Scorecard

Sawbridgeworth Cricket Club 1st XI v Harpenden on Sat 07 Jun 2008 at 11:30
Sawbridgeworth Cricket Club Won 3 wickets

Match report Harpenden 216-9
Sawbridgeworth 219-7
(Home Counties Premier Cricket League Division Two East)

Andrew Richardson and William Jones produced a magical batting display as Sawbridgeworth conjured up a sensational three-wicket win from virtually nowhere to edge out Harpenden with two balls to spare at Town Fields on Saturday.
The pair came together in the 36th over with the home side in desperate trouble at 117-6, with exactly 100 needed from 88 balls.
With the next 16 deliveries not being scored off, the target remained unchanged with just 12 overs left to be bowled.
Jones took a four and a two off the first over of seamer Mark Mason’s third spell before Richardson opened his account with two sixes and a single from off-spinner Sulaman Qadir, son of Pakistan legend Abdul Qadir.
The next two overs produced just three runs as the rate increased to 10 an over. Victory looked an unlikely prospect but the pair suddenly hit the accelerator button as the ball started flying to all parts.
Having scored 14 from his first 24 balls faced, Richardson needed just another 16 to bring up his maiden league fifty while Jones knocked the ball around superbly for singles in only his second innings at this level since joining from Ware.
The Jamaican struck a further four sixes and two further boundaries as the pair put on an incredible 96 in just 82 balls to reach the last over with only four needed to win.
Richardson had scored 57 from 44 balls but perished off the first ball of the final over going for glory. A single by Jones was followed by a scrambled leg-bye from Ryan Cunningham which left two runs needed from three balls. Only one ball was needed to finish off the job as Jones struck the winning boundary to finish unbeaten on 45 from 53 balls (seven fours).
Incredibly it was the first time Sawbo had successfully chased over 200 in the league since they beat Hoddesdon in June 2004 – to leave their opponents stunned after they had played the better cricket for much of the day.
Wilson won the toss and inserted Harpenden in ideal bowling conditions, although the leaden grey skies stayed around all day. The morning session finished even as Harpenden reached 85-3 off 32 overs but Qadir and Ollie Tuck took the score to 114 before the latter was bowled by Richardson.
Qadir brought up his fifty with a boundary through gully off the same bowler but departed shortly afterwards, edging behind to Simon Greenall off Cunningham which left the visitors on 133-5 in the 43rd over.
Tony Hooper and Chris Bennett- Baggs added 57 for the sixth wicket, with the latter hitting 22 off Paul James’ solitary second spell over. They took the score to 190-6 with six overs left before Hooper was caught at mid-off by Dean Lloyd to give Cunningham his 150th career
league wicket for Sawbo.
Danny Wilson picked up the final three wickets to fall to finish with figures of 4-33 while Cunningham’s improving form continued as he took 3-43 in 17 overs.
In reply, Sawbo lost Steve Ashman (1) in the second over, trapped lbw to Mason, who also removed a strangely subdued Dean Lloyd caught behind for four, after he had been stuck on nought for 32 balls.
At the other end, Wilson looked in superb touch hitting opposite number Ben Mahoney out of the attack with three fours. He was unbeaten on 36 at tea out of a total of 55-2 from 20 overs. Mason returned to the attack after tea to remove James Runciman for 13 before Joe Rudkin struck a breezy 20 prior to becoming Mason’s fourth victim.
Wilson advanced to 58 (98 balls, nine fours) before being bowled by John Kerley and when Paul Reed was deceived by Qadir’s quicker delivery, Sawbo looked out of contention. However, Richardson and Jones hadn’t read the script as they provided the dramatic finale to the delight of the home side’s growing support and sealed one of their most incredible wins in recent years.


Harpenden Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
216 (0.0 overs)		     
Mark Fordham Lbw  24
Adam Winchester Bowled  0
Mike Howard Bowled  25
Sulaman Qadir Caught  52
Oliver Tuck Bowled  14
Chris Bennett-Baggs Caught  54
Tony Hooper Caught  14
Mark Stannard Lbw  7
Ben Mahoney Caught  7
Matt Mason Not Out  2
John Kerley Not Out  0

Sawbridgeworth Cricket Club 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Andrew Richardson14.0340220.002.86
Paul James11.044300.003.91
Dean Lloyd5.021500.003.00
Danny Wilson8.013348.254.13
Ryan Cunningham17.0643314.332.53
James Runciman2.001300.006.50
Paul Reed3.001700.005.67

Sawbridgeworth Cricket Club 1st XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 7 wickets
0
219		        
Dean Lloyd Lbw  4 1
Steve Ashman Caught  1
Danny Wilson Bowled  58
James Runciman Bowled  13
Joe Rudkin Bowled  20
William Jones Not Out  45 1
Paul Reed Bowled  1
Andrew Richardson Caught  57
Ryan Cunningham Not Out  0 1
Simon Greenall   1
Paul James  

Harpenden Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Ben Mahoney4.011700.004.25
Mark Mason 18.4473514.603.91
John Kerley16.0559159.003.69
Sulaman Qadir11.0351151.004.64

  • Umpire :
    Panel
  • Scorer :
    Richard White