Cirencester Cricket Club > News > October 2003 > Cirencester keep their cool to collect consecutive win

Cirencester keep their cool to collect consecutive win [Sunday 19 October 2003]

Cirencester (95/2) beat Nationwide (94 all out) by four wickets
[Scorecard]

Cirencester kept their cool to win a bad-tempered affair and maintain their 100% winning record in Division 4. The match got off to a good start when Andy Cooper won the toss and asked Nationwide to bat first.

Like last week, Cirencester got a crucial early breakthrough when Dan Hudson ran out R Quadir off his own bowling for a duck. Some powerful hitting by Vincent ensured that the scoreboard rattled along and it came as a relief when he retired for 25.

Tom Burgess then ran out Rumbold with a direct hit from short mid-on but Nationwide were looking well placed at 58/2 at the halfway mark. It was going take a spirited fightback both with the ball and in the field to restrict their opponents to a chaseable score but Cirencester were up for the challenge.

Some tight final overs from Dan Hudson, Burgess and debutant Dan Robbins reduced the run rate and then four wickets in the last 7 balls enabled Cirencester to bowl Nationwide out. Tom Burgess got the proceedings rolling as he clean bowled Treson as the batsman played back to a full ball. Three balls later Burgess took a stunning caught and bowled, diving to his right to cling on to a firm drive from Vincent.

Cooper stepped up to bowl the final over and first ball he induced Harmon to chop a length delivery onto his stumps. Next ball a mix up between the returning A Quadir and Harmon resulted in another run out.

The target of 95 would be the highest successfully chased by Cirencester in the SICA and the Hudson brothers got the team off with the required good start with 21 coming off the first two overs, with Dan Hudson departing after his attempted pull hit the roof.

Rich Hudson and captain Cooper continued to push their team towards the target before Rich was run out by a direct hit from A Quadir.

The turning point of the innings arrived in the seventh over as Rumbold saw his over of left arm seam/spin go for 25 due to a combination of wides and a big six by Cooper. This left Cirencester needing 24 from the last three overs and Robbins scored the winning run with two balls to spare, nearly decapitating A Quadir in the process.