Twenty20 Hiller Thriller

A bumper Bank Holiday crowd saw a third successive Twenty20 tied game.

A new addition to this year's Twenty20 day was a Ten10 exhibition match featuring the future stars of KCC, that built upon the excellent summer coaching sessions from ex-England star Derek Randall.

Team Tuckers was captained by Ben Healey with Isaac Brown doing the honours for Leggy’s Legends. Healey won the toss and elected to field hoping to contain the opposition with the outfield on the slow side. Baker and Bayford donned the white coats as the sun began to break through. Tudor and Brown set off at commanding pace reaching 25 without loss off the opening 3 overs – a huge leg side 6 for Brown the pick of the shots. Farndale was introduced and immediately made the breakthrough, Tudor caught at square leg by Mills. Brown was unrelenting and reached 25 in double quick time retiring in front of an appreciative crowd.

Youngsters Hefter and Daft had a titanic tussle with Devenney and Oscar Brown some fine pinch hitting, before three wickets in three overs slowed the scoring. Harris with the big wicket of Jack Cairns and only conceding 2 leaving the batting side on 44-4 off 7. Harry Stolworthy returned at the death with a fine wicket caught again by Mills as Charlie Cairns finished off with a flourish and a huge 6 to see Leggy's Legends post a challenging 65 for 5 off their 10 overs.

Captain Healey and Mills opened up with a full range of textbook shots - a huge 6 from Healey brought the crowd to their feet before Cairns dismissed Mills smartly converting a run out chance after excellent work from Brown. The big hitting Harry Stolworthy entered the fray and neatly progressed the score amidst tight bowling from Isaac Brown, Jack Cairns and Cameron Hefter. Healey reached his 25 with a timely boundary making way for Farndale. It couldn’t be closer 44 off 7 – exactly the same as the opposition at the same stage.

Tudor returned for his second spell but was hoisted for a huge 6 with Stolworthy racing into the 20’s. 13 required off 12. Cairns returned conceding a miserly 4 runs in the penultimate over, leaving Captain Brown to bowl the final over with 9 needed for victory. With only 3 were conceded off the first 3 balls Stolworthy was forced to go big and holed out to Tudor. Farndale needed a 6 to tie but with deadly accuracy Brown sealed the victory with super line and length.

A cracking start to the day and congratulations to all involved. Well Done!

This year's teams for the main event were led by the Hiller Sisters. The pre-match changing rooms resembled a Next sale as players scrambled for the few coloured shirts that the Sisters had mustered!!

A new development this year was white balls and black sightscreens. Though the side pinned up by Cowlard soon gave way, perhaps because AC fancied bowling with the white ball against a white background, but more likely down to a two day beach cricket session in Skeg'.

Andy's Blue and White shirts batted first and Benji was quick out of the blocks with a quick 19. His partner Sticky had been building himself up all week playing Brian Lara on the Play Station for the battle for family honour against son Jack. And it was the young future KCC legend that came out on top dismissing Palmer Snr for 2. Sticky trudged off gutted, muttering about pocket money being stopped for a month. Jack didn't care having bagged figures of 2 for 10 off his 2 overs.

Young Chris Soar played some handsome shots without troubling Shelley in the scorers' tent while Cowlard played to the crowd with a trademark cross-batted slog for 6. Dougie had run out of puff after his heroics on Saturday and struggled to hit Leggy off the square. The Boss was wobbling it all over the place taking 2 for 13 in his 2 overs.

Iggy reached 25 in no time with 3 big sixes, one landing in the confectionery stall and bouncing out again. Laddy then made 12 before losing out to the in-form filth of Davey G who had taken over the Grant Parker pistols celebrations.

Billy Harrison and Duncan Disorderly were tied up in knots as Meeky struck with a double wicket maiden. It was left to Geoff Baker and Charlie Strong to post a rearguard action with 20 and 24 to post a final score of 135 - some way below the scores of recent years.

The half time raffle was well supported and the main prize of a signed England cricket bat, kindly donated by Nationwide Building Society, went to another future KCC star, Joe Palmer.


Meanwhile Scooby loosened up for his bat with a couple of Stella's from Laddy's Bar. Others weighed themselves down with hot dogs and burgers from Jean and Cliff's BBQ. This year's meat had been kindly supplied by Bob Green, the village butcher.

In reply for the Green and Blacks, Scooby made a quick 4 so as not to lose valuable drinking time, while Potty tucked into Laddy's cannon fodder with more relish than his half time burger, quickly retiring on 25. Garland smashed a six off Laddy into the now half black half white sightscreen. Laddy gained some revenge for his earlier dismissal, getting rid of DG. However, the celebrations were a little over the top given that the Ladster had conceded 39 from his 2 overs!!

Meeky's bookmakers hadn't taken a penny on Boss Hogg to win MVP but the odds were slashed from 200/1 to 6/4 as Leggy stroked 5 boundaries in his 23. After 5 overs the score had raced 65-3.

Dougie came on to change the course of the match, mixing up medium pace dross with wayward leg spin. Meeky left a wide that almost pitched on the artificial, but was then stunned next ball by a leg break that turned a foot up the hill, rooted to the spot as Dougie launched high-fives all round.

Bobby wasn't going to be intimidated by an Aussie spinner and eyed up the Nottingham Road playground, but only succeeded in picking out Sticky on the cow corner boundary, which led to the celebration of the day, a shirt waving Ryan Giggs lap of honour - sure to be the most watched video on You Tube this year! Dougie ended with the best figures of the day - 3 for 7.

The scoring rate slowed dramatically as Fraser, Jack P and Shero struggled against Strongy, who took 2 for 1 off his 2 runs, together with a caught and bowled to seal the MVP award. Andy Hiller-Sister had been viewing video analysis all week and sensibly placed eight fielders between backward point and extra cover as Butch came to the crease. He need a ninth though as Beakey threaded a boundary through the ring on the way to 20 off 23 balls. When he was dismissed though, 15 were still needed with the returning Potty and Skipper Dave the last men at the crease. It looked as though Potty had the game won with a big 6 in the penultimate over to leave the scores tied.

Andy Hiller-Sister built the tension to boiling point with five dot balls. Potty had one final swing and a miss, and Benji whipped off the bails for another tied match.


Thanks to everyone who played, spectated and especially helped organise another magic KCC day.