Victoria Park Community Cricket League By Phil Ravitz SKY, last season s runners-up s failure to make an impact on this season s Division 1, had their demise further illustrated when Caledonian Con-querors won the clash between the sides by four wickets.

Victoria Park Community Cricket League

By Phil Ravitz

SKY, last season's runners-up's failure to make an impact on this season's Division 1, had their demise further illustrated when Caledonian Con-querors won the clash between the sides by four wickets.

It was Caledonians' first win over the Clapton side for five seasons and they showed their intent with some hostile bowling from their opening attack when Sky took first knock.

Two quick wickets from Anser Mahmood (2-24), followed by Waqar Ali taking two saw Sky slip from 32 without loss to 51-4.

Imran Khan (53) then did excellently to rebuild the innings and with support from Javed Soomro (19) helped Sky to a respectable, but below par total of 124-7 from their 16 overs.

Caledonians' cautious reply saw Rick Davies fall in the second over, but the Mohammed brothers - Fazal and Nadeem - set about the task and took Cally to victory.

Fazal retired on an unbeaten 53, including five sixes and his younger brother Nadeem was 37 not out, including five fours.

Waqar Ali (18 no) and Zulfiqar Mohammed (10 no) saw their side home with one ball to spar to give Caldeonians their most satisfying win of the campaign.

History repeated when The Ducks, leaders of Division 1 met second placed Island Community, just a week after putting them out of the League Cup competition.

The Ducks, with Test umpire Aleem Dar, who starred with both bat and ball the previous week, still in their line-up took first knock and although the league leaders lost Sibet early on, good knocks from Dar (26), Amir Khan (24) and Husnain Abbas (23) allowed The Ducks to set a defendable score of 123-7 from 16 overs.

Stollery led the Island bowlers with two wickets, while there was one apiece for Miran, Fleming and Silver.

A torrential downpour between innings made matters doubly difficult for the Island reply, as some tight Ducks bowling restricted them to 96-7 despite Tanjeem (21) and Miran (20). Ahmed Farooq was Ducks' wicket-taker in chief with 3-22, while Husnain Abbas collected 2-16 in a 27 run victory.

East London Community overturned the formbook and broke their duck in Division 1 by recording their first victory in the second phase of the League.

With a draw and two defeats from their opening fixtures in the highly competitive top division, East London overcame London Tigers by six wickets after successfully chasing down Tigers' 130-5, with the loss of just one wicket.

Tigers had won the toss and opted to bat, but were prevented from a racing start by some fine, tight bowling from East London pair Syed and Maruf, Syed, in particular, keeping it very tight conceding nine from his early overs.

But Maruf was proving the more dangerous bowler and with his ability to move the ball in the air, he ripped through the Tigers' top order.

Khaled held the Tigers' innings together with an excellent 50 out of a total of 130-5, but lacked support throughout the knock.

At the other end, Tigers' wickets fell fairly regularly and they closed their innings after 16 overs.

East London opted for a different pair than usual to open and Iqbal partnered Altarf to great effect.

The pair seemed untroubled by any of the Tigers' bowlers and although Altarf fell in the seventh over to a loose shot - Tigers' Shariyar taking a sharp catch - Mohit joined Iqbal and although they faced the task of scoring 42 from the last five overs, they made it look easy and took their side to victory with 1.3 overs in hand.

Tower Ravens moved second in Div 2 when they won a tight clash with London Fields by 12 runs.

Fields took first knock and made 151-4, thanks to a strong 52 from Paul Teasdale and Robin Friend's 33.

Ravens made 163-2 in reponse thanks to Dennis (48 no) and Ajmal and despite Fields' Warren Todd taking two wickets.

The victory pushes Ravens level with London Wanderers at the top of the section.

Rose & Crown underlined their leadership of the league's Division 3 by overcoming the league's other Tigers - the Bengal Tigers.

Rose & Crown were put in and were soon in trouble losing two early wickets.

But the innings was steadied by Pat Heaphy (50 no) and Matthew Hick (35 no) and they were able, with assistant from Matthew's brother Alan Hick (28 no), to accelerate the innings sufficiently to close at 176-2 in 16 overs.

Despite an impressive, unbeaten knock of 57 from Cook, Tigers were always behind the rate and also found Rose & Crown bowler Sean Feeney difficult to subdue and he finished with an impressive 4-17.

Old Fallopians came out on top of the Div 3 mid-table clash between themselves and Tower Cavaliers, who posted 160-2 from their 16 overs, when taking first knock.

Fallopians responded with some strong all-round batting, Stebbings making 50 and the 'Iceman' AK Southey struck three boundaries in a tense final overs to secure Fallopians' six wicket victory.

Homerton's Chats Palace continue their improved form in Div 4 with a four run success over Old Ranwellians - Palace's third win in the section.

They made 122-5, Rory Byrne making a strong start for 35 and Sam Hickey picking up the baton with 33 to renew the impetus

Old Ranwellians came very close to overhauling the target and entered the final over requiring seven for victory. But a fine, restrictive over from Nomaan kept them to just one run and Chats Palace were home by a slender, four run margin.