Wooburn 1sts hosted league leaders Reading 3rds on Saturday at Wooburn Park in a game which seemed destined to be entirely forgettable for much of the afternoon, before bubbling up into an exciting climax.
Reading compiled 245-9 off their 52 overs. Mark Tennant struck twice early on, generating good pace and swing, but in bowling his second victim he sent the new ball into the river – no more swing. Wooburn bowled well enough thereafter, with Martin Tennant in particular looking dangerous with his well-flighted offspin. He ended up with four well-deserved wickets, while Gerry added a third to his tally.
However, the visitors, always looking to be positive, continued to score at a healthy rate throughout and, with judicious use of the cross bat in the later overs, set a testing target.
Wooburn started their innings confident that the Reading total was in reach. Dave Pidgeon batted well in the face of a testing opening spell from ‘Horse’, and was disappointed to perish in the thirties. Dave Rogers, Chris Hall and Mani Sharma all got starts to keep the board ticking over.
But it was only when Ian Cuthbert was joined by Richie Barker that a serious challenge on the target began to look likely. Ian hit a fifty reminiscent of his heyday back in the eighties and Richie Barker slammed an unbeaten half-century with some mighty blows and trademarked sweetly timed drives. One or two less than friendly exchanges suggested that at least some of the Reading team were getting worried.
Unfortunately for Wooburn, wickets fell regularly as they took up the run chase in earnest. Richie held things together, and a brief cameo from Gerry helped keep the target tantalisingly within reach. A tense finish in deepening gloom was assured as Wooburn reached the last over nine wickets down, and the atmosphere grew still more tense when, with 10 needed from five balls, the umpire bizarrely called a dead ball for “no shot” on a leg-bye attempt.
As events conspired, Phil Cuthbert was left facing the last ball, with the unenviable decision of whether to try and clear the massed ranks of the Reading fielders patrolling the boundary for the six that would bring victory, risking defeat in the process. A tough ask for anyone, but for the number 11, new to the crease, in approaching darkness, it was too much to expect.
So no heroics, but no undeserved defeat, as Wooburn finished on 241-9. A creditable assault on a tough target.
However, nine points was another poor return for the 1sts (just 26 gained in the last four weeks). Promotion now looks highly unlikely, but strong performances against bottom-three teams Stoke Green and OMT in the next two matches are still critical, if only to avoid getting dragged into (dare we say it?) a relegation battle in the last couple of weeks of the season.
PS: On a more incredible note, Chubbs actually turned up with the £100 winning cheque for last year’s fantasy football league. Perhaps one for the new memorable achievements board in the clubhouse?
