A much delayed final game of the regular season saw the Sloggers and Eagles’ B teams face off at a sun drenched Cricket field Lane.
Sloggers won the toss and bowled. Some great early bowling by Chris D and Thomas was followed by equally disciplined overs from Jack and Byron. 41 from 12 overs was not what the Eagles would have hoped for, but Austin and Kimball accumulated steadily before accelerating in their final over to put on 24. Then in swaggered Olly S and Lewis. Both hit some fine shots and only a very spread field kept the boundary count down. This last pair hit 31 to push the Eagles up to a solid 296.
In response Sloggers needed roughly 20 from each pair. Unfortunately they lost a wicket to the first ball! However Chris D and Daniel R recovered to put on 19. Despite good bowling especially from Seb, Tate and Daniel P, the next pairs of Grace / Max and Joe F/ Thomas C both added 21 each. Good running and a few nice boundaries meant that the Sloggers were on target. 18 from Byron and Jack, despite the loss of a couple of wickets, left last pair Harry F and skipper Ed W needing 19 for victory. 3 balls later, thanks to a stunning catch from Kimball, that became 22! The pressure was on against the fine bowling of skipper Austin and Olly S. Still needing more than a run a ball with two overs to go, Harry Frans started to connect with some lusty blows, the running between the wickets was excellent and the fielders made a few uncharacteristic mistakes. 18 runs were scored off 7 balls leaving the Sloggers with a little breathing space toward the end. They closed out in sensible fashion ending 13 runs ahead, which did not really fairy reflect just how close the game was. In sum, it was a very mature run chase by a very good set of players who deservedly end the season with a 10 out of 10 record!
It was a great game and a great advert for the u12s who now have enviable strength in depth. It was clear to anyone watching just how much the quality of cricket has improved in the last 12 months and also what a great spirit we have in this age group.