Bradley cashes in to guide Irregulars to convincing win

The powerful all-rounder played some of the most eye-catching shots seen at the KGV this summer – quite a considerable achievement considering the amount of runs that have been scored – as he made an unbeaten 80 to guide his side to a convincing six-wicket victory with two overs to spare against Optimists.

Had he been allowed to continue batting for the full 20 overs, odds on he would have joined this season’s centurion list such was the momentum he had built by that stage.

Having restricted their inexperienced opponents to 131 despite a somewhat mixed display in the field, Irregulars made a slow start to their reply with Optis skipper and part-time off-spinner Ben Maxton opening with a maiden and then taking a fine, low return catch to remove Waleed Jami in his next over.

But that brought Bradley to the crease and soon the run chase was progressing with far more conviction.

He and Ben Wentzel both looked assured, with the latter pulling a six over backward square leg while on the spin before Bradley finished off the powerplay with successive boundaries thumped back down the ground in an imperious stand-and-deliver style.

However, having put on 38 for the second wicket, a moment of confusion with contrasting calls of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ after a Wentzel pull shot was fumbled at mid-wicket saw the striker run out by a direct hit at the wicketkeeper’s end from bowler James Hudson, to whom the ball had initially been returned.

The two batsmen continued to have a heated debate for a few seconds before Wentzel departed, which perhaps prompted Bradley to ensure he saw the job through from there.

He did so with confidence.

He was given decent support by Werner Van Zyl, who contributed a run-a-ball 18 that included a four and a six to a third-wicket stand of 32, before Bradley really took centre stage.

It is not often Gashirai Masvikeni will share in a partnership of 40 and chip in with just two, but his partner was moving through the gears.

A couple of forceful straight drives were soon followed by a flat six pulled over deep square-leg and he brought up his half-century two balls later by helping a leg-side delivery around the corner for four.

By now Irregulars were cruising toward victory and although Masvikeni holed out when trying to go big with the winning post in sight, Angus Hunter joined Bradley to take their side to the line with no further hiccups and the latter sealed victory with his 11th four.

Earlier, it had been a familiar story for Optimists with the bat after they had won the toss – a promising start followed by a loss of momentum as wickets started to tumble.

Maxton and Alex Robin got them off to a flier with 29 off the first three overs, but after putting on 38 for the first wicket, soon Optimists were 67 for 5.

Max Ellis made the initial breakthrough by removing Robin and Alban Ford picked up the important wicket of Maxton, who edged behind, before Wentzel ripped through the middle order with a fine spell of 3 for 13.

Hudson and Carl Pugh got their side back on track, taking them past three figures, before Bradley picked up a wicket and James Underwood benefited from bowling straight at the death to take two in the last over as Optis fell at least 20 short of a challenging score.