Hampstead chairman Nick Brown was keen to thank Middlesex star Steven Finn for opting to play for the club after missing out on being selected for the Bob Willis Trophy clash with Surrey, writes Jacob Ranson.
The 31-year-old came into the line-up and helped Hampstead seal a 40-run victory over local rivals Brondesbury in the Middlesex League Premier Division on Saturday.
Hampstead won the toss and elected to bat first where they posted a score of 126 before being bowled out, with Jonathan Dunne leading the way with a score of 56.
They then managed to bowl their opponents out for 86 thanks to Rich Banham (4-17) and Ben Frazer (3-19), while former Ashes winner Finn also picked up a wicket.
“I’d like to take the opportunity to thank ‘Finny’, clearly he would’ve preferred to have been at the Oval, but his attitude was that of the consummate professional,” Brown said.
“We hope he gets a run for Middlesex, but if he doesn’t there’s a home for him at Hampstead.”
The chairman was delighted to seal a victory and says credit must go to the stand-out performers including batsman Dunne and bowlers Banham, Frazer and Ajit Sambhi.
“We’re obviously delighted to get the win. We can reflect on an outstanding performance with the ball and in the field,” he added.
“The scorecard tells the story with the bat, we’re indebted to Jonny Dunne, his runs made the difference.
“It’s great to have Jonny back at Hampstead, he had a season away last year and he’s back and the results are clear to see.
“We were outstanding with the ball, Rich Banham with the new ball is a real handful anyway and having Steven Finn in the team raised him to another level.
“Then we handed the ball to our spinners, Ben Frazer and Ajit Sambhi, and they strangled the life out Brondesbury.”
Hampstead will now host strugglers Twickenham on Saturday as they look to build on their latest victory.
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