Kendal 83

Netherfield 85-9

Netherfield won by two runs

TWP Wealth Twenty20 Cup

A DIVING catch on the boundary from Craig Walmsley with the third to last ball of the game provided a thrilling finish to the Auld Grey Twenty20 derby clash at a packed Shap Road last night (Friday).

Netherfield’s total of 85-9 from the first innings never looked like being enough, but the runs dried up for Kendal, and Walmsley’s heroics were enough to secure a two-run victory for the Parkside Road outfit.

Had he missed the catch from a Gary Baker blast, the ball would likely have run on for a boundary, which would have given Kendal a one-wicket success.

Opener Walmsley was also the catalyst with the bat, top-scoring for Field with 28 from 29 runs.

Field hit just five boundaries from the first innings, with pro Colin Ackermann once again disappointing with the bat after scoring just two runs.

Marc Brown’s poor form also continued when he was bowled after swiping and missing a Nick Lewthwaite ball to leave Field 16-2, while the usually-reliable John Huck was caught by Jack White at mid-on off Lewthwaite for 11.

In the 10th over the crucial wicket of Walmsley was taken by Chris Miller and two wickets fell in two balls when Ben Barrow refused a quick single, leaving Chris Parry stranded and run out, before Brad Earl was bowled first ball by Miller as Field toiled on 53-6.

A partnership of 19 between Barrow and Greg Hall still seemed insufficient, but in the grand scheme of events it turned out that it was enough as both scored 11 individual runs each before they were dismissed, and Field recorded 85-9 from their 20 overs.

Three wickets fell in the first three overs for Kendal, with Darren Moore clipping onto his wicket, sub-pro Aubrey Swanepoel LBW, and Jack White caught by Walmsley off Stuart Nixon to leave them 15-3.

But Ryan Nelson was still amongst it, and in the fourth over he and Terry Hunte racked up 15 runs to put the score up to 30-3, with proceedings looking like they wouldn’t last much longer at that stage.

But a super catch deep in the field by Earl put paid to Hunte (14) and from then on the runs dried up painfully for the Shap Road outfit.

Between the eighth and 13th overs Kendal scored just 10 runs, and during that period the massive wicket of Nelson, who scored 24 off 28 balls, was taken with a good Marc Brown catch at square leg off Scott Clement - the man who just about edged the bowling figures of the night with 2-10.

Gary Baker and Lewthwaite picked up the run rate in the 14th over to get the home side back on track, but at 63 Lewthwaite became the seventh wicket down for four.

Adam Cowperthwaite was run out in comedy fashion in the 17th over to leave Kendal 66-8, needing 20 runs to win off 18 balls with just two wickets left.

A good 18th over for the home side meant they needed a run a ball with the remaining 12 balls, but Ryan Wilson continued a theme of good fielding throughout the night by catching Chris Miller for six off Earl in the second ball of the 19th over.

Baker was still providing solid resistance, and the match went to the wire as Kendal needed seven runs to win off the last over but with just one wicket spare.

A misfield by Earl gave Kendal two runs in the first ball of the last over, and when Baker got his score up to 19 with three balls left, the Shap Road side just needed a boundary to win the game as they were 83-9, chasing 86 to win.

When Ackermann’s ball fell slightly short, Baker went for the runs that would seal his side’s victory. But Walmsley sprinted a good 20 yards to take a low diving catch close to the boundary, and put Netherfield into dreamland for a victory that seemed unlikely for most of the game.