West Devon Under 13s v South Devon Under 13s
Played at Plymouth Civil Service Cricket Club
on 1st June 2003
At 8.20pm with heavy drizzle falling and 2 balls remaining the West’s last pair of batsmen, Jordan Andrews and Jack Nash, scrambled a bye to cap a remarkable fight back and achieve a victory that looked highly unlikely when Mat Gregory was bowled for 4, leaving the West 66-6 chasing the South’s total of 203-7.
The South’s total had been built around an excellent innings of 61 by W. Bennet with support from T. Whittle, 29 and 17 from R. Jenkins, which included 4 fours. Pick of the West’s bowlers was Captain Duncan Hefford who took 2-23 off 7 overs.
A superb spell of fast bowling from T. Whittle who took the first three wickets to fall in his spell of 4-0-16-3 left the West struggling at 22-3. More fine bowling had the West struggling at 66-6. There then followed a very mature and sensible stand of 84 between Marc Webber (35) and Jack Newton (34) full of sound defence and fine off side shots, which took the West to 150 before 3 quick wickets fell leaving the last pair needing 46 runs for victory with 13overs left.
What followed was quite remarkable as both batsmen kept out the good balls and calmly pushed one’s and two’s until 3 runs were needed off the last over. A bye off the first ball was followed by 2 dot balls. Nash then pushed the ball on the on side and scampered another quick single. The winning run came with the penultimate ball going for another bye as the South’s keeper struggled with a ball that was now like a bar of soap.
So the inter- district season came to an end with an excellent game which started in sunshine and finished in heavy drizzle and left all the spectators gibbering wrecks. Here’s to next year!
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