Flyford narrowly lose nailbiter......or did they!

Flyford played out an entertaining game in great spirits against old friends Himbleton on Wednesday night - in a Twenty20 match which went the distance and still had three different outcomes on the table before the final ball of the match.
The weather was pretty dreary throughout the day and there were briefly doubts over whether the game might've gone ahead, but by the time the evening arrived the sun emerged, the clouds parted and, as is Himbleton's nature, the tilted ground dried rapidly - although there were a few slips throughout the course of the night on the astro surface.
The hosts, a social bunch, won the toss and elected to bat first. Flyford had been beaten out of sight here last year so the aim was to ensure we were at least competitive. Joey Chapman and Pete Holpin - the latter whose run up was off only a handful of paces - were bowled through by captain Mark Davy, and things were kept relatively tight.
With no recognised wicket keeper, Steve Beavan - whose cricketing career has a foot in each of these camps - took the gloves in the stead of Mark Walker and Will Freeman and took to the role earnestly, but Himbleton is traditionally a pretty punishing ground if you're not watertight in the field.
Straight of the wicket it can be extras galore and Flyford did leak a few which contributed to Himbleton's innings. Luke Cooper-Sargent was mightily unlucky not to have collected himself a wicket although Aaron Monk, by his own admission, burgled at least one while taking 3/35 - there was also a run-out off of his bowling.
The innings closed with couple of overs apiece from the Himbleton-borrowed Teej Alford, who bowled some darting off-spin and made a breakthrough thanks to a smart grab from Aaron in the field, and young Matty Ward, who while bowling at the death claimed his first Flyford wicket when Coops held onto an aerial ball at long on.
Flyford were set 170 and openers Coops and Andrew Ward wasted no time in going about their business. The pair put on just short of 50 before the former was retired having passed 25, and Andrew himself would also bring up a similar milestone with a lofted six into the next field.
The top order sadly couldn't go with them; Bev was clean bowled for a duck, Sean Mulvey - fresh from his maiden Flyford 50 on Sunday - was held when he drove into the covers and departed and then skipper Davy was bowled, too. Suddenly, the scorecard took on a markedly different appearance.
Teej and Steve Nullis went about rebuilding the innings, ready for a late charge as Flyford attempted to take the game as deep as possible. While Teej, who knows this ground well, displayed his power with some mighty leg-side shots, Steve nurdled and rotated the strike smartly until he, too, was bowled.
That brought the tail to the crease. With Luke, Andrew and Teej back in the hutch and padded up, ready for another bash, the task was simple for Pete, Joey and Aaron - score if you could, but don't die wondering and see if you can involve the top order again.
What transpired was an issue of time; by the time Coops came back to the crease, Flyford needed near 40 with two overs to spare. Our old friend Dom awaited in the final over, with 25 needed from the last six deliveries - and his loopy, leg-spin bowling was routinely dispatched into the field adjacent by the advancing Coops.
12 needed off 3.
Coops and Aaron scrambled two from the next ball.
10 off 2.
Another six! This one as authoritative as any which had gone before.
4 off 1.
It felt very doable, considering where Flyford had been no more than an over ago. Sadly, while Coops had brought up a commanding 50, the contact wasn't quite as clean and what briefly appeared as though a boundary was coming actually picked out the fielder who, while not taking the catch, was happy for the pair in the middle to run another single.
Flyford were beaten by two runs, but it wasn't without a valiant late effort and flurry of maximums which kept the innings, and the match, alive for as long as was possible. Burgers and pints followed. Well, after all, when in Himbleton...

It has since come to light that a no ball should have been called on the last ball as the Wicket Keeper left his position to field at square leg, thus becoming a fielder with gloves on.  Not allowed!

AWARDS
Man of the match - Coops for his 58*
Tit of the match - Aaron, for burgling wickets and taking up too many deliveries in the chase
Champagne moment - Matty's first wicket for the club
Thanks for coming - Teej for giving us 11 players and making contributions with bat and ball