A Long Wait – Made Worthwhile by a 5 Run Thriller
Sunday 11th May was clearly a continuation of the 2024 DT T20 finals day; that ended in September after rain & thunder drenched the ground at Wolverhampton CC and made further play impossible after the semi finals were completed.
The first job at Wombats Cricket Club as all arrived at the ground was to put covers on the playing strip and all then had to just watch as rain swept across the ground. Train times and rules were consulted and tea taken as lunch with the start of play delayed until two-fifteen agreed as the latest start for a full 20 over match.
The difference in May was the thirsty ground soaked up the rain, and so water did not lie around in puddles, meaning the covers could be removed and the outfield declared safe for play to start with Somerset asked to bat having lost the toss.
The Hossell brothers weathered the opening spell from Metro’s strike bowlers but Rory fell to Alan Turnbull at the end of the fifth over as Rory Field grabbed a catch behind the stumps. This was to set the pattern of the day with no batter managing even a quarter century as the ball dominated with good fielding backing up generally accurate bowling. The Metro bowlers were more profligate with no-balls; Somerset batters benefitting twice from free hits denying wicket taking deliveries. Ed Hossell was the second batter dismissed, bowled by Mo Ghalib for 24 and Mo also took the wicket of Rob Crisp caught by Matt Dean in the covers; an event that brought the drinks break a couple of balls before the end of the tenth over with the score on 64. Metro were pleased with their efforts and seeing the opposition top three batters all back in the shed. Both Somerset’s totally blind batters however put in a good performance as Aidrian Snellgrove hit 24 and Jason Aughton 20 which supported by a patient 15 from Dan Russell meant a total of 131 was posted.
That seemed a modest score and Metro were perhaps the happier side during the quick change round in the improving weather with the sun warming the ground. However it was Somerset who were delighted with their first wicket as the very dangerous Matt Dean was trapped LBW by Rob Crisp’s second ball at the start of the fifth over. This was the start of an excellent spell that gave Rob 2 wickets for just 6 runs, with two maidens in his four overs.
Metro however fought back with contributions from all their batters and were 5 runs ahead at drinks, and another early drinks a ball before the innings half way point but with one more wicket lost. The scoring worms stayed locked together – Metro having one more run with two overs remaining and Somerset still having to bowl an over from a totally blind player. Rory Hossell produced a great nineteenth over to concede just three runs taking Somerset ten ahead on the worm and leaving Metro who were seven wickets down needing 15 from the final over.
Aidrian Snelgrove started with a wide but then held his nerve and crisp fielding limited the runs taken and secured two run outs so that last man in Rob Mackenzie needed to score a boundary 6, doubled to 12 to win the game. He was bowled a wide and then needed just a boundary for a last ball win – he got bat on ball for just the “one run, two scored” and Somerset were the winners of a most exciting game by just five runs.
BCEW were thrilled that James Hildreth from Somerset arrived to watch the conclusion of the game and to hand the trophy to the winning side as well as player of the day awards. The clear winner for the totally blind player was equal top scorer of the day and bowler of the last over under pressure – Aidrian Snelgrove. There were several possible winners for the partially sighted player – Rob Crisp had bowled well and taken catches to add to his juggling effort back in the September semi final; Ed Hossell has taken three boundary catches that each might otherwise have yielded a crucial six runs but the award in a tight fought match went to Mo Ghalib for two crucial wickets and a very helpful rapid 19 runs that included the only 6 of the day.