And it's a tie....

Holy Cross v Edinburgh CC – Sat 8^th August

The 1’s ventured to Campbell Park on Saturday to take on Edinburgh CC in a vital game to sure up our position mid-table. Win and we would virtually secure our place in the Championship, lose and we’d then enter the relegation zone.

Winning the toss, I put them in to bat on a green and very soft wicket that proved to be pretty difficult to bat on. Shan opened up and running down the hill seemed to throw his stride off, with the first 3 balls being no-balled, in what ended up as an 11 ball over!

Kashif came on from the club house end in the 10^th over and bowled yet another amazing spell, cutting the heart out of the Edinburgh CC batting line up and finishing with 10 overs, 6 maidens, 4 wickets for only 12 runs (incidentally, the same number of runs that came off our first over)!

Charlie took the other end and bowled really well, coming in for a bit of tap in his last couple of overs from # 10 Haider, who blasted 35 swinging everything across the line to cow corner. CJE finishing with 4-38 off his 10.

At one point it looked like we’d restrict them to 70odd, however with the late hitting and some sloppy fielding, including Haider being caught of yet another Bonfield no-ball, Edinburgh CC lost their last wicket having progressed through to 125.

After a sparse tea, with a banana the only thing on offer for resident vege Bonfield, we took to the pitch to chase down 126 for victory.

We started off poorly with a controversial run out of Dougie. Umpire Smith initially giving it not out, as he couldn’t see if the ball was taken cleanly or when the bails were removed by the keeper. The other umpire then adjudged that Dougie hadn’t grounded his bat and the decision was changed to out.

Raja and I both departed for 12 each and 125 looked a long long way off!

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My departure saw us struggling at 47-4 in the 15^th over. We kept losing wickets just as it looked like a partnership was building, taking our score to 83-6 at drinks. The break unsettled the boys as we lost wickets with the score on 83, then again on 97, The Cross reeling, now 97-8.

Still loads of work to do, as Bacon and Bonfield put on 24 for the 9^th wicket. Bacon was everntually caught very well at first slip, which on most other days I’m sure would have been missed and gone for 4!

Euan walked out as our last man, with the Cross still needed 19 for victory. 

He and Shan batted very well, playing out the good balls and ticking over the scoreboard. Edinburgh CC also helped us a long way bowling a lot to wides and no-balls. The boys inched towards the target and with the score at 120-9, the Edinburgh CC skipper Kash bowled a terrible ball way down leg that ended up going for 4 wides up the hill at the far end of the ground! 

Scores tied at 125, could the Cross pull off an unlikely victory???

Sadly not, the very next ball the umpire was very quick to adjudge Euan LBW, out for a valiant 2. 

But more importantly Euan 2, Shan 8* and E.X. Tras 36* ensured we picked up a valuable 15 points.

So disappointing not to get a win, however given we needed 43 runs with only 2 wickets in hand, I’d happily take a tie and 15 points every time!