Sixes Invitational, Saturday 12 June 2010
Once again we were blessed with beautiful weather as East Meon welcomed West Meon, Pink Maidens, Rogate, DACD Daredevils, Bereleigh Bandits, Broadhalfpenny Brigands and Buriton to the second East Meon Cricket Club Sixes Invitational.
East Meon, defeated finalists from last year, again made it to the final and this year walked away victorious after a nail-biting thriller against the Bereleigh Bandits.
With the sun high and the crowd growing the games continued apace with East Meon and the Bereleigh Bandits marching steadily to the final. East Meon were pushed hard by Rogate in their final match, as Rogate rattled up a decent 53 runs in their innings, but Sam and Paul were up to the challenge and brought East Meon home without any scares. DACD similarly rattled Bereleigh in their final game, as the Bereleigh side scored a seemingly mammoth 71 runs thanks to some big hits by Jack and Ed Tyrwhitt-Drake, only to see DACD make a real go at chasing it down, falling short by only 10 runs.
Jack T-D and Paul tossed up and Jack T-D sent East Meon in to bat. Jeff and Sam led the East Meon charge and got them off to a flyer before Sam was run out for 13 in the second over. East Meon didn't lose a second wicket, and Jeff kept the scoreboard ticking over while Paul played a more agricultural innings, slogging turncoat Jonti over the slips (!) for six in the last over.
62 runs scored, 63 to win. Let's start a war! Pumped by the sounds of Electric Six Rupert opened the bowling for East Meon and kept it tight, restricting Bereleigh to only eight runs in their first over. As the pressure built something had to give, and, unfortunately for East Meon, it was Sam's line and length. Jack T-D mercilessly smashed 19 off his over. Ali bowled the third, and stopped the rot to a degree, but not before Jack reached 32 and retired, thinking his work was done. Then Jeff bowled the penultimate over, with the Bandits needing 16 or so runs to win, with all their wickets in hand. What happened next was extraordinary, as not one, not two, but three wickets fell, all of them caught by Paul on the long-on boundary. Suddenly East Meon, who had looked dead and buried at the end of the second over, were back in it, and a dramatic run out later, brilliantly completed by Will behind the stumps, left the Bandits needing 15 off the final over, with only one wicket in hand.
Jack T-D, captain of the Bandits, strode back to the wicket and took his guard again. Paul, captain of East Meon, stood at the end of his run up. Eight teams, thirteen games, nine hours of cricket, all of it boiled down to this over. In came Paul, crack went Jack T-D hitting the ball right out the middle of his bat and up and up the ball sailed. Sam was underneath; surely, having taken such a great catch earlier, this would be easy? Surely, having seen Paul catch three in the last over, this would be easy? Surely, with no wind or bad light, this would be easy? The ground fell silent as the ball finished its ascent and began to descend. Down and down it came with Sam settled comfortably underneath it. This was it, the moment that East Meon would win the Cup! Down and down in came and, yes, caught! But no, out it came, and, no, dropped! The batsmen crossed for two.
13 now required off 5 balls. But surely, despite everything, if East Meon could just hold their nerve for five more balls they would win? In came Paul again and disaster, the ball sailed out of his hand, past the batsman above head height for a no-ball, and down to the fine-leg boundary for four. Meaning that with the three for the no-ball seven runs were conceded in total, and an extra delivery would have to be bowled. 6 now needed off 5. Disaster, surely the Bandits had it now? In came Paul again, with steely determination, it wasn't over till it was over. A single, a leg bye, just four runs to win of three balls, with Jack T-D on strike. The crowd watched in tense silence. Could East Meon get the wicket for victory, or would Jack T-D finish it in style?
In came Paul, crack went Jack T-D. This time he hadn't connected with it so well, but it was still travelling fast and high towards the boundary. It was going to make it, it was going to be four and the Bereleigh Bandits were going to win. But wait, out there at long-off, the forlorn figure of Sam Meyer, the villain of the piece, who's bowling had fallen to pieces and who had dropped the catch that would have won the game, one final chance at redemption? Slowly at first, as if he couldn't believe it, but then more quickly and with more certainty, he moved to his left and ran to meet the ball. Would it bounce before he got there, would he trip and fall, would he fumble it again? No, none of the above, he caught it cleanly and let out a cry as he hurled the ball high in the air in celebration before being swamped by his teammates. East Meon had done it; they had won the Cup by 2 runs! A brilliant finish to a brilliant final and a brilliant all round tournament.
