I said last week that victory would not be long in coming – and I was right. An impressive all round performance, with wickets shared equally between five bowlers, and then a partnership between Ian Garrett and Tony Potter that broke the back of the run chase saw us to victory, despite some nerves at the end before Kiyan Jayahanie and Dave Bowley saw us home.
Feckenham won the toss and chose to bat, and Ways had immediate success as opener Drumm senior sliced Craig Heath to Tony Potter at backward point. Griffiths, like many of the Feckenham batters, looked to hit leg side at almost everything, and cleared Tony on the midwicket boundary, only to be bowled next ball by Brian Varley trying to repeat the shot. Brian struck again with the score 31 as Drumm junior shovelled one into the legside to be neatly taken by Sam Pryde at square leg, and then Craig struck again as Ways old boy Jon Dean dragged on trying to chop the ball to third man. 31-4 after ten overs, and Craig finishing with the outstanding figures of 2-7 from 5, and Ways well on top.
That control was never lost although Simon Mitchell continued in the Feckenham hitting out vein to smack 36 including two sixes and several fours and was looking capable of hitting Feckenham to a decent total until Sam Pryde in the midst of another solid eight over spell put a well-pitched up delivery through him. That was Sam’s second wicket, the first assisted by a nonchalant one-handed catch at backward square leg from Craig Heath. Tony Potter bowled a tidy spell of off spin from the bottom end and took the seventh wicket, but Taylor, one of the Feckenham youngsters batted well to take the score passed 100 and beyond, until the end came rather quickly, the last three wickets falling for just six runs as the batting side slid from 116-7 to 122 all out. Keri Simons struck first, aided by a spectacular one-handed diving catch by Kiyan Jayahanie behind the stumps, Tony was swatted for four through midwicket by the unsmiling Reynolds, then put a top spinner through him two balls later as he looked to repeat the dose, and then Tony turned catcher as Keri was chipped to point by the number 11, leaving Taylor high and dry on 21.
123 to win from 40 seemed an eminently achievable target, and in the end so it was to prove, but not without hard work on the way. Feckenham mostly relied on young bowlers, who generally bowled very well. Ian Garrett and Ed Coughlan got the innings off to a steady start, adding 25 in the first ten overs, with a straight driven four from Ed the highlight, until he nicked off to young leg-spinner Alenka, who bowled very effectively to finish with figures of 2-13 from his eight overs. Craig Heath struck two successive leg side boundaries from full tosses from the tiring Claydon, but dragged an attempted off side forcing shot to his replacement, left armer Drumm, onto his stumps – 39-2. Drumm bowled impressively, and with the damp conditions, boundaries were not easy to come by, and at 47-2 after the 15th over, the game was very much in the balance. The next three overs saw things tilt however, as Tony Potter got after another young spinner, hitting him inside out over extra then through square leg as he dragged the next ball down for fours, Ian pulled Drumm for four in the next over, then Tony hit further leg side and off side boundaries in Eost’s next over – 26 runs coming in three overs including five boundaries, and the back of the run chase broken. As Tony looked to be aggressive, Ian could push the singles into the deep set field, and took Ways to drinks by pulling a Dean long-hop for four. 81-2 from 20 at drinks, Ian 30*, Tony 26*, and a comfortable win in prospect.
So it seemed for the next five overs, as first the fifty partnership, then the 100 was raised. 101-2 from 25 and only 22 needed from 15 – game over? Not quite – another young spinner came on, Taylor with left-arm leg breaks. His first ball was dragged down, but Ian got it off the bottom of the bat and couldn’t get the power or elevation to clear square leg – out for 42 and 101-3. Taylor bowled very tidily, Alenka returned at the other end, Andy Stewart went quickly, the run rate slowed to a trickle, and when Taylor picked up Tony for 36, an inside edge on to the pad trickling back onto the stumps, it was 107-5 and six overs had yielded just six runs and three wickets. Squeaky bum time indeed. But five runs came from Reynolds next over with a wide and an edge cum steer from Kiyan Jayahanie to third man for four. In Reynolds’ next over, he fired a wide past the keeper and away to the boundary again, and the target was now comfortably in single figures. Singles started to come and with just one to bring the scores level, Kiyan finished it with an emphatic pull shot for four. So, a well fought victory, with contributions from everyone, and the promise of a much more consistent and successful season for the 3rds ahead.

Report by Ian Garrett