Experience finally gained the upper hand as CounterPoint Wanderers secured the BCA Second Division title yesterday when they defeated Buffy’s Minimart Inch Marlow by four wickets in the final at Lakes.
But it was not an easy victory as the cricketers from Christ Church fought tooth and nail until the end.
Chasing a seemingly meagre target of 92 runs Wanderers found themselves in deep trouble at 28 for four.
This was in the face of some pacy, hostile and accurate fast bowling from Antonio Straughn. He had accounted for opening batsman Gary Pedro on the previous evening and came back yesterday to prise out the experienced Sean Armstrong for six and Craig Cozier for seven.
In the interim he got good support from the steady medium-pacer Victor Holder who got Gavin Beresford for one. But once again the evergreen former Barbados player Ian Bradshaw came to the rescue as he and former Division One player Edward Ince were associated in a fifth wicket partnership of 31 runs.
Holder accounted for Ince whom he had LBW for 14 and at 59 for five the Inch Marlow team had a shout at causing a major upset. But Bradshaw found a useful partner in captain Yusuf Nagdee and the two took the score to 90 before Bradshaw was trapped LBW by occasional offspinnner Calvin Kellman for the topscore of 36 with four fours.
The result was formalised when skipper Nagdee struck the winning runs.
Straughn, who was very impressive, finished with three for 28 off nine overs and was well supported by Holder who got two for 32.
After the match, an elated and relieved Nagdee praised his team for a job very well done. “The guys have played well all season and though we had some anxious moments in this final I think that experience, especially through the efforts of Ian (Bradshaw) finally prevailed. They did not go down without a fight and we would like to wish them all the best on their promotion to the Intermediate Division next year.”
Inch Marlow captain Philip Kinch congratulated Wanderers for winning the championship. He also had high praise for his young team and looks forward to better things in 2015.
“Towards the end of the game we had a few missed chances which proved costly but I still think that the guys played a great game and hopefully we can learn from our mistakes next year.”
Despite losing out in the final the Christ Church team have automatically gained promotion to the Intermediate Division since Wanderers are already represented in that division.
