Bridestowe CC 1XI vs Yelverton CC 1XI - 18/07/15

Post date: Jul 20, 2015 8:52:13 AM

Yelverton grabbed a thrilling last ball, two wicket win at Bridestowe. Yelverton won the toss and elected to field first. Bridestowe started slowly and found it difficult to pierce the infield early on, with both Sizmur and Fogerty consistently hitting the ball to fielders. In the 9th over Fogerty caressed two to the boundary and Sizmur followed suit in the following over to take the score to 28-0 after 10 overs. The pair began to accelerate and reached 47 before Fogerty (26) was bowled by Van Niekerk in his first over. He also bowled Hatton in the same over with one which turned sharply, getting the visitors back into the game. Mark Fogerty and Sizmur steadied things, and took the score to 86-2 at drinks. Sizmur was then bowled for a patient 41, with another sharply spinning delivery from Van Niekerk (4-28). Soon after Fogerty cut a short ball straight to point, and the game was back in the balance at 110-4, with only 13 overs remaining. Captain Butler was sent up the order to up the rate but he was caught and bowled by West. Khan and Ewen took the score passed 125 with some attacking shots, before Ewen was bowled by West (4-33) for 12. Khan and Dan Fogerty continued to attack, and a couple of sixes from Khan (43) took the home side over 150. Both men were out caught, and Jopling was bowled, leaving Lavis and Griffiths to get Bridestowe over the 175 mark. On 178 Griffiths holed out to the huge deep square leg boundary to end a decent effort with the bat for Bridestowe.

The Yelverton chase also got off to a slow start, thanks to accurate spells from Lavis and Fogerty. The first ten overs went by without much event before James Ewen got a run out with a quick throw in to Mark Fogerty who threw the ball behind him to dislodge the bails. The score crept along until Khan was introduced and Brain showed some intent by hitting him over his head for two boundaries. Sizmur bowled Townsend to leave Yelverton in a similar position as Bridestowe were at 52-2. Van Niekerk immediately went on the attack and was fortunate not to be caught early on before striking a few sweetly to the boundary. Brain was now also looking to up the tempo and lobbed a few shots over the infield. Van Niekerk tried one shot too many to Sizmur and was caught by Ewen for a quick fire 26. The Yelverton score passed 100 and it was looking as though they would win comfortably. However, wickets began to tumble to Sizmur (3-37) and Khan (2-42) and another run out put the game back in the balance. When Brain finally fell LBW to Khan for a well made 76, Bridestowe sensed a chance of victory. The target was slowly reduced down to 9 from the last three overs, with three wickets in hand. With Dan Fogerty finishing his allotted 7 over spell, captain Butler stepped up to bowl the last two overs from the grandstand end, with Khan bowling the penultimate from the road end. Butler picked up a wicket with his first ball thanks to a good low catch by Dan, and the rest of the over went for only 4; not helped by a no ball and a free hit which was edged for 1. Khan's excellent over went for just 1, leaving 4 needed from the final Butler over. Three dot balls built the pressure further, and a scampered single left 3 needed from 2 balls. Another play and miss left 3 runs needed from the last ball to win. The batsman again missed the ball, but they scampered a bye to short third man, Bridestowe thought they had got home by 1 run, but to their dismay, and Yelverton's jubilation, the umpire signalled wide to leave the scores tied with 1 ball still remaining. The batsman dropped the ball by his feet and set off for the single and, as the ball was thrown in, yet more controversy arose as the batsman appeared to block the ball going in to the keeper's gloves with his bat. The umpire didn't see the incident and so Yelverton had won off the last ball by two wickets; an excellent game which neither side really deserved to lose.

Also a big thank you to Debbie Prtichard who kindly stepped in as square leg umpire at the last minute as Yelverton would have made us field with ten.