Old Modernians - Cricket

MODS' TAKE A STUFFING ......... BUT TAKE THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SPOFFORTH MISS THE TITLE, LOSING THEIR LAST WICKET 7 SHORT OF VICTORY.

 Mods: 82 all out (28.4) (Mark Ripley 26 n.o., Aston 3-13)

Scarcroft: 86-1 (18.1) (M.Gregson 38 n.o., P. Phelan 27 n.o., J. Baker 1-14)

The day started with nervous expectation, reached early evening with dreams shattered but ended with unexpected total elation.

A game Mods' desperately wanted to win, to render results elsewhere superfluous, turned rapidly sour: a 9 wicket annihilation by Scarcroft penetrated the heart.

News form Spofforth helped little but gave some hope. They were 8-1 from 6 overs, chasing 185 for victory and the title. By the time I arrived at the "enemy" camp they had progressed to 32-1 off 15, soon to become 34-2. Steady but slow was the motto so by the fall of the 3rd wicket another 110 were required from the remaining 17 overs of their 49 allotment.  The run rate needed picking up and when it was pegged to under six an over there looked to be only one winner. 4 wickets were down but in the gathering gloom batting was definitely becoming harder. Wickