Never give up!
On Saturday a bunch of us were reminded of why we love cricket, the game where ANYTHING can happen!
The under-12’s were playing their last match of the season, and despite only 1 win so far, they’d enjoyed a number of really close competitive matches in the latter rounds so hopes were high. Their opposition meanwhile were sitting 4th on the ladder and hoping for a comfortable win to march into the semi-finals.
Our boys batted 1st and against an impressive bowling attack, scored steadily to reach 2-47 before the wheels fell off losing 5 wickets for 9! It was an innings with everything – wickets fell regularly, injured hands forced retirement, catches were missed, run-outs were avoided by millimetres and a cracking drive bounced off a fielder to hit the stumps and take the unluckiest wicket ever! Passions ran high and things got kicked! And yet, when the injured batsman returned in the 16th over with a fire in his belly, a renewed energy emerged, and a late rally got them to 9 for 82.
Not the greatest score but enough for a sliver of hope. The opposition needed 83 runs to win in 24 overs, a comfortable chase for a team about to play in the semi-finals. Realistically, to win this match, our boys needed to take all 10 wickets!
Every cricket match has it’s unique ebb and flow. A great start saw Raph, Clancy & Max take 3 early wickets – 3 for 23 at the end of the 4th over. Woohoo - game on! But then the opposition found the gaps, and despite Gautier, Arti & Auley taking 3 further wickets, the match started to pull away from them with the opposition on 6-78 in the 16th over. They only needed 6 runs to win with 4 wickets and 9 overs remaining. Game over. Surely.
Felix kept hope alive with the 7th wicket on 79 runs, but 3 further runs without loss took the inevitable victors to 7-82 – only 2 runs from victory with 3 batsmen up their sleeve. Game over. No chance . . . . . . surely.
Our boys need 3 wickets without losing a run! Yep possible – but it’s not going to happen.
But then - the 19th over! Harvey takes a beautiful catch from a thick edge for the 8th wicket, and Henry bowls the essential maiden! Parents reconnect and stare in disbelief - is this game still actually on!
2 simple runs and the opposition are home. 4 overs remain!
Up steps Raph to bowl the 20th over. First ball - what’s the chance? He thunders up to the crease and delivers a rocket. The batsman swings and misses. The bails fly through the air. HE’S BOWLED HIM!! What the fekk!
If our lads take one last 1 wicket without losing a run, they’ll have just remade The Great Escape. But there are 23 balls left!
Raph runs up and bowls the over's second ball. The batsman hits a clean shot to midwicket - but what’s going on!!?? There’s total confusion out in the middle. The 2 batsmen are somehow running desperately chaotically madly – side by side in one direction back towards the same end!! Gautier collects and throws a clean ball to Harvey. Ball straight to the keepers gloves. Gloves to stumps. It all happens in slow motion! It’s a RUN OUT!! Whoops of delight. Have we won? How many wickets are left? Eyes turn to the boundary. Where’s the next batsman? THERE ARE NO MORE BATSMEN!
THEY’VE WON!
The unwinnable match was theirs. The boys took the last 4 wickets for 3 runs in 21 balls! But best of all, a remarkable EIGHT players took wickets, and of the 2 who didn’t, Tom held on to be the last batsman standing retired not out in a final brutal over, and Harvey took that critical 8th wicket catch and stumped the final runout.
An extraordinary team performance and a brilliant lesson for us ALL . . .
And for the record, here’s how the wickets fell . . . .
WT CHCC Laburnum Gold
1 15 10
2 47 22
3 47 23
4 50 43
5 55 63
6 56 72
7 78 79
8 83 82
9 83 82
10 --- 82
9-83 (24 overs) All out 82 (20.2 overs)