NORTH HUON CRICKET CLUB UNDER 15
End of year nail biter
The North Huon Warriors Under 15 boys had a nail biter to finish the year when they took on the Snug Scuds at Ranelagh Oval last Friday night.
Losing the toss and being ordered to take up the stick to start, the two Ollies, Thomson and Coulson, opened proceedings nicely for the Warriors, taking the score along to 30 before Coulson was run out in the sixth over.
Captain Anthony Harrison then joined Thomson at the crease, Thomson retiring on a well-made 24, Harrison making 11 before he was caught out, but the Warriors looked comfortable on 2/60 after 12 overs.
Broughton Chapman (5) made a cameo appearance, but Harry Thomson (12), Lochie Cordwell (14) and Lucas Sullivan (6) all made contributions to see the Warriors finish their 20 overs at 4/93.
In reply, it was the elder statesmen of the team, Harrison and Chapman, who opened with the new pill, Harrison soon making an impact, capturing both opening batsmen, Noah Sculthorpe for a duck thanks, to the safe hands of Harry Thomson and Logan Crane, clean bowled for just two.
Chapman then chipped in to clean up the dangerous Jackson Richards for a duck, the Scuds in trouble at 3/6 after three overs.
Jayden Fletcher came on from the southern end, claiming Tyler Roach (3), Harrison taking the catch, then Brady Harriss clean bowled James Lindsay and the game looked all but over, with Snug at 5/9 after six overs.
In came Corey Chamberlain and Jack Minehan to turn the tables on the Warriors, Minehan in particular punishing the bowlers to every corner of the ground.
Harry Thomson dismissed Chamberlain for 11, Chapman taking the catch, but Minehan just needed an anchor, a role first taken by Adam Latham (4) and then Jake Crane (7), as he continued to put the Warriors under scoreboard pressure.
Five overs to go, 36 runs required for victory and Harrison brings Chapman and himself back on to bowl, in an effort to stem the worrying flow.
Restricting the batsmen to 10 runs for the next three overs, it was looking a lot safer for the Warriors, with 25 runs required in the last two overs.
Harrison was bowling his last over and the second last over of the match, and Minehan let fly, claiming 11 of the 13 runs from the over and leaving Ollie Thomson to bowl the final over of the match with 12 runs required for victory.
Hearts were beating wildly, horns were sounding and cheers were coming from the clubhouse as Thomson came in for the first ball.
A wicket!
Jake Crane caught and bowled for seven.
Five balls remaining, 12 runs required.
A boundary from Minehan off the next ball saw the tension mount, eight runs required off four balls.
Minehan continued to find the gaps, but the fielding from the Warriors under pressure was good, and it was two twos off the next two balls.
Four runs required off two balls, Minehan still on strike.
Penultimate ball – a dot! The roar went up for Thomson and it was do or die, four runs required from the last ball.
Last ball – Minehan struck it well, sending it down to deep mid-on, the batsmen were running, but it was well fielded by Harrison and the Warriors were home by one run!
Thomson the man of the match, keeping his cool under enormous pressure, breaking the hearts of the Scuds in the process.