T20 FRIENDLY MATCH
BELMONT & EDGWARE 152-8
STANMORE SYNAGOGUE 141-5
BECC WON BY 11 RUNS

A superb innings of 79 by captain Adam Jacobs inspired BECC to an 11-run victory over Stanmore Synagogue.

In warm conditions, Jacobs won the toss made first use of the wicket. He opened alongside Jonathan Field, as Belmont looked to push for an aggressive start. This plan, however, was somewhat hindered when in just the second over Field was bowled by a short ball which kept horribly low.

Jonathan Feigenbaum looked good and clubbed three boundaries before he missed a straight one and was bowled for 16, just as he looked like he was getting going.

BECC were soon rocked by further setbacks, as Jonny Evans, returning for his first appearance for the club in three years, mistimed an attempted slog straight to mid-wicket. Simon Taylor soon followed LMW off his third ball.

Belmont appeared to have squandered a decent start by collapsing to 45-4 after eight overs. However, with Jacobs still at the crease and beginning to score freely, hope remained. No. 6 Ryan Monk came in and played an unusually restrained innings. He and Jacobs put on 42 in the next few overs, during which time the latter was dropped after top-edging an attempted on-drive - something which proved costly to Stanmore.

After Monk was dismissed for 5, Belmont T20 specialist Phil Peters continued the good work by running hard and rotating the strike effectively. By this point, Jacobs had passed 50 and was now accelerating rapidly at the other end. Indeed, his efforts ensured that, from a position of some difficulty, Belmont were now in commanding territory.

After Peters perished in the 18th over for 10, no.8 Wetton also got in on the act, clubbing a boundary before Jacobs was finally dismissed for 79, whilst attempting to steal a run in the final over.

Joe Saleh was also run out shortly after, before Jeremy Freeman came in with two balls remaining and managed to hit a boundary off the sole delivery he faced (leaving him with a mighty strike rate of 400). Overall, Belmont could be pleased with their total of 152-8 off 20 overs, given their less than ideal start.

Stanmore began their chase tentatively, as both batsmen struggled to score anything off opening bowlers Saleh and Evans. Eventually, their relentless accuracy was rewarded when no. 2 batsman Schwartzman was caught off a cracking slip catch by Monk.

However, next batsman in, Schwartzman senior, took advantage of a change of bowler as he cracked several boundaries off Freeman and dragged Stanmore back into contention.

In order to arrest the flow of runs, Jacobs brought himself on and was immediately vindicated when he bowled the no. 3 for 16, before he could wreak further damage. Belmont made further inroads when Jack Mendel, continuing his fine form, picked up yet another wicket by trapping the other opening batsman LBW.

Nonetheless, Stanmore's fourth-wicket partnership of Briggs and Shaw proved stubborn and aided by some average fielding and multiple bowling changes, BECC struggled to break it. That said, although Stanmore's run rate did improve somewhat during this period, they continued to fall behind the eight ball.

It was no surprise, therefore, that this pressure eventually told when Jonny Evans castled Shaw as he looked to hit out in the 16th over. That left Evans with match figures of 2-7 off four overs - an excellent return.

Briggs continued to attack but restricted by quality death bowling, including a wicket for Freeman, with six balls left, Stanmore required 22 to win. That meant only one thing - an over from club legend Monk. Buoyed by his earlier catch, he trundled in and successfully ensured that Belmont defended their total, showing coolness under pressure to concede just the 11 runs.

This was another good win and continues BECC's winning streak.