WANSTEAD’S twins peaked on Saturday as brothers Arfan and Adnan Akram fired the team to victory over a stubborn Colchester & East Essex side.
The pair took matters into their own hands after the hosts had set the Herons a challenging 267 for the win.
Adnan first claimed two wickets to help stall the Colchester innings before his younger sibling – by just one minute – took centre stage with a swashbuckling century.
Arfan was soon joined at the crease by his brother, who continued his scintillating start to the season by hitting 86 runs, and the duo propelled their side across the finish line.
Elsewhere, the Premier Division’s derby fixture between Woodford Wells and South Woodford fell victim to the weather, as heavy showers littered the area.
Bowlers Rory Ellison and Andrew Richardson combined to rip through South Woodford’s batting order, with the former claiming a superb six-wicket haul. Nick Browne’s 63 was the only highlight on the visitors’ batting card.
Wells laboured to 76-3 in reply before the heavens opened and a halt was called to proceedings.
Meanwhile, in division one Chingford were able to register a morale-boosting win over Westcliff-on-Sea, with openers Robert Whitfield (69) and Matthew O’Sullivan (44) the main contributors with the bat, while the bowling attack of Ryan Harris (4-30), Ben MacGregor (3-10) and Lenny Daniels (3-17) strangled the life out of the home side’s chase.
In division two Harlow had Rehman Ahmed (66) to thank for steering them to their modest target of 151 after Kalim Zada had torn apart Billericay’s middle order.
In division three Old Parkonians succumbed to Benfleet after falling well short of their 205 target, although bowler Josh Gordon emerged with credit after claiming three wickets in the opposition’s innings. Meanwhile, in the only other game to be completed at the weekend, Ongar were well beaten by Stanford Le Hope, with Blake Hall’s 41 not out the only notable contribution.
The other abandoned games included the derby clash between West Essex and Epping, Fives’ game with Basildon, Buckhurst Hill’s home match with Old Southendians, Loughton’s visit of Hornchurch, Walthamstow’s match against Leigh and Woodford Green versus Belhus.
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