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Cricket: Akhtar far from happy as Peterborough Town slip to defeat
Northants Premier Division: THE King of Pop might be dead, but the King of Strop is alive and well.
Northants Premier Division: THE King of Pop might be dead, but the King of Strop is alive and well.Peterborough Town skipper Ajaz Akhtar was an angry man after his side lost their unbeaten Northants Premier Division record at the hands of a youthful Northants Academy side in Milton Keynes.
And who can blame him? Town delivered an abject display in all facets of the game to concede defeat by 105 runs to a side who looked like they should have feasted on rusks and milk at tea-time.
Akhtar said: "We lost to a side of kids. They fielded two 13 year-olds and a 14 year-old, but we were frighteningly complacent and paid the penalty.
"We bowled okay, but they shouldn't have got 150 never mind near to 200. We dropped catches and then batted abysmally. It was a terrible day at the office."
Town entered the match in great spirits after achieving their first Jaidka Cup win in 11 years four days earlier and after a handful of overs that mood had been enhanced.
Akhtar and Jamie Smith each claimed an early wicket, but Robert Newton was missed badly by David Clarke at mid-off and he went on to top score with 44.
Newton received fine support from Chatteris-based Connor Cunningham, a Town player on a Sunday, who battled his way to 30 as the Academy posted a 55-over total of 190-8.
Akhtar (3-47 from 16 overs), Imran Abbas and Basharat Hussain all bowled economically, but pace ace Smith went for five an over and off-spinner Lewis Bruce was smacked for seven an over on a sluggish track.
It was always going to be an awkward total to chase, but few who have seen Town bat this summer would have anticipated what was about to occur.
Clarke's early loss was a blow, but the departure of Asim Butt for a solitary single following a wild slash at a wide one was devastating.
Alan Burton and Imran Abbas dug in, but the Pakistani professional turned the first ball bowled by off-spinner Robert Keogh obligingly into short leg's hands and Bruce was promptly bowled first ball.
Abbas made 20, Burton then fell for 25 and then the domino effect kicked in. One wicket fell after another with the final indignity inflicted by 14 year-old Jordan Capel, the son of Northants coach and former England all-rounder David Capel, who claimed the final two victims.
Town were dismissed for an embarrassing 87 and slipped to third in the table following an easy win by Northampton Saints.
One suspects there will be some hard talking at Bretton Gate in the next few days. There will need to be as leaders Finedon are the visitors to Bretton Gate on Saturday, a fixture that Town must win without the services of top batsmen Butt and Burton.
Scorecard: NORTHANTS PREMIER DIVISION
NORTHANTS ACADEMY beat PETERBOROUGH TOWN by 106 runs
Academy
J. Johnson c Abbas b Akhtar 0
S. Bojani c Abbas b Smith 1
R. Newton run out 44
C. Cunningham lbw Akhtar 31
J., Chopping lbw Hussain 34
R. Keogh b Abbas 13
W. Van Der Maat b Akhtar 20
O. Stone not out 23
T. Roach lbw Bruce 1
D. Ripley not out 9
Extras 17
TOTAL (8 wkts) 193
Bowling: A. Akhtar 16-4-47-3; J. Smith 6-1-30-1; I. Abbas 17-2-38-2; L. Bruce 4-0-28-1; B. Hussain 12-2-38-1.
Town
A. Burton lbw Keogh 25
D. Clarke c Johnson b Roach 6
A. Butt c Roach b Stone 1
I. Abbas c Van Der Maat b Keogh 20
L. Bruce b Keogh 0
A. Akhtar c Johnson b Chopping 7
M. Drake c Johnson b Chopping 1
D. Oldham c Van Der Maat b Keogh 2
B. Hussain c Roach b Capel 9
C. Milner b Capel 4
J. Smith not out 0
Extras 12
TOTAL 87
Bowling: J. Chopping 9-1-35-2; D. Roach 6-0-22-1; O. Stone 5-2-6-1; R. Keogh 9-3-12-4; J. Capel 4.5-0-10-2.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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