Back From Brink v Belton

In the end a comfortable victory for the Stiffs at home to Belton but not without some scares along the way.

Cowlard lost the toss and we bowled first. AC had no luck at all down the hill beating the bat regularly and seeing all manner of outside, inside and leading edges fall between fielders or race to the boundary. Meanwhile up the hill Leggy's head was a shed. Getting up at 4am hadn't helped, but the sight of young Chris Soar stranded on the boundary waiting to be picked up by the Firsts had Boss Hogg in bits. A head high beamer was dispatched to the far reaches, as was Leggy after a short spell!! Murali Burton replace Leggy and the carnage continued with two big sixes into the Church Drive gardens. 80-0 after 13 overs wasn't in anyone's pre-match plan.

The tide turned with the introduction of Charlie Strong. Four matches in eight days was taking its toll on Dave's body, but had done wonders for line and length bowling nine straight overs for just 13 runs. One opener was clean bowled, then then the next caught behind by Beakey. Top Man then lured the no.3 down the track for Butch to take a sharp stumping. After the initial fireworks the next 15 overs went for only 30 runs as we wrestled back control. Fielding was again excellent with Duncan Disorderly, One-Gets-Two and Fraser like lightning in the field. We quickly polished off the middle order, Strongy taking a third wicket, Matt a second and Cowlard his first.

Cowlard was by now still eyeing up his 30 wicket bet with Leggy and a free night out round Keyworth. Leggy was worried about digging deep as AC took two in two balls. But needn't have worried as once again Cowlard's hat trick ball was a powder puff half volley outside off stump. Matt bowled out with figures of 2-43 off 12 overs which let Fraser come on to mop up the tail taking 2-13 in 3 overs. Cowlard finished with 3-38 as we were relieved to bowl Belton out for 146 in the 39th over.

Tea by Jude had a queue stretching well into the Village Hall car park. Special recipe chocolate cake was again the highlight resulting in several proposals of marriage.

Belton's opening attack was probably the best we'd faced all year. Butch's run of bad luck continued as after two boundaries he played on off arm, shoulder and belly! After last week's brutal innings DG was fluent from the off playing some magnificent on-side drives. Drurs at the other end was proving harder to shift than a limpet but as dull as the sky above. Still the pair took the score to 81 before Glassback was bowled for 22, much to the delight of the Keyworth Legends and the returning First Team who looked forward to some more attractive strokeplay.

Fraser was his usual bundle of energy running between the wickets, notching up a useful 20 including the shot of the day, a clip for four off his legs. Thoughts turned to collecting maximum batting points with only 13 needed. But if ever there was a case of celebrating before the winning line, this looked like it. Fraser was run out trying for one quick single too many. Then an absolute calamity in the next over. First DG was caught for a fantastic 77 having looked in no bother.

Two balls later Paul Lay was plum LBW, and then Cowlard chipped a half volley to gully for a golden duck. Four wickets had fallen for no runs with much panic. Strongy had still been in his shorts at the start of the over, joking about seeing Cowlard with a book in his hand for the first time since primary school. There was now no time for larking about and Strongy settled nerves seeing off the hat trick ball.

We needed 11 off the 39th over and were fortunate to have Matt Burton at the other end, a better finisher than Fernando Torres. Top Man chipped seven off the first three balls, and then Strongy sealed the win with a massive straight six.

In the end a comfortable win and 20 points. News filtered through that Caythorpe had lost to Wilsons and various calculations confirmed we were back on top of the league for the first time since May. A win at home to Underwood next week will see us both promoted and champions.

Still all to play for!

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