THE senior side unleashed carnage on their stablemates in a huge ‘Fine and Country’ Conference win at the Vicarage, writes Huw Chambers.

1sts skipper Anup Menon won the toss, and along with Anant Saxena, promptly set the stage for the afternoon.

Saxena hit three fours in the first over, his masterly back foot play putting a recent fallow run behind him. Menon whipped two sixes to the leg side in his first contribution but sadly tweaked a back muscle in doing so. He bravely soldiered to 31 before retiring.

In company with the nagging medium pace of Anish Kuriakose, Devadas wrested some balance back by bowling Ayush Sharma, but with Phil Abraham showing how to pinch singles, the score once again accelerated.

Saxena cut and hooked imperiously, showcasing what good technique he has, and joined Abraham in stretching the infield. The pair took the score past the 200 mark before ‘Nelson’ struck, as on 111, Saxena failed to clear long off, Blenesh Jose judging a catch well to give Jacob Mathew a fine scalp.

Abraham passed his fifty but could go no further as Joseph Thomas bowled him, also trapping Jestus Jerry in front for 12.

Lahiru Chamil showed finesse has a part to play, getting to 16 before being caught by Sreeraj off Graison John. Sumesh Antony had opened his account with a six and was already motoring when joined by Ijaz in the 35th over with the score close to 300.

The batsmen traded crunching boundaries at will, the ball flying to all corners of the field. Sumesh has fallen in the 90s previously this summer, but nerves played no part as he reached his century with a huge straight six.

The club’s record score was passed with the same stroke, and another astonishing milestone was reached in the last over, the innings closing on 407-5, Sumesh unbeaten on 129 and Ijaz with his own cameo of 24.

Joseph Thomas took 2 – 71 for the 2nd team.

Any successful chase would have been beyond any fantasy, but Sreeraj hit a six in the second over to show the 2nds could put bat to ball.

However, in trying to hit Milton John over long-on, he made too heavy a contact and Sumesh Antony ran twenty yards in to pull off a great sprawling catch. John then found his line, bringing the ball into the stumps on an otherwise unresponsive pitch.

He trapped Jinu in front and enticed a return catch by Graison John off a slower ball. He then bowled Joseph Thomas. Blenesh Jose had shown patience and good defence, but both he and Rebin Rajan fell to John’s inducker.

Mudit Bohra was bowled in the same devastating spell. Jacob Mathew counterattacked, twice playing savage pulls to the midwicket boundary.

However, he tried the shot a third time to a delivery from Ijaz which was slightly fuller and was out leg before.

Joby David was dismissed in an identical manner, the ninth wicket falling before the first batting point was reached. Devadas was joined by 2nds skipper Anish Kuriakose, and the pair showed the virtue of playing straight, Devadas also playing stylish late cuts to the boundary.

They pushed the spinners calmly around the ground, putting on 38 before Jestus Jerry fired in a flattish yorker at Devadas’s feet to bring the game to a close. Devadas had made 32, with Kuriakose unbeaten on 10.

‘Lifeline’ man-of-the-match was Milton John for his spell of 7-13, amongst the club’s best ever analyses.