Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League

Ed Gross hit a half-century on his Homes Counties debut – but it couldn’t save Great & Little Tew from a first defeat in Division 2 West as they went down by five wickets at Cove.

Tew, who had beaten Aston Rowant and Oxford in their previous two games, were inserted on a slow pitch and lost their first wicket when Joe White was bowled by Moses Onyuro with the score on 12.

This brought Gross to the wicket and he timed the ball nicely from the start.

He reached his half-century with his eighth four, only to fall to the next delivery, bowled by Jahngir Zaman for 53 off 68 balls.

Ashley Hubbert, with an unbeaten 44 off 77 balls, played the spinners well to steer the visitors to 214-7 off 50 overs.

Cove’s run chase quickly ran into trouble as Matt Woods, who finished with 2-22 off ten overs, removed James Marsh and Randall to make it 12-2.

With Liam Manley, whose nine overs cost just 16, also producing an excellent opening spell, Cove struggled to 40-2 from 21 overs.

But Tim Smith (40) and Najeeb Malik dug in and, riding their luck, put on 101 for the third wicket.

Malik eventually fell for 82 off 117 balls, with nine fours and two sixes.

With Tew contributing 28 wides and six no balls, Trent Keep (34no) saw Cove to 215-5 with two overs to spare.

Scores: Great & Little Tew 214-7 (50 ovs, E Gross 53, A Hubbert 44no), Cove 215-5 (48 ovs, N Malik 82, T Smith 40, T Keep 34no). Cove 25pts, Great & Little Tew 5