 |
JP Hewitt | v Norfolk | 125 | 115 | Horsford | 2009 |
T Sikandar | v Cambridgeshire | 116 | 127 | Hertford (on debut) | 2014 |
JH Human | Norfolk | 122 | 103 | Reading | 1934 |
SG Plumb | Norfolk | 111* | 120* | Lakenham | 1991 |
KD Bell | Staffordshire | 116 | 118* | Stone | 2005 |
H Adnan | Suffolk | 102 | 120* | Hertford | 2009 |
MJ Symington | Northumberland | 109* | 102* | Long Marston | 2009 |
BHN Howgego | Cambridgeshire | 105 | 107 | Hertford | 2014 |
Statistics supplied by Tony Gibbs