Our ECB National Cup run ends in disappointment

After our superb performance against Harpenden, hopes were high for our U15 side as Middlesex champions North Middlesex arrived at Cricketfield Lane for our last 32 match. Unfortunately for us, an entertaining and high quality game left us ruing a number of missed opportunities to make it to Finals Day in St Albans.

Without the holidaying Adam Bassingthwaighte and Jake Morris, Keaton Weeks and Joe Stanborough came into the team. That meant changes to both our opening bowling and batting pairings, and when North Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat, Coby Miles took the new ball with Adam Crowther.

North Midd pair Joe Cracknell and Henry Howeld both came out playing their shots on a fast, hard wicket, but their momentum stalled when Howeld called for a quick single to Keaton Weeks whose direct hit ran him out by a distance. The loss of this wicket didn't deter our visitors, but in Crowther's third over Cracknell sliced a drive to Portas at point, before Richardson was cleaned up by a beauty from Adam. At 26-3 we were in the game, with our fielding sharp and our bowling accurate in the face of some aggressive batting.

However, injuries to both Coby and Alex, who broke down two balls into his only over and was later forced to leave the field, meant that skipper Alec Chappell brought himself on earlier than planned while Keaton Weeks was introduced from the other end. The game settled as both bowlers bowled accurate spells to Luke Hollman and Percy Verity, who batted with more restraint than their predecessors. Hollman, in particular, looked a threat, as he elected to see off Alec's accurate, pacy spell before attacking as the innings progressed. Unfortunately, our fielding, which had been so good at the start of the match, became ragged, and we missed several run out opportunities and dropped a catch, which would prove costly.

Another injury, to Joe Hawkins, saw him hand the wicketkeeping gloves to Joe Stanborough, and it was he who took a sharp catch from Verity to give Adam his third wicket of the innings. Hollman retired for a classy 51 as North Middlesex closed on 158-4. As well as the sloppy fielding, we conceded 20 wides, and from 26-3 with most of their best players out, we really let North Midd off the hook. However, on the bottom ground, 159 was gettable, although probably 20 more than I would have wanted us to chase.

Joe Burslem got us off to a good start, lifting Howeld's leg spin into the trees for 6 and looking in good form, but at the other end Matt Pike was bowled for 1 by the pacy Teesdale, and Joe's innings ended unluckily as he dragged another ball from Howeld on to his stumps for 14. Realistically, if we were to win from 22-2 it needed a major partnership from Alec and Alex. Portas had been almost completely immobile after his back spasm but started timing the ball superbly, while Alec's recent excellent form with the bat looked set to continue as the pair made good progress, scoring quickly to take us to 57. However, after running aggressively (and very quickly) all season, Alec made a fatal misjudgment and took a non-existent second to the fielder on the square leg boundary. An excellent throw ran him out by a yard and all of a sudden 158 looked a long way away. With Joe Hawkins unable to run, Alex decided, rightly, that boundaries were needed, but mishit to midwicket for 19 and when Joe departed too we were 64-5.

Despite some good batting from Keaton Weeks, who top scored with 20, we were never realistically in the hunt, and subsided to 120 all out. The 38 run margin looked comfortable, and was, but we were definitely in the game with Alec and Alex together and our visitors' manager confessed he thought the pair might go on to win it for us. The margins in cricket can be very small, and if a couple of key moments had gone our way the game might have turned out very differently. Having had North Middx 26-3, we had a real chance to take the game by the scruff of the neck and move on to the next round, but it wasn't to be.

Overall, I suspect the better team made it through to the last 16, but it would have been lovely to have made it one step further and test ourselves against the very best in the country. However, not many boys get the chance to say they are county champions, and I genuinely think we have proved that at full strength we are the best U15 side in Hertfordshire. All the boys should be proud of their achievements.