The organisers would like to thank all the teams, spectators, supporters and sponsors for taking part and making it such a memorable day, with special thanks extended to DACD Daredevils who stepped in at the last minute and Jack Tyrwhitt-Drake for providing the musical bed that helped make the day so memorable.
The trophies from M&S Shoe Repair in Petersfield were awarded to:
Best Catch award, sponsored by Arbrook Treecare, won by Sam Meyer of East Meon for a diving, tumbling catch on the boundary against the Pink Maidens;
Most Wickets award, sponsored by the Olde George Inn, won by Jeff Wheeler of East Meon taking five wickets for 28 runs in 4 overs, including three wickets in the final;
Most Runs award, sponsored by Waterstones, Petersfield, won by Dave Greetham of the Pink Maidens for scoring 72 runs in only 3 innings;
Big Six award, sponsored by Alpacaseller UK, won by Kit Matthews of the Bereleigh Bandits, for a monstrous six that travelled as if it had been struck with a driver not a cricket bat;
Champagne Moment award was given to young Jake Wadey from the Pink Maidens, for having the temerity to hit East Meon skipper Paul Gillespie back over his head for two boundaries. He can't yet enjoy his award, but he is definitely one to keep an eye on for the future.
Game 1: East Meon, 41-0, J. Wheeler 19 not out, beat West Meon, 40 all out, Roe 18 not out, P. Gillespie 2-7, by 5 wickets.
Game 2: Pink Maidens, 84-2, D. Greatham & C. May 31 retired, beat Rogate, 48-3, M. Rattigan 20 not out, by 36 runs.
Game 3: Bereleigh Bandits, 24-2, M. Turner 13 not out, beat Broadhalfpenny Brigands, 23 all out, Jack T-D 2-3, by 3 wickets.
Game 4: DACD Daredevils, 46-1, Godfrey 21, beat Buriton, 43 all out, Samworth 29, Godfrey 2-12, by 4 wickets.
Game 5: West Meon, 59-0, Stuart 30 retired, beat Rogate, 58-1, Rattigan 20 not out, A. King 23 not out, by 5 wickets.
Game 6: East Meon, 37-1, A. Wheeler 10 not out, beat Pink Maidens, 36 all out, J. Wheeler 2-3, by 4 wickets.
Game 7: Bereleigh Bandits, 70-1, Jack T-D 24, Ed T-D 25 not out, beat Buriton 32-3, Lister 16 not out, by 38 runs.
Game 8: Broadhalfpenny Brigands, 45-0, G. Northwood & E. Love-Turner 14 not out, beat DACD Daredevils, 44-2, Wilson 22 not out, by 5 wickets.
Game 9: West Meon, 55-2, Lithin 19 not out, beat Pink Maidens, 53-1, D. Greatham 26 not out, by 3 wickets.
Game 10: East Meon, 54-0, P. Gillespie 27 not out, S. Meyer 16 not out, beat Rogate, 53-2, M. Arnold 29, A. King 21 not out, by 5 wickets.
Game 11: Bereleigh Bandits, 67-1, M. Turner 33 retired, K. Matthews 29 not out, beat DACD Daredevils, 53-1, Jones 27 not out, Wilson 20 not out, by 14 runs.
Game 12: Broadhalfpenny Brigands, 42-0, G. Northwood 14 not out, beat Buriton, 41-2, Haywood 16, by 5 wickets.
Final: East Meon, 62-1, P. Gillespie 28 not out, J. Wheeler 13 not out, S. Meyer 13, beat Bereleigh Bandits, 57 all out, Jack T-D 35, J. Wheeler 3-5, by 5 runs.
Total runs: 1,267 (1,311) (last year's figure's in brackets)
Total wickets: 51 (56)
Total sixes: 29 (29)
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