25 points keeps season alive
WINDSOR 2 188 (Wing 67)
CHALFONT ST.PETER 2 166
It was the last throw of the dice to keep Windsor 2’s season alive and in the penultimate over of the game a wicket secured 25 points and the promotion flame flickered back to life.
After winning the toss Windsor elected to bat, however, the pitch flattered to deceive and when the 2nd ball of the game flew through at shoulder height from a length, batting was always going to be difficult. Opener Huggins soon departed gloving a rising ball to the keeper, but not before he and Rob Noble had taken a few blows to the body. Noble departed for a gritty sixteen and Smith, Wing and Charters looked to consolidate. A mix up between Wing and Charters left Charters run out and Windsor were struggling at 67-5. However, making his 2nd XI debut, Roger Evans began to play around Nigel Wing and the pair moved Windsor into relative safety past the 150 mark which on this pitch would be a very defendable score. Wickets fell as batsmen hit out and when Edge was caught on the Long on boundary in the final over, Windsor were happy with the 188 the scored.
Edge and O’Shannesy both initially found it difficult to contain themselves on the pitch, although both soon found out that pitching anything short sent the ball so far over the batsmans head that they were in danger of being called wide! After 6 overs Chalfonts batsman had both failed to score and Edge took the first wicket after Charters took a sharp catch at short extra cover. The introduction of Oliver Birch however, changed the game. Tearing in, he pitched the ball up to the batsman and at times was almost unplayable. A superb 1 handed catch from O’Shannesy at short leg started the downfall and good catches from Huggins, Bullock meant Windsor were in the box seat. However, wanting to keep Chalfont in the game extraordinarily attacking fields were set and easy runs for Chalfont batsmen meant that at 155-7 they were still chasing the runs. However, when Chalfonts skipper Peters skied to Huggins at cover and then Edge dismissed the newcomer first ball, it was advantage Windsor. With 7 men behind the stumps when the Chalfont tailender skied one straight into the air, it looked like a collision of Keystone Cops variety may take place but Wicketkeeper Noble shouted the longest and loudest and safely took the catch claiming the 25 points.
Windsor now have two games remaining the first of these next week against second placed Teddington Town, knowing that a win would set up a nail biting, last day of the season.