Wooburn Narkovians 2nd XI narrowly defeated Eversely 2nds by two wickets in another tense finish at Wooburn Park. Chasing just 130 for victory, Wooburn appeared to be sliding to defeat when the middle order collapsed to 65-5, but a determined 32 from Alan Cuthbert and a quickfire 22 from brother Phil, saw them home to an important win.
Eversley opted to bat on winning the toss, possibly confident after a comfortable victory over the Narks earlier in the season. Davidson laid down a marker by hammering the first ball through point for four, and looked full of runs against Wooburn’s new ball attack. Thankfully for the home side, he overestimated the bounce and pace of the wicket, and was bowled trying to pull a ball that hit his middle stump two thirds of the way up.
Davidson apart, batting was a difficult proposition for Eversley, although all their top six got a start of sorts. The pitch was slow and no-one really got to terms with it. Spooner played a solid innings in the middle order, not taking any risks, until he took on Pete Selleck’s arm and was run out by a direct hit from the cover boundary.
After an early burst from Phil Cuthbert (2-36) and a probing spell from Wahleed Hussain, Pete Harper (3-49) and Imran Ishaq (3-19) worked their way through the Eversley order, and a late flurry of wickets saw them capitulate from 127-6 to 129 all out, leaving Wooburn the luxury of 57 overs to get the runs.
The Wooburn reply started perfectly, Angus Porter and Derek Milsom being largely untroubled by the new ball. The score had reached 41 when disaster struck in the form of a run out, as the batsmen attempted a sharp single to cover. This pre-empted a potentially disasterous collapse. Selleck imperiously despatched three boundaries, but he was deceived by a slower, and the loss of three more wickets left the home team struggling on 65-5.
With 40 overs still remaining, Wooburn had all the time in the world, but wickets were running out. A period of consolidation was required. Alan Cuthbert and Matt Curtis decided on crease occupation. Hammond’s inswingers and Hogston’s probing deliveries were met with the deadest of dead bats, Curtis executing his own inimitable version of the \forward press\. Gradually the runs started to come, and the pair had added 23 before Curtis was caught in front by the left arm spin of Plank.
Skipper Stuart Savage, still struggling with a back injury, managed one fierce boundary over long on before being unluckily given out lbw to Hogston. Phil Cuthbert then joined his brother and carried on his good form from Chenies with two quick boundaries, although he was fortunate with a skier that midwicket somehow failed to get a hand on, fortune favouring the brave on that occasion.
After surviving some difficult overs from Hogston on the now wearing pitch, the introduction of Whelan brought relief for the batsmen, Alan putting away two boundaries as Wooburn closed in on their target. There was still drama to come when, with 7 needed, Alan pulled Plank off the bottom edge straight to mid wicket where South took the catch. Phil then whacked the ball high in the air to deep mid wicket where Webb, perpetrator of the mid wicket miss, put it down. Eversley’s last chance had gone, Phil then despatching Whelan to the point boundary to win the match for Wooburn.
