Lost
| Batsmen | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Wilding | Out | 0 | ||||
| Ali Tariq | Out | 0 | ||||
| Richard Pownall | Out | 0 | ||||
| Keith Denyer | Not Out | 0 | ||||
| Stuart Collier | Out | 0 | ||||
| George Wilton | Out | 12 | ||||
| Steve Banning | Out | 22 | ||||
| Mark Anderson | Out | 0 | ||||
| Jamie Travers | Out | 0 | ||||
| Neil Forrest | Out | 6 | ||||
| Ali Driver | Out | 19 | ||||
| Extras | ||||||
| Bowling | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Wilding | 5.0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1.60 | |
| Ali Tariq | 2.0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 8.00 | |
| Stuart Collier | 4.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 3.00 | |
| Steve Banning | 9.3 | 2 | 23 | 2 | 2.42 | |
| Mark Anderson | 9.0 | 4 | 13 | 5 | 1.44 | |
| Extras | ||||||
| Fielder | Catches | Run Outs | Stumpings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Collier | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamie Travers | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ali Driver | 1 | 0 | 0 |
May 5 v. Twyford – Away. Lost by 1 wicket
The pipe-opener was a derby clash at Twyford, a fixture we had won last season by 9 wickets. By way of symmetry, as Twyford’s last man swung mightily to mid-wicket, the resulting four left us losing the match by one wicket. That it was this close had seemed improbable for all but the last 15 minutes of the game, so the loss was particularly frustrating.
After losing the toss – for the last time this season! - we were put in, and all appeared to be in order as the openers compiled 10: but, after three overs, the infamous Twyford track was already displaying its inconsistencies, which were to trouble all of the batsmen throughout this low-scoring game. Undaunted, Neil Forrest was in full attack mode (does he know anything else?) but went for only 6 after aiming at the mid-wicket boundary once too often. 14 for 1 became 17 for 3 as the captain and Mark Anderson [Anners] fell for ducks. Fortunately, Ali Driver [Ali] remained his usual phlegmatic self as he witnessed this carnage from the other end and, with Steve Banning [Banjo], set about restoring the position. Taking blows to various parts of their upper bodies, including Ali’s helmet [that’s the one on his head!] and a great deal of skill, they added 26 valuable runs before Ali was adjudged lbw for 19, with the total 43 for 4. Much entertainment then followed as George Wilton [Wilts] blasted 3 fours and, with the watchful Banjo, put on 38 before falling for 12. Banjo (22) soon followed, as we slipped to 81 for 6. They had been undone by the same bowler, who then took the remaining 4 wickets in 7 balls, finishing with 7-2 off 5 overs! Whilst all this was going on, Anners appeared to be in excruciating pain as he paced the boundary with his fag packet-sized radio pressed against his ear, anxiously tracking the score from St Andrews as Birmingham pressed for promotion.
With a target of just 87, Twyford were cruising at 78 for 5 with just nine runs require for victory. On the brink of victory, their batsman appeared to freeze and added only seven runs from the next 8 overs for the loss of 4 wickets. Banjo and Anners (5-13 off 9) were turning the screw and were supported by some memorable catches: but their last pair dragged them over the line, so denying us at the last gasp!
