Sileby Town left it until the last ball to seal their first victory of the season against Kegworth Town by five wickets on Saturday in the Everards Premier League.
The visitors required just one from the last ball when Gethin King pulled away Ed Bird in an enthralling game as Sileby chased Kegworth’s 169 from the reduced 44 overs.
But it was Ryan Daniels’ late smash and grab raid at the end of the innings when his 33 from just 22 deliveries gave Sileby Town their first 24 points of the season.
With the rest of the county suffering from the torrential downpours, both sides were very lucky to get a game in at King George 5th Playing Fields, and captain Liam Kinch asked Kegworth to bat first.
The toss proved decisive for Kinch’s men, and it was Ellis who made the early breakthrough removing Craig Ashcroft for just two in the fourth over.
Clint Baker was the next man to be walking back the following over, when Sam Gale managed to find the edge of Baker to brother Luke at second slip.
Rob Moorhouse had the task of stabilising the innings along with opener Adam Meads from the fifth over with the scores at 8-2. But the third wicket partnership was only worth 13 runs before Gale picked up his second wicket of the afternoon, dismissing Meads for just six.
Kegworth were soon floundering on 21-3 in the 11th over, and Sileby’s bowlers were getting their just rewards for their tight lines in conditions which would favour any bowler.
Josh Hodge and Moorhouse had started to repair the early damages done by Sileby’s strike bowlers and Hodge looked to have settled with the senior of the two when they put on a partnership of 32 for the fourth.
Aleem Mahmood and Ryan Dawson, making his first team debut in the Everards Premier League replaced Ellis and Sam Gale respectively but they failed to make a breakthrough until it was Liam Kinch with his off-break that had trapped Hodge in front of his stumps for 14.
Returning overseas Tom Bevan came to the crease with the score on 53-4 in the 19th over, and he managed to put on a partnership of 58 with Moorhouse. Both Bevan and Moorhouse were beginning to test the fielders, picking up singles and putting Sileby under pressure.
Moorhouse departed for a fine knock of 43, picking out Ryan Dawson in the deep from the bowling of Kinch for his second of the game. With just under 12 overs remaining, Kegworth were on 111-5 by the time Doug Savige came in at seven, but Bevan was able to reach his half-century, in a knock which was urgently required by Kegworth.
However, Bevan eventually departed hitting it straight to Luke Gale down at long-on for a superb knock of 53 off the bowling of Ben Cavey, elevating Kegworth to 159-6 before a flurry of late wickets had given the home side a set back they did not need.
Savige was bowled by Matt Ellis for 21, and just three balls later, Cavey removed captain Jordan Holmes for 0 with the score now 159-8.
Gareth Isaac huge six off Cavey had pushed Kegworth over 166, but Ian Dade had got bowled by the off-spinner to gift him his third wicket of the afternoon.
Isaac was the last man to go, with Ellis bowling him for nine leaving Sileby to chase 169 from their 44 overs.
Cavey, the club’s second team captain who was called up in aid of Jordan King’s absence had been given the role of opening up with Dave Torr, and with Cavey being in fine form in recent weeks, he was able to forward his form to Kegworth’s bowlers.
Cavey and Torr made exactly 50 before Torr became Dade’s first victim with his slow right arm, finding Gareth Isaac in the in-field for 27 in the 15th over. Savige then picked up his only wicket of the game dismissing Cavey for 21 to which it brought Luke Gale and Mahmood together in the middle.
Gale played very patiently, valuing his wicket, applying himself carefully throughout the Sileby innings. Mahmood departed to Bevan for just eight.
Kinch and Gale enjoyed a stubborn partnership together in the middle order, frustrating the bowlers during periods of the game. Boundaries were limited in the second innings, and Kegworth, defending a relatively low total, were bowling tighter as the game went on.
Baker, pre-season signing for Kegworth from Countesthorpe who had trained with Sileby in the winter briefly, had made a breakthrough removing Kinch, caught by Moorhouse for 26, having Sileby had 128-4, who required 42 from the last seven overs.
It wasn’t until the 41st over when Luke Gale was finally out, trapped leg before wicket, much to his anger to Baker for his second for 36 off 82 deliveries.
At 140-5, the run rate required increased when the unbeaten Ryan Daniels and Gethin King were at the crease, needing 30 from just 24 balls. But Daniel’s two huge maximums off Ed Bird had reduced the deficit.
Sileby then headed in to a last ball thriller once again, just like Kibworth away, but were able to avenge their demons when it was King who’s boundary had gifted his side the full 24 points.
Maximum points were more than welcome as Sileby languish towards the wrong end of the table, and weather permitting, Kinch’s charges can now look forward in confidence to Saturday’s tie versus newly promoted Ashby Hastings at Mill Lane.
