Devils Lose Two and One
22nd June 2019
Well the weather has improved and Metro have beaten Yorkshire twice, in the BBS cup at home and away in the league. The cup win means a home semi-final with the opportunity to avenge last year’s defeat in the final as Sussex visit on 6th July.
The Devils have not taken up playing golf but did lose two players to injury, Ahmed unable to bowl after his first over had conceded just 8 runs and then at the start of the chase, Jack – who pulled up lame taking an easy single while running for Hassan.
They ended up on 153 chasing 155 to win as Brenda was run out on the last ball of an enthralling match. In fact, if the scores had been tied the Dolphins would have won as they had taken 7 wickets while the Devils only took two.
On a perfect afternoon for cricket, with lots of pleasant blue sky but the temperature not too hot, the day started well for the home side as they won the toss and asked Dorset to bat. It was the visitors, however, who may have been the happier after the opening exchanges as they reached 48 for 1 after seven overs having lost run one opener bowled by the home skipper.
Tim McKenzie remained in however and was hitting the ball hard to all parts of the ground – although the stumps at the bowler’s end did deny him one almost certain four, stopping the ball dead and turning a good shot into a dot ball. There was just one chance offered in his innings, the ball after his new partner had been run out from sharp fielding by Brenda at mid-wicket, as he skied one toward square leg but Ryan could not quite get under the ball. He retired on 51, including three fours and a huge 6 over square leg from a no ball, with the score on 116 at the end of fourteen overs. This left Ben and the away skipper, Steve, to finish off the innings which they did well including getting 15 vital runs off the final over.
The chase started after just a short break, as it was agreed to take tea after the game, with Ryan and Chris opening. They only managed 14 together before Chris was bowled bringing Hassan and Ryan together. They batted well taking the runs on offer and picking the extras donated by the visitors to get to a position that looked to have the Devils well ahead until Ryan was run out in not quite getting back for a second run with 80 runs on the board after eight overs and two balls.
However this wicket led to a collapse of near national scale; Asif went two, boundary 4, then caught out and Dave Samuels was also out before the half way mark,leg before to the way skipper. At ten overs the Devils with 97 had 32 more runs in the bag, so still seemed well placed with Everton, Brenda and the injured Jack all still to bat.
The visitors had other ideas and kept their bowling tight and fielding energetic, so that after Hassan was bowled by his opposite number with the score on 105, they were able to squeeze with Everton and Brenda unsure of their running together and so were restricted to a partnership of 34 from 44 balls. The Devils scoring worm had still stayed ahead of the Dolphins apart from the end on the 14th over when it was one behind.
There was some confusion about Jack coming into bat with a runner before Brenda ended the eighteenth over with a single. The score 140, the worm 5 ahead and 15 needed from two overs. A single from Brenda and three lusty blows all for 2 from an immobile Jack left the worm 8 ahead and the equation of 8 needed from six balls.
Who was the pressure on as Tim was given the ball for the last over? A dot meant very clearly the batsman, but then Brenda got one very fine behind the stumps for two and perhaps the pendulum swung back? The next ball was probably the most critical in the over as a great stop by the Dolphins total at square leg meant a dot ball. Brenda got off strike to leave Jack with the task of scoring 5 from two balls, so a boundary needed. Jack could only manage a two to fine leg and then that single as Dorset collected the ball at fine leg to run out Brenda at the bowler’s end with a relay throw via the wicket keeper.
Wow – amazing stuff which leaves the league for the Devils to concentrate on with games to come against Dorset away and Berkshire at home, their last home fixture of the season on August 10th.
Report by Paul Toplis
