After an early pitch inspection, the SNCC U14 Captain won the toss and elected to field first on what looked like a track that would offer something to bowlers and batsmen alike. With a lightning fast outfield, baked hard by the summer sun, he thought it would be better to see what target the opposition could post for the SNCC batsmen to chase down.

The opposition batsmen got off to a good start posting a respectable 37/0 in the first 4 overs, with the new opening bowler partnership of Archie and Joe toiling hard to keep the run rate in check. The break through finally came in the fifth over when Liam (fast becoming a threatening spin bowler) took a more than cool one-handed return catch to see off Woodmansterne’s opening batsman for 14. This was followed in the next over with William clipping the top of leg-stump to send the other opener back to the hut for 26 – score 44/2 off 6. The Woodmansterne captain then made good use of the fast outfield to eventually retire in the 12th over for 40, but not before Kyle cleaned up the No 4 bat for 1 in the 9th. With the score on 96/3 at the end of the 12th, and the fast-scoring opposition captain out of the game, it was Kieron’s turn in the 14th to get in on the wickets when Archie snaffled a great catch in the covers to leave Woodmansterne on 111/4 at the end of the 14th. With the run rate rising and a very big score on the cards, Shaun pitched in and grabbed 2 wickets (off consecutive deliveries) in the 17th over to leave the score on 133/6 – one great one-handed catch by Kieron followed by a Yorker to clean bowl the next batsman. Ella and Wills did a more than decent job with the ball in the next two overs and Kyle took the responsibility to finish off the match where he managed to bowl two more batsmen to end Woodmansterne’s innings on 158/8. With nine bowlers used - edges and nicks going for 4’s, a very hard day in the field came to an end for South Nutfield, who enjoyed well deserved refreshments at the innings break, provided by South Nutfield’s fantastic support contingent – well done ladies.

Time for the chase…. with Kyle ready early and practicing his shots in the outfield while waiting for his opening partner, Archie, to join him. With the opposition trying to get into the batsmen’s heads with incessant chatter from the off, the SNCC batsmen got off to a great start, managing to keep up with the required rate. Kyle (25) departed in the 5th when he top-edged a pull shot to the wicket-keeper, much to the relief of the opposition bowlers who were fast becoming aware that the game was not going to be as ‘easy’ as they first thought – score 44/1.
With one of the Woodmansterne fielders injuring a finger saving a boundary, and after the opposition captain declaring he would ‘play with 10’, the Woodmansterne supporters suggested that Kyle (the only dismissed batsman) go and field for them as a ‘good sporting gesture’, which Kyle duly did – soon establishing himself as one of the better Woodmansterne fielders on the pitch, much to the ‘delight’ of the SNCC spectators and coach.

Wills joined Archie at the crease briefly when Archie (12) was clean bowled by the first delivery of the 6th when Woodmansterne introduced spin to change the pace of the game. Archie self-analysed and immediately declared that he ‘should have watched that one’, before going off to watch the rest from the side-line. Wills and Toby then took advantage of some sloppy bowling to keep the scoreboard ticking over with some hastily run byes before Toby (2) was bowled off the last ball of the 8th – score 62/3, marginally ahead of Woodmansterne at the same stage of their innings. Jack and Wills then combined well to briefly silence the chatter when a fielder decided to declare that ‘they don’t have anything left’ closely followed by Jack slapping their bowler for 3 successive 4’s in the 13th – score 104/3 (Woodmansterne were 105/3 at the same stage). The break through finally came in the 15th when Jack (18) was run out after a full-length dive saw his bat cross the line only to be forced up into the air when his elbow hit the pitch at the point the bails were removed.

It was at this point, with 5 overs left and 45 runs required, that the Woodmansterne captain decided to adopt the ‘Nutley Hall’ approach and push all his fielders out to save the boundaries, happy to give away singles - according to him ‘they were never going to get that score’ as apparently, we still had ‘nothing left to come’. The chatter increased, and the insults flew thick and fast under the guise of ‘a bit of banter’, but the South Nutfield batsmen continued to stick to the task at hand. Joe joined Wills at the crease in the 16th and continued to chip away at the score until Wills (40 n.o) retired midway through the 17th when he was joined at the crease by a very focused Liam – score 124/4 and 34 needed off 21 balls.

Liam set about with the intent of ‘bringing it home’ spurned on by the chatter to get the score onto 138/4 at the end of the 18th – 20 needed off 12. Joe (8 off 7 balls) departed at the beginning of the 19th bowled when trying to force the pace and Liam was joined by Loic ‘Cool-head’ Woodhead, and apparently, according to the opposition, SNCC still had ‘nothing left’ and the ‘game was in the bag’. At the end of the 19th the score was on 144/5 and 15 runs were required off 6 balls – the crowd was electric, the batsmen were focused and the bowler was ….. well ordinary. With 2 no balls in the over (one dispatched for 2 runs), 2 singles and a boundary (4), the score was on 154/5 with one ball remaining and 5 runs required for victory.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man, ‘Cool-head’ Woodhead drove the last ball past the close in fielders which raced away for 4….. the game was tied (2nd tie in two weeks). Much to the disbelief of the Woodmansterne players who had already ‘won the game’ in the 12th over – or so they thought. I think the opposition captain and wicketkeeper are still in the outfield using expletives that should not be coming out of 14-year olds mouths, when they realised that the game had been tied.
It was a game where the SNCC U14’s came of age, showing some true grit and determination in the face of excessive ‘banter’ to score their highest score in a league match this season and come oh so close to a fantastic victory. Two home games to come and SNCC U14 are buzzing…. Well done lads (and Ella)……