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Kenny Thirun shared 10 wickets with Mitch Stokes

FIVE wickets each from Kenny Thirun and Mitch Stokes, along with a fine unbeaten 95 from Lee Nurse, helped Basingstoke and North Hants to a crushing 149-run victory at Kidlington on Saturday.

The basement home side, chasing the visitors' all-out total of 255, were never in the hunt and were bowled out for 106.

The victory maintained Basingstoke's 100 per cent away record in the Home Counties League this season and moved them up to fourth in division two west, just 18 points behind leaders Gerrards Cross.

Indian seamer Thirun (5-64) in his first over sent back opener Jamil Faruq without scoring.

Captain Stokes (5-38) then repeated the feat in his first over as Andrew Buckingham also failed to trouble the scorers.

The home side moved the score into double figures, but Thirun, in his third over, collected two more wickets as John Kitson and Shahbaz Ali were both bowled to give him figures of 3-18 off just 18 balls.

That left Kidlington reeling at 14-4. They recovered slightly, thanks to captain Dave Taylor (54) and Nawaz Ali (8). But Ali went before tea, when his side were 56-5.

Rain during the interval delayed Basingstoke's charge for victory.

But, back on the field, Taylor and second-best scorer Andrew Oliver (21) put together the Oxfordshire side's best partnership of 58.

They moved the score to 93 before Oliver was trapped leg before by Stokes.

With just four runs added, top scorer Taylor was back in the pavilion after a superb one-handed catch on the boundary by Keith Harris off a Thirun delivery.

Three balls later, the seamer struck again as Noel Pearson played across the line of the ball and was given out leg before.

Stokes wrapped up the innings with two wickets in consecutive balls, bowling both Farsal Chaudhri and Aquib Lakab.

Earlier in the day, Kidlington skipper Taylor won the toss and put Basingstoke in to bat on a damp wicket after morning rain.

The game got under way 40 minutes after the scheduled 11.30am start due to more rain when the visitors arrived.

After the quick departure of Russell Droy (2), bowled by Shahbaz Ali, Stokes hit a run-a-ball 20 to move the score to 44-2.

His departure brought Lee Nurse to the crease to join Kevin Latouf (62) and they added a century stand for the third wicket.

After Latouf's dismissal, Nurse continued to anchor the innings and, together with brother Dean (15), added 44 for the fifth wicket to move the score to 201.

The visitors, looking to add quick runs, added another 50 in the final 12 overs to set Kidlington a stiff target of 256 in 52 overs.

Lee Nurse finished unbeaten on 95 and his fine innings of 116 balls included six fours, beating a ring of home fielders around the boundary ropes.

After the game, Stokes said: "I was surprised when they won the toss and put us in as the outfield was soaking and I would have batted first if given the chance.

"We got off to a steady start and then Kev Latouf and Lee Nurse really played well.

"From then on, there was no pressure on the incoming batsmen, as they just had to play around Lee.

"Bowling-wise, we got off to a good start, taking four early wickets. Then it rained again at tea when we needed to bowl only four more overs to make it a match.

"Luckily, the rain stopped. Dave Taylor was then the major threat but, thanks to Harry's (Keith Harris) great catch, we got him out and from there we just rolled them over."

12:54pm Monday 23rd June 2008

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