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Hurricanes vs Giants

Hurricanes make it 3 from 3. 

Week 3 of the VPL arrived and fortunately the bad weather predicted for the day never really materialised meaning all four fixtures were played and completed. 

The Hatherley Hurricanes looking to remain unbeaten had a tricky looking fixture away against the University of Gloucestershire Giants at the Victoria ground. The Giants who have beaten the Cheltenham Spartans and come very close to upsetting the Tewkesbury Royals always provide a competitive game. 

Giants captain Toby Rice won the toss and elected to bat first no doubt looking to post a competitive score and put the pressure second innings with his battery of spin bowlers. Hurricanes captain and purple hat contender Joel Price opened the bowling for Hurricanes and took the big wicket of Kilmister with his 4th delivery as Ryan chipped it back to be caught and bowled. This brought Giants overseas Thiwanka Kekulawla too the crease who instantly looked to be positive running well and sweeping the Hurricanes spinners effectively. Price struck again as Giants opener Smith tried to go big over midwicket but picked out Hurricanes overseas Ganesh Gadugu who took a good catch. Kekulawla and Yoganadan then built a small partnership of 35 before Yoganadan tried hitting Hurricanes left arm spinner Shahrukh Ali long over mid off but Henry Driver Dickerson took a super catch over his head with the boundary rope right behind him to remove Yoganadan for 9 and the Giants struggling on 45-3

Giants continued to lose wickets and the Hurricanes were very good in the field taken some great boundary catches to keep the pressure on the Giants. Thiwanka who fell for a well made 41 trying to reverse sweep leg spinner Joe Tutty but getting trapped LBW. Neal Osborn and Justin Murphy dragged the Giants up to 108 with Neal hitting a big six in the process. However 108 felt a little light but still enough to potentially cause some problems for the Hurricanes. Impact player Tom Hage was substituted in for Shahrukh Ali to open the batting for the Hurricanes with Henry DD. Kilmister opened the bowling for the Giants and instantly applied some pressure with a maiden. Toby Rice week 1s purple hat holder opened from the other end and got the wickets of both Henry DD who skied one up to midwicket and knicked off Hage to leave Hurricanes 16-2. Hatherley Hurricanes needed to rebuild and with overseas Ganesh and young batsman Nemika Benthota they stood up to the Giants spin bowling and put on a match winning 92. Ganesh played some brutal shot down the ground and Nemika swept the ball well. Neal Osborn was unlucky finding steep bounce off the length with Nemika being dropped twice off his bowling. In the end with just 1 needed for victory Nemika was bowled but Ganesh provided the winning runs in the very next over to finish 56* off 43 balls. 

A good win for the Hurricanes in what could of potentially been a banana skin for them. They have some challenges ahead with Dynamite, Royals and the unbeaten Vikings to come. The Giants who will be looking to sneak a playoff spot will take the positives and know they were maybe just 20-30 runs short with the bat. 

League Table Position - 2025

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