Market House Inn 62 all out

Royal Mail/Crab n Bucket 49 all out

by 13 runs

THIS end of season encounter proved to be a great match, with both sides looking for a win which might have taken them into 'finals weekend' this coming Sunday.

The Market House won the toss and chose to bat first, aiming to rack up a solid total. Things didn't go to plan though, as the usually formidable Matt Pink went early, caught in the slips by Gary Isted off a brilliant delivery from Mark Scott.

Dickie Darch soon followed, bowled superbly by Skippy Smith.

The runs soon mounted up as the Market steadied the ship until a few more wickets went in quick succession. Gary Joy reacted brilliantly as he caught and bowled Colin Wilson, as did Ben Osborne to dismiss Vinnie Taylor the same way.

Rob Smith contributed well by taking the wicket of Dan Callard and catching Adrian Rendle on the boundary and Simon Webb's delivery fizzed past Nathan Luck for Dave Curnow to take his bails off.

Richard Dixon was then harshly given out when the ball seemed to clip his leg rather than his bat.

Curnow duly caught him behind the stumps.

The total for the Royal Mail team to win was 63, but to get into the finals day they had to get that total within 10 overs. Dave Curnow hit an early boundary but things went downhill from there on.

Adrian Rendle was leading the attack for his team and his first of four wickets came when he took all three stumps out of the ground, clean bowling his arch nemesis Skippy Smith, who made 12 runs.

Dickie Darch bowled Curnow then caught Mark Scott before Dave Fahy bowled Rob Smith for the second year on the trot.

With the game slipping away, Royal Mail lost more wickets when Vinnie Taylor took a great catch down low to the ground before Gary Joy was caught on the boundary as he looked to smash a six.

Taylor then clean bowled Webb.

With the very next ball he took Brian Evans for a golden duck and in doing so wrapped up an impressive victory for the Market House.