Outstanding

Unbelievable. Legends. The Pinnacle. Absolute beauty. Dreamland.
Enough superlatives…

The 14s travelled to the reigning league champions, Radcliffe, hoping to have closed the standards gap on their more illustrious opponents.

Shepherd and Newell joined the regular cohort as Normington lost the toss and the KCC XI took to the field.

Machin Snr took charge of the scorebook allowing Tuckwell to prowl around the boundary and pass comment, while Healey and Brown opened up.

A steady start unfolded with both teams trying to wrestle the initiative from each other. After 8 overs the KCC boys were the more satisfied limiting their usual free scoring opponents to 35, with Healey finishing with figures of 4-0-20-0 and Brown 4-0-13-0.

Tudor and Steiner maintained the pressure with the latter dismissing the opener, Brown taking a routine catch at mid-off.

Radcliffe: 53-1 off 12

Tuckwell was busy on the phone relaying messages of positivity to Newell and Neecey Snr as it all went a little pear shaped.

Partly due to inexperience, wickets in hand and some suspect fielding the Radcliffe middle order began to make hay. Tudor and Mills both took a wicket, and Stolworthy a smart catch, as the run rate escalated with alarm. Steiner returned for a further wicket as 124 was reached off the penultimate over.

Shepherd strode up for a final hurrah and cart wheeled the off stump out of the ground in his first delivery. 5 more top draw deliveries kept the score below 130 and at least gave a minor wave of optimism.

Radcliffe: 129-5 off 20.

Legge and Tuckwell glossed over the on field fumblings as the batsman tucked into Mrs Healey’s freshly baked birthday fairy cakes. Attack was the message especially after Brown Snr heard the Radcliffe coach saying all the lesser lights would have a bowl indicating the game was as good as in the bag!

A first ball boundary from Normington was a perfect start but Hennessy fell in the first over, misjudging the pace and pulling one to square leg.

Machin and Normington put on 20 before both falling to smart catches in the 6th over.

KCC: 25-3 off 6 - 105 required off 84.

Healey and Brown then ignited the touch paper with a dazzling 30 run calypso carnage in 3 overs that sparked thoughts of the improbable.

Tuckwell gathered the lower middle order and reached for the pills with 67 needed off the final 60. The pair maintained their relentless pace as the Radcliffe elite were brought on to restore order and Tuckwell racked up the phone bill and RSI on the text.

KCC: 85-3 off 13 – 45 off 42

The breakthrough was immediate as Healey lost his off stump for a magnificent knock of 35. Tudor (4)came and went but kept the run rate ticking as Radcliffe tried to keep on top of the run a ball rate.

KCC: 94-5 off 15 – 36 off 30

Newell made an automatic impact crashing a couple of boundaries and running some immaculate singles with Brown, the ball only dropping metres from the bat to pressure the field. A huge 13 runs off the 16th over

Tuckwell was wearing out the grass around the perimeter as Brown (19) fell with the score on the dreaded Nelsons
111-6 off 17 – 19 off 18

Stolworthy (4) came and went but importantly launched an important boundary, as the tension became unbearable. Newell calmed the nerves after two bouncers were dispatched with class – the first hooked over square leg, the next cut over point.

120-7 off 18 – 10 off 12

Steiner was the new man in and the popular lefty knocked a single and a double before Newell was beaten all ends up by a swinging Yorker. The stumps remained intact but more importantly the ball evaded the keeper and raced over the ropes.

127-7 off 19 – 3 off 6

Steiner turned hero as Tuckwell was lying prostrate watching behind closed fingers. Steiner (7*) crashed the first ball of the final for four to seal a historic win with Newell (15*) also unbeaten .

The pinnacle of the junior journey so far against the reigning champions. A superb performance of immense character and belief.

Outstanding boys. Truly Outstanding.