By Colum John

BARRY Wanderers got back to winning ways on Saturday with a nine-wicket victory over Sully Centurions Seconds at Hayes Point.

The day started slowly for the Centurions with accurate fast bowling from Luke Grant and Venkat Siddu, pinning Sully openers Hicks and Dabasiya back in their creases early on.

The watchful Hicks offered stubborn resistance but Venkat’s persistent accuracy forced the Sully bastmen into making errors. Dabasiya and Thomas fell playing at balls best defended, leaving their wickets bare only for the ball to crash into them sending the bails skywards.

Venkat finished an excellent spell with frighteningly good figures of 8-4-4-2.

Sully crept over the 50-run mark in the 17th over before the returning Ram Guni came onto bowl and nabbed 2 wickets, one either side of drinks including the key wicket of Hicks for 41. Chandra Thimmanacheru grabbed a wicket with an unorthodox approach but kept the pressure on the deflating Centurions.

The rest of the Wanderers attack kept the pressure on with two wickets for Tim Bowker (who arguably should have had a third), one for Andy Fenton and some probing swing bowling from Colum John.

There were also some fine catches from Neil Blundell, Fenton and a very special one from inspirational captain George Allen, grasping a ball that seemed to hang in the air for a lifetime. Overall it was an excellent effort from the Wanderers in the field restricting the Centurions to 131 for 9.

With a target of 132 set, it was the Wanderers turn to bat and they wasted no time with recent record breaker Neil Blundell setting the pace with a boundary off the first ball.

The runs kept on coming as wayward bowling and poor fielding gave the Wanderers openers Blundell and Pete ‘Sooty’ Coleman easy runs.

Blundell was cut down by a rare fine ball (out bowled for 17) which brought Ram to the fold and he quickly turned up the heat with an almighty six.

Sooty, paired with the grit and determination of a Jack Russell and the grace and precision of a swan, used his trademark sweep and even a helicopter swing to immense effect making the Wanderers fans cheer with delight.

More wondrous shots would follow from Ram who along with Sooty took the Wanderers to victory with the loss of no further wickets.

The final run was acquired in the 24th over with Ram and Sooty finishing unbeaten on 46 and 44 respectively.

The Wanderers won by nine wickets.