Washington Cricket Club - 40th Anniversary Year

Vagabonds 217

Washington 204-9

Washington came close to both victory and defeat in a knife-edge finish against Hampshire side Vagabonds on Sunday.  Set 218 to win, they reached the final two overs needing 30 to win, but with 4 wickets in hand.   Then three quick wickets fell, leaving No 11 Batsman Terry Tidey with the awesome responsibility of surviving the last ball of the match. He made it.  Wash drew

It was a fitting climax to a game where the initiative passed between the sides throughout the afternoon.  It was, as John Roche said afterwards, ‘a see-saw situation’.

Vagabonds won the toss, but Washington’s openening pair bowled superbly and made rapid inroads.  Mick Kennedy (2-35) accounted for Garton and Chris Davies, in his best bolwing performance for the Wash bowled Dixey for 1, the first of 5 wickets for the promising Wash seamer.

However, Monrow (83) led a recovery, aided and abetted by Miles (22), Jackson (45) and Harding (30).  It was a day when the slower bowlers purchased their wickets expensively:  Terry Tidey picked up 2-54 off 6 overs, and Eric Stoughton 1-65 off 7, courtesy of a screaming catch on the boundary from young Rob Tidey. 

However, when Kennedy and excellent Davis returned to pack up the tail in double-quick time, Wash had bowled out Vagabonds for 217, a fine effort from the visitors and perhaps the first time Wash have gone right through the Vagabonds batting line up.

Washington’s own reply began briskly, Donald Campbell (19) and Pete Demetri (70) setting off confidently in pursuit of their target.  When the former fell lbw with the score on 61, Rob Tidey (9) joined Demetri and took the score over 100 at six an over. 

At this point, however, the Wash innings stuttered in the face of a fine spell from Harding who bowled 9 overs for just 21 runs, picking up 3 wickets on the way.  Having reached 108 in the 17^th over, Wash managed only 26 in the next 10 and wickets were falling. Shaun Phelan made 12 but the quick dismiissals of Stuart Hood and skipper Justin Gurney, both for 0, put Wash on the back foot.

It was left to Rocket Man Roche and King Kennedy of Oz to right the ship.  Steely defiance gave way to a ferocious counter attack as the pair lined up their distant target and went for it, adding 63 in just 7 overs.

Kennedy reached a fine 50, but the middle order freeze, however, had done its work, and the finishing line remained just out of reach.  In the final, hectic stages, both Roche (22) and Kennedy (55) fell and once Davis had departed first ball, it was left to Terry Tidey to ensure that Washington’s afternoon ended with an honourable draw.

Man of the Match:  Mick Kennedy for taking Wash so close

Packing the Kit:  Chris Davis for putting undue pressure on the senior Tidey