Exiles made it 8 wins in a row with a hard fought 3 wicket victory against Whalers at Barn Elms on Sunday.

Whalers won the toss and batted on another sweltering day and Nadeem struck in the first over. As ever this season, Exiles produced a consistently good attack, never letting the Whalers batters truly settle, with Teja making 49 albeit after being dropped early twice.

The spinners were the pick with captain KK taking 3 for 15 and debutant Alamgir 4 for 33. 159 all out seemed a very chaseable total.

But batting also proved tough for the Exiles with the Whalers also producing a very solid attack. Exiles lost both Safi and Hasan in the same over, before Abdul (31) and Andy consolidated with a partnership of 49 before they too both fell in the same over – Andy to a fine diving catch at wide slip.

Exiles had a long batting line up and they needed it. It was Ahmad with 47 who provided the main substance only getting out with the scores level chasing his fifty. Nadeem came out at 9 to smash the winning boundary first ball, with Shahid unbeaten at the other end.

Exiles were winners by 3 wickets with 22 balls left. So 8 wins in a row – the club record is 9 – achieved twice (for completed matches) – 2008 and 2015 into 2016…

Karnataka next up.