Phoenix v Sharks

Another last-over miracle required? Sure – who’s turn is it this week?

Matt’s as it turned out as the reigning player of the year conjured up another extraordinary finish, in our favour.

The Sharks needed eight to win it at the start of the over and had a big hitter there to see them home.

But Matt kept it tight and when they tested Gareth’s arm going for a second run the bails flew, just as they had a couple of overs earlier. Yet their hitter remained on strike and with two balls remaining our lead was down to precisely one run.

Up came the field, in came Matt, the batsman tried to loft one over the ring but didn’t quite get hold of it. A relieved Fixtures Secretary clung on to the catch and it was all down to the last ball.

Which was hit straight along the ground by the new batsman. Matt extended an arm, got his fingers to it and diverted it on to the stumps for another run out to seal a most dramatic victory.

Earlier it had seemed we wouldn’t even get to three figures. Gareth got us off to a flying start thanks to successive sixes off one opening bowler and although Aidan also smacked a maximum by this time the Sharks bowling had really tightened up and runs were hard to come by.

Fortunately Damon was there to record yet another back-in-the-hutch twentysomething and the middle order all contributed, although Adrian was unfortunate to be sawn off by a disastrous call from the man at the other end, who did manage hit a rare six afterwards as partial compensation.

123 was the total we posted in the end and, as Nusrat pointed out at the time, one we had defended before.

Keeping it tight early on was imperative and Stuart and Alex, the latter bowling impressively briskly, did just that. The Sharks openers were good at nicking quick singles though, but rode their luck once too often and Nusrat’s direct hit saw off one of them.

Matt took an excellent catch off Stuart to get rid of the other one but the game really began to swing our way when Nusrat came on. Two batsmen looking to get on with it were sent packing by our left-armer and although the Sharks skipper retired unbeaten we had made him work for it. His departure set up frantic finish. Which I believe I may have mentioned…