In a thrilling encounter, Ilford Greens CC 2nd XI faced off against London Lions Sports Club Saturday 2nd XI. Ilford Greens won the toss and opted to bat first. Their innings started steadily but quickly turned challenging as they lost early wickets, finding themselves at 18-3. Ahmed Khan managed to stabilize the innings with a solid 22 runs off 46 balls, supported by Ghulam Abbas, who scored 18 off 35 balls. A vital partnership of 49 runs between Subhaan Ejaz (28) and Shubham Khimavat (13) provided some relief. Yousif Khan played a quickfire knock of 23 runs. Despite their efforts, Ilford Greens were all out for 153 in 40.2 overs. Standout bowling performances came from Salman Ahmed, who took 4 wickets for 33 runs, and Mejanur Rahman Shadin, who claimed 3 wickets for just 19 runs.

Chasing a target of 154, London Lions began their innings confidently. Muhammad Islam Ritu anchored the chase with a significant contribution, scoring 54 runs off just 64 balls. He was well supported by MD Shuhan, who scored 31 off 31 balls, and Gayle Rustom, who added a quick 19 off 11 balls. The Lions lost their first wicket at 45 runs when Shahidul Alam Shahi was dismissed for 13. Despite some quick wickets, the Lions managed to keep the scoreboard ticking. Ghulam Abbas played a crucial role with 2 wickets for 44 runs, but it wasn’t enough to halt the Lions' progress.

London Lions ultimately reached the target of 154 in just 22 overs, securing a convincing victory by 6 wickets.

Captain Comments: "It was a tough match, and while we fell short, I’m proud of how our team fought through challenging conditions. Our bowlers put in a commendable effort, and we had some key contributions with the bat that gave us a fighting chance."

"We need to take the positives from this game and work on our consistency. We showed we can compete against strong sides, and with a bit more focus, we’ll turn these close matches into victories. It’s all about learning and improving from each game."