CRICKET. BIRLEY IN LAST BALL DRAMA IN Y7 FINAL.
10/7/08
At the end of thirty nine overs and five balls Aiden Spowage of Birley was charged with delivering the last ball of the Y7 final. Aleem Khan of High Storrs, at the same time, prepared to receive it. Both players knew that the game was still there to be won or lost for both sides. Put simply, High Storrs needed two runs off that ball to win and Birley needed to restrict High Storrs to less than two to take the crown themselves.
In a tense moment with players and supporters alike on edge, Aleem manged to put his bat to the ball and with a loud "Yes" set off running. Unfortunatley for him and his team mates the ball only travelled to the midwicket area where the Birley fielder effected an accurate return restricting High Storrs to just one run and victory was Birley's by the margin of one run.
The scorebook read as follows:
Birley 110 for 7 off 20 overs. Saxelby 41 runs, Spowage 27 runs. Aleem Khan 4 overs 2 wickets for 28.
High Storrs 109 for 2 off 20 overs. Gardner 61 not out. Howells 2 run outs.
The opening bat for High Storrs, Gardner (61 not out) was adjudged to be man of the match.
In the Y8 final Tapton proved too strong for Firth Park. Batting first Firth Park scored 98 all out, Clark carrying his bat for a creditable 49 runs. In reply Tapton knocked off the required amount without losing a wicket to effect a ten wicket win. Their proficient openers Anderson and Digby making 47 and 48 not out respectively.
In the Y10 final Ecclesfield scored 72 for 5 wickets from their alloted twenty overs. James Martin top scored with 22. The best of the King Ecgbert bowlers were Barnsley (2 for 7 off 5 overs) and Hancock (2 for 12 off 5 overs). In reply King Ecgbert fell twelve runs short being bowled out for 60. Joe Denby was the pick of the Ecclesfield bowlers with a decisive spell (3 for 14 off 3 overs) to mop up the King Ecgbert tail.
Man of the match award went to Liam Ryalls of Ecclesfield.