AFTER the opening two matches produced plenty of entertaining cricket but no victories for the Awali Camels, the touring side left it until the penultimate ball of their third match against Wilcot Cricket Club to notch their first win.
And it really should have been so easy for the Camels, who had inserted the hosts first up and then set about keeping the score manageable. This was well-achieved through a combination of curmudgeonly fielding, including a direct hit run out by Steve Turner, and tight bowling from the likes of Axtell duo, Dave and George.
Morraine-Griffiths amazingly became the fourth run-out victim to leave Wilcot on 64 for six and the Camels in control but somehow, the lower ordered battled bravely through to a total score of 98.
The target looked somewhat paltry in view of the efficient visitors’ opening stand of 33 in six overs and when series debutant Paul Curwen wasted no time in smashing a series of belligerent fours, the result appeared a formality.
With Curwen inexplicably losing his wicket to a simple catch off Ninian MacGregor, it was left to Graham Hoar at the other end to patiently carve out his second successive half-century and when the latter retired on 52, it left the stage clear for Mason and Roland Burt to bring home the victory.
Needing only eight runs from four overs to win, the Camels unbelievably started to stumble and some economical bowling left a five-run target from the final over.
The first two balls thumped into Dave Starkie’s body before he was clean bowled on the third to leave the match on a knife edge.
Having had minimal impact on proceedings up to that point, Camels’ skipper Doug Perrins belatedly joined the party as he smashed an imperious four to cow-corner and then took the required single from the second last ball to see the visitors scrape home.
Scores:
Wilcot CC 98 all-out. Awali Camels 99-5.