A DEVASTATING spell of swing bowling helped Martley second XI captain Tej Uppal record the best figures of his career.

The 45-year-old medium-pacer ripped through the Hallow order to claim 7-22 off 11 overs in his side’s 10-wicket victory in Worcestershire League Division Five Second XI.

His performance, which included a triple-wicket maiden as Hallow were dismissed for just 63, topped the county bowling charts to make him our player-of-the-week.

Uppal, who receives a £30 Fearnley Factory Shop voucher for his efforts, said: “It’s the best bowling figures I have had. It could have been eight but we missed one in the slips.

“Normally I would come off after eight overs but because we were taking wickets regularly, I decided to stay on.

“Six of them were bowled but one was a blinder of a catch from 13-year-old Alexander Basford. He ran from square-leg and caught it at short fine-leg.”

He continued: “The ball was really swinging but I just bowled a good line and length.

“I took a couple of early wickets and got into their middle order and tail-enders very quickly.

“There was only one good player who my colleague got out and I think the rest of the players struggled with the swinging ball. My first wicket was one of their key batsmen in Ellis Oliver.

“I bowled a ball that he played for but it swung very late and just clipped the outside of off-stump.”

Having needed just 21.4 overs to skittle their visitors at Jewry Field, skipper Uppal thought it was the ideal time to blood a few of the club’s youngsters.

With victory all but a formality, he promoted teenagers Basford and Jamie Hammond up the order and let them enjoy their moment in the spotlight.

Basford hit five fours to finish unbeaten on 30 and Hammond found the boundary on four occasions en route to 26 not out as Martley cruised to victory in 11 overs.

Uppal, whose previous best figures were 6-37 in 2009, said: “We were not chasing a big score so I got our youngest batsmen to open for us and let them enjoy themselves.”