For the second time this weekend, and for the second time at Gorseinon this season, our 1st XI completed a thrilling chase today! And we’re only three weekends in!
This time, it was a cup tie, and a Welsh Cup tie at that..Round 1 to be exact!
Asking Gorseinon to bat first after he won the toss, Captain Jack Straw was so hoping that his lads would not have too big a task on their hands after the break. 40 overs later, his 1st XI were staring at a target of 270..almost 7 runs an over required from the off!
And at 84-4, it was the host club who would surely never have envisaged such an impressive comeback, especially with some strong players already out.
Captain and opener Kieran Howells was still in the middle, however, and in typical style he helped himself to a magnificent ton..138no in fact, with 11 fours and 8 sixes!
With great support from Rob Richards (47), Kieran ensured his team finished on that daunting total of 269-5 at tea. Pick of our bowlers was Jack with 3-34 from his 8 overs, whilst Matt McKinley and Mo Shawtak shared the other wickets to fall.
In reply, MCC were 0-1 after only two balls of the innings and then 83-3, when Max Phillips went for 45 (4 fours). This brought Joe Phillips in to join Greg Thomas at the centre of the action..17 overs bowled, a mere 187 runs required from 23 overs! In reality, another quick wicket now would result in even more pressure on our boys.
To cut to the chase, Joe was next out from the final ball of the 37th over, having played an extraordinary innings of 73 from 68 balls faced, including 5 fours & 2 sixes! The guys had shared a quite superb partnership worth 180 from 20 overs, with the scoreboard now reading 263-4! Seven required from 3 overs!
And then..next ball, the first of over no. 38…Greg was dismissed!! 263-5 now! If Joe’s innings was special, then words cannot be found to describe Greg’s simply amazing effort of 108 from 92 balls! He smashed 6 fours and 4 sixes, as well as running singles and twos so well with Joe!
And then..next but one ball.. our 6th wicket fell!! 264-6! Understandably, the home side were all of a sudden sniffing an outside chance of victory after this nervy “collapse”!
Fear not dear follower, Sean Davies and Ben Jones remained cool enough to notch the 6 runs still required, with just one ball remaining!!
Well, well…WHAT A WIN!! This 4 wicket victory must surely go down as one of finest in the history of this great competition!
In Round 2 on 5th June, MCC travel to Llangennech.
Top top effort, men!!
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