Thriplow 2s kept the crowd on the edge of their seats at the Cricket Meadow, as they first secured the 7 bonus points they needed for promotion and then clung on to beat title rivals Haslingfield by 1 wicket and take the Junior 2S title.
Winning the toss was critical and skipper Chris Neild was pleased to see his opposite number call wrongly and Thriplow were thus able to bowl first and maximise their chances of getting the 7 points. Nathan Pilkington blasted the stumps of opener Flatman in his first over to get the Thriplow bowling show on the road. He then collected a further two in two balls via a typically stunning Tom Care catch at long off and another stump splitter to leave Haslingfield 40-3 with all their key batters back in the hutch.
Their middle order showed some fight though and although the bowling options were rotated regularly to collect wickets, the score crept up. Hugh ‘Spotty’ Spotswood picked up 3-12, Will Hart grabbed a great catch and also a wicket and Andrew Woolley another. However after an achilles injury left the number 4 batsman unable to return, the key question was whether Thriplow could get the 9th and thus final wicket to fall to get the full 5 bowling points. Finally off the fourth ball of the 39th over Olly Richer got his man to leave Haslingfield 142ao.
The initial target was 80 to secure the 2 batting points and promotion. Russell and Dabnor set off very steadily knowing that early wickets had to be avoided at all costs. They succeeded admirably, Russell following the skipper’s instructions so carefully that it unbelievably took him until the 9th over for him to register a boundary. At 49 Dabbers (13) fell lbw and Russell (37) the same way at 72. However ‘cometh the hour, cometh the man’ as Spotty showed remarkable calmness to first smack a straight six and then secure promotion via a one bounce 4 down towards the pavilion end.
The next step was the title but the batting then wobbled with a collapse from 86-2 to 100-6, Spotty, Viner, Care and Tinkler all perishing in the hunt for quick runs. However Olly Richer stood firm and although wickets fell regularly, Neild, Hart, and most significantly consecutive 4s from man of the match Pilkington helped nudge the score along. Twelve were needed with last man Woolley at the crease but the crowd were confident and a squirted couple to third man by him and then a cow corner 6 and then the match winning 4 by Richer (37no) saw Thriplow home with three overs to spare.
A great team performance, in a game played and umpired in a great spirit despite the tension. Coming from 4th in the table in early July to take the title with an unbeaten run showed the all-round ability in the side. Haslingfield showed true class as losers though, despite being top all season until the very last ball they provided a congratulatory tunnel and clapped the victors from the field.
Roll on Junior 1 in 2015 – the highest league the 2s have ever been in!!
Coming on top of the 1s finishing third (their highest position ever) in Senior 1 and winning the 20/20 cup, the 3s finishing in their highest position ever in Junior 6S plus the successful launch of the 4s, this is by far the most successful season in the club’s 169 year history.