Owais Shah puts on batting masterclass to guide Welwyn to crushing win over Mymms
Owais Shah batting for WGC against North Mymms in 2019. Picture: KARYN HADDON - Credit: Archant
Owais Shah got his 2020 season well and truly under way as he led Welwyn Garden City to a comfortable victory over North Mymms.
The Welwyn Garden City side that defeated North Mymms in the 2020 Herts Cricket League Premier Division. Picture: WGCCC - Credit: Archant
The former England and Middlesex man blasted 138 in 112 balls to set a commanding 319-7, a total the visiting Mymms side fell 120 runs short of in reply.
The victory continues their unbeaten start to the delayed campaign and leaves them tied at the top of the Premier Division with Potters Bar.
North Mymms meanwhile are still sreaching for their first success in the opening three matches.
But while this was a good all-round team performance from Welwyn, with all parts of their game functioning well, it was Shah who dominated with a typical batting masterclass.
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He came in at number three after the early loss of Dylan Van Der Westhuizen and together with Louis Champion, the pair crafted a 194-run partnership for the second wicket.
On another day Champion’s 83, courtesy of 13 fours from 86 balls, would have grabbed the headlines but Shah was in imperious form.
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He was eventually the fifth WGC man to depart but not until he had blasted 16 boundaries of his own with a further four maximums.
His wicket came in the 43rd over, run out by a good throw from Nathan Stiffin, and 13 runs short of Welwyn’s final total.
Mohammed Rizvi was with him in the later stages, eventually finishing not out on 33.
For Mymms, Hamza Ahmed was the only bowler to have any joy, finishing with figures of 3-65.
With an imposing total and a number of their established players missing, chasing a run rate of more than seven an over was always going to be a difficult task.
They gave it a good go in the opening stages, however, until Tom Whitton claimes his first league wicket for Welwyn, leaving Mymms on 67-2.
Two good catches had seen off the openers and there was further good fielding by Shay Emerton and Simon Bridgewater as North Mymms fell to 99-4.
Skipper Dan Blacktopp then called on the spin of Adil Zareef who in his second over joined Whitton by claiming a first WGC wicket.
He went on to claim 4-30 while Rizvi and Emerton bagged two wickets each as Welwyn closed the book in the 37th over.
