This was a thoroughly absorbing game of cricket.

Aarav’s bad trot with the toss continued as the home side elected to have a bat. We made a fast start though with Akein taking an absolute screamer at mid wicket, when all eyes were looking towards the boundary. Both he (1-14) and Ben (1-14) bowled an excellent opening spell and Akein joined Ben as a wicket taker breaching the defensives of their number 3. In fact, we looked sharp as a collective, and when Dylan came into the attack, he bowled his best spell of the season and was rewarded with figures of 1-5 from his 3 overs, thanks to another lovely catch, this time from Aryan at backward point. Aryan (1-14) picked up a wicket, bowled, and then a catch their eclipsed everything that gone before from Aarav, a horrible spiraller that he took tumbling over his shoulder on the undulating downslope at extra cover. Ethan (1-9) the grateful bowler. To this point we had done pretty much everything well, but Abbots pushed the accelerator hard in the dying overs, scything 40 runs from the final 3 overs (and 54 off the last 5), to finish on 123-5. Still, the wicket had few demons and needless to say the outfield favoured the people wielding the willow.

Abbots bowled very nicely at the top, thus it was pleasing to see Aarav and Akein weather the early storm. When the shackles were beginning to loosen, we lost Akein (10), although any momentum swing was quickly snuffed out as Aarav took 21 off an over, including 3 bludgeoned legside sixes. He retired with 26 from 16 balls. Fresh off a county century the day before, Aryan also played nicely and retired with 26 (off 21) to his name. So, with the target feeling within comfortable reach, it was Ethan and Henry taking up the baton. Both looked at ease and therefore it came as a bit of a surprise when Ethan (15) was castled. Ethan has been a big miss this year, he’s a useful change bowler, competent in the field and gives our middle order that extra strength that we have sometimes lacked. We were now in the business end of the game and with a couple of further quick wickets lost, Dylan joined Henry. The run rate wasn’t the issue, it was the wickets, especially as we were playing the game with 10 men. When we lost Henry (13) the equation was 8 needed from 6 balls and Ben striding to the wicket with no one else left in the hutch. To add to the drama the light had severely deteriorated by this stage….’health and safety’ would have been hyperventilating. 1,1 and then Dylan smashed a four straight back over the bowler’s head, we were in touching distance, a 1 followed to level the scores. 2 balls to get that elusive single. Ben made no contact with the next one, but Dylan (9 off 8) had gambled and took on the keeper, alas a direct hit saw him just short. So, with a ball left and no eleventh man we had to settle on the tie. Games like this make cricket such a special game and make us come back wanting more!

M.O.M. Overlooking the post match stuff (things got a little heated!), a lot of the boys put in top notch performances, today though it goes to Dylan, as mentioned he produced his best bowling in a long time, his fielding is ever reliable and he almost played the hero with the bat