Three star performers helped Stevenage stroll to victory over mid-table Sawbridgeworth in their most one-sided game of the season. Stevenage captain Dave Carr chose to bat first on a good batting track and backed his side to have enough firepower and vari

Three star performers helped Stevenage stroll to victory over mid-table Sawbridgeworth in their most one-sided game of the season.

Stevenage captain Dave Carr chose to bat first on a good batting track and backed his side to have enough firepower and variation to bowl the opposition out.

Sawbo's regular new ball attack of Wilson and Burrell elicited some early swing which accounted for Tanweer Sikandar for eight.

But they struggled for control and Gary Brown and Syed Ali Kazmi took full advantage of anything remotely loose.

Last year's leading wicket-taker in the league, left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham, faired little better.

Brown and Ali Kazmi cruised past their fifties and their 150-run partnership. The stand ended due to a rush of blood from Ali Kazmi who aimed a wild slog over mid-wicket and was bowled by Cunningham for 86.

Their partnership totalled 198 and beat Stevenage's previous league record of 184, which was also a second wicket partnership involving Ali Kazmi.

Brown cruised past his hundred, his second for the season, and was joined by Nas Ahmed (26).

The final partnership of the innings was between Brown and Ashley Bayes and the Stevenage boys were 118 and 18no respectively when Carr declared the innings on 264-3 from 55 overs, enabling Sawbo the same number of overs to chase down the total.

Sawbo's reply got off to the worst possible start with Gareth Berg taking a simple caught and bowled chance in the first over, which he followed up shortly afterwards by clean bowling Danny Hull.

With Azhar Ali taking out numbers three and four, Sawbo were 25-4 before the first of two face-saving partnerships involving Burrell. The first partnership was only 23 with his captain Wilson who hung around desperately for some time before being trapped leg before by Berg for seven.

Ali picked up another quick wicket to keep pace with Berg and leave Sawbo on 69-6 before the second and more significant partnership of the innings.

Burrell decided to come out of his shell and while living dangerously, particularly against the off-spin of Bayes, he made a half century and received good support from Morgan in a partnership of 76.

It took the new ball and a fine catch at gully by Sikandar to dismiss Burrell (80) off Berg.

Resistance from that point was minimal, Sikandar cleaning up Cunningham with a perfect inswinging yorker and Berg wasted little time with numbers 10 and 11, one nicking a catch to Ali Kazmi at first slip and the other a thinner deflection to wicket-keeper Carr.

The victory moved Stevenage into third place in the league. Their next two fixtures are away to league leaders Radlett on Saturday and at home to second placed Welwyn Garden City.

Stevenage v Sawbridgeworth

Stevenage

T Sikandar c Greenall b Wilson 8

G Brown not out 113

S Kazmi c and b Cunningham 86

N Ahmed c Wilson b C'ingham 26

A Bayes not out 13

Extras 18

Total (3 wkts) 264

Bowling: D Wilson 7-1-34-1, M Burrell 6-0-31-0, R Cunningham 21-1-83-2, J Boviard 8-0-46-0, K Morgan 8-1-32-0, D Hull 5-0-25-0.

Sawbridgeworth

D Hull b Berg 11

J Rudkin c and b Berg 0

A Fisher c Sodhi b Ali 9

T Small b Ali 0

D Wilson lbw b Berg 7

M Burrell c Kazmi b Berg 80

A Marshal b Ali 0

K Morgan not out 39

R Cunningham b Sikandar 1

S Greenall c Kazmi b Berg 4

J Boviard c Carr b Berg 0

Extras 15

Total (all wkts) 166

Bowling: G Berg 14.5-0-52-6, A Ali 12-1-49-3, S Kazmi 5-0-22-0, T Sikandar 4-2-4-1, A Bayes 3-0-27-0.

Stevenage won by 98 runs