Tim Hart reports, “The Western Warriors began the Under 13 Triangular Festival at Prestwick CC with a very good win over the Eastern Knights. Skipper Nikhil Koteeswaran (Clydesdale CC) won a very useful toss, elected to field first and he would have been very pleased with the application from his bowling attack. All six bowlers used picked up wickets – with seven of the ten wickets being bowled, as the stumps were attacked very effectively. There were two wickets each for Nari Bhandari (Ayr CC), Ollie Jones (Stirling County CC), Koteeswaran and Shahan Raja (Poloc CC), and one each for Hassaan Mehmood (Poloc CC) and Zain Rashid (Clydesdale CC). When the fielders were called into action, Bahadar Esakhiel (Ferguslie CC) and Ibrahim Faisal (Clydesdale CC) held on to good catches and there was a smart caught behind from wicket-keeper Owen Gould (Clydesdale CC). Knights 59 all out, in 16.3 overs.
“In reply, the Warriors found themselves 3 for 2 after two overs! However, Uzair Ahmad (Ferguslie CC) and Jones built an important 25-run partnership for the third wicket, before the 29-run partnership between Jones and Koteeswaran saw the side almost all the way home. Koteeswaran top scored with 15 and Jones finished 14* as the Warriors completed the six-wicket win, in 15.3 overs.
“With Belfast going on to defeat the Knights in the second match of the day, Tuesday’s Warriors v Belfast fixture will be a tournament decider!”