Exiles beat the weather to go top

IN A dramatic setting, as thunder rolled around Hatfield Hyde's ground in worsening light and rain, Northampton Exiles clinched a 5-wicket victory with a six over wide mid-on from Rizwan Badar to regain the lead in Division 4 of the Saracens Herts Cricket League. Exiles seemed to have justified the decision to field first when Steve Langellier (3-20) took three wickets in an over to build on the good work by Haroon Akhtar (2-36), Wesley Strang (1-15) and an unlucky Harit Patel (1-31) and reduce Hatfield Hyde to 63-7, but F van der Walt (38) and young D Godbold (28*) almost doubled the score in an 18-over stand before Adrian Browne (3-21) deceived van der Walt and quickly removed the tail to dismiss Hatfield Hyde for 129 in the 46th over. A heavy shower in the tea interval freshened the pitch and S Rajput (2-32) made an early double breakthrough to reduce Exiles to 10-2. A partial recovery from Paul Frost (17) and Steve Plum (17) was halted as both were bowled, and the match was in the balance with Exiles on 44-4, but Badar (40*) batted calmly and began to turn the game in a partnership of 48 with Adrian Browne (28) before he settled matters, adding the final 40 in an unbroken stand with Wayne Lawler (10*) to leave Exiles on 132-5, with, in theory, some 21 overs left but, in practice, barely five minutes before lightning began to play over the ground.