2nd XI Win in the Final Over

It all started with me losing my first toss of the season, and Wheatley decided to have a bat on what turned out to be a road and a half!!!

Simon Dean (8 overs, 0-28) & I, Darren Edwards, (8 overs, 1-21) opened the bowling. After our 16 overs had gone, the opposition were 50-1… The ‘spin kings’, Tim Beer (8 overs, 1-55) and Chris Ward (7 overs, 0-41), came on and bowled well but we had to accept that their batsmen could play good shots. Their opener (62) and number three (74) both got half centuries and took Wheatley up to 113 without the loss of another wicket. Our catching wasn’t the best, so on another day this could have been a completely different innings. In true CPCC spirit, we kept at it and were rewarded with a few wickets late on. David Freeman (4 overs, 2-24) and Evan Bownes (5 overs, 1-37) both bowled well at the death. Wheatley finished on 208-5!!!

They probably thought they had done enough with the bat, but Dave Taylor was up to the challenge. So, DT and Evan Bownes opened the batting and both looked in great touch right from the start both hitting boundaries for fun… This opening partnership of approx 80 was exactly what was required and set a great foundation. Evan fell for a good 29 to bring in Rhys Ward who was caught on the boundary for 3. Chris Ward was next to the crease and, with DT, turned the game around with what turned out to be a match winning partnership! They were both in complete control of their games, until Chris was then, unfortunately, caught out on an excellent 43! We required 30 off 5 overs and it was made a little nerve-wracking when Rich Tomlinson (3) and Charlie Shelton (2) fell quickly. DT stood strong, striking the ball sweetly to hit overs 37 and 38 for 20 runs. 6 to win off 7 balls… Callum Edwards nicely nicked the last ball of the 39th over for 4!!! It all came down to the final over, where we now needed 2 to win. Who else but DT to knock the winning runs from the first ball of the over, finishing 110 NOT OUT… what a knock!!!

An excellent game of cricket going right down to the final over, even nicer to be on the right side of the result and picking up another 20 points.

- Darren Edwards, 2nd XI Captain