All-round performances from Mark Burns and Vicky Niaz helped Vagabonds score a tense six-run victory against Kowloon Cricket Club Templars at Mission Road yesterday.
Burns and Niaz chipped in with both bat and ball as Vagabonds registered their first win of the season.
Put in to bat, Burns (32) and Niaz (20) got Vagabonds off to a good start and on that foundation the independent side established a score of 268 all out.
Debutant Chris Coombes showed he will be a useful addition to the Vags when he top-scored with 52 and figured in a useful stand with Pervez Akhtar (43).
A breezy 44 from Shabbir Mohammed helped boost the total. Left-arm spinner Bharat Gohel was the main wicket-taker, grabbing five for 68.
Templars, missing star player Rahul Sharma, seemed to be on target with the top order clicking. Opener Thrupty Nimkar Ravi Sujanani, T.R. Kalyanraman, J. Malhotra, Gohel and A. Agarwal all contributed. But some fine fielding - not a catch was dropped - pegged them back.
