Provender

Match Report

Provender provides the most lovely venue and, in three years the most challenging of opponents, and so it proved once more as the unbeaten season came to a tense end with a last ball decision. Opening the innings, James Grant, set off as if he had a ferry to catch (unusually he did not) despatching the pace men to all parts. Jasper Smallwood kept him company at a more sedate pace, and, on James’ departure in the first over of spin, focussed hard as the momentum died, to grind out a well crafted half century. The middle order could not get hold of the spinners, who bowled unchanged through the middle of the innings, until Charlie McLeod injected some urgency, if with tongue firmly in cheek, as he dilscooped and reverse swept his way to 73. Hugo Snape murdered the last couple of overs to take the total past two hundred.

Hugo and James Stabb kept the opening spell tight, and with a couple of wickets falling to catches at mid-off (both Hugo), Provender were behind the pace after 18 overs, but now had two well set batsmen, who were not giving much away. Catches are always important, and two going to ground prevented the pressure from building, and a couple of expensive overs further opened the door. Two late wickets upped the tension, one falling to a classy pick up and throw from Charlie Munton to run out a man on 82. 44 from 6 overs became 19 from 3, and then 6 from the final over to be bowled by Hugo. Four from the first ball, and it looked to be lost, and then a no-ball for a second bouncer in the over – scores level. Four dot balls; scores still level, one ball left. The non-striler sets of like a hare, the batsman on strike waves at the ball and misses, and stands his ground to be run out….but the umpire had called another no ball; all was lost. A tie would have been a wonderfully appropriate result; next time perhaps.