Arush Buchake hit a brilliant century as Northamptonshire 2XI secured a 46-run win against London Schools’ at Wantage Road.
The opener struck twelve 4s and two 6s on his way to 122 off 130 balls, along with sharing an opening stand of 153 with James Sales (61).
On a warm, sunny day at The County Ground, 2XI captain Gus Miller won the toss and elected to bat first.
Buchake and Sales opened up and navigated their way to 50/0 at the end of the opening powerplay, despite some challenging bowler from the London Schools’ openers, especially Freddie Fowler.
Buchake seemed to be the more aggressive of the two, bringing up his half century in 56 balls, whereas Sales presented more of a patient approach, striking his 50 in 81 deliveries.
At the halfway mark of the innings, the 2XI were 113/0 and pushing the run rate up nicely.
Shortly after the 150 partnership was brought up, Sales feathered one through to the keeper off the bowling of Fowler and had to depart for a well-made 61.
Five balls later and another wicket fell, with Gus Miller taking a sharp yorker on the toe and deemed to be LBW.
In the 36th over, Buchake pulled one away to the rope to bring up his hundred, coming off 106 balls.
Northamptonshire faltered after the dismissal of Buchake, going from 219/5 to 265 all out. The pick of the bowlers was Harry Broderick, who took a classy hat-trick with the final three deliveries of the innings. Broderick finished with figures of 6/54 from 10 overs bowled.
Fresh off the back of a new 3-year contract extension, Raphy Weatherall dismissed both London Schools’ openers for ducks inside the opening 7 overs to reduce the batting side to 19/2.
Weatherall brought up his third wicket in the 11th over, cutting up Neill and catching an inside edge which carried through to Oldershaw behind the stumps for his third catch.
In the 13th over, the bowling change immediately paid off as James Sales removed Taylor-Yeates’ middle stump in his first over replacing Weatherall.
The wickets continued as Gus Miller knocked back the middle stump of Hood to reduce London Schools’ to 75/5.
Harry Broderick and Berlusconi provided some much needed resistance, putting on a 55-run partnership before Broderick was bowled by Max Hunt for 31.
Freddie Heldreich trapped Imman LBW for 1 the next over, but Berlusconi continued to dig in, posting a half century from 44 balls.
The ball after reaching his 50, Berlusconi hit a full toss from the bowling of Heldreich straight to Aum Raykar for the eighth wicket.
James Sales wrapped up proceedings in the 36th over with back-to-back LBW’s, bowling London Schools’ all out for 219 and securing a positive 46-run victory for Graeme White’s team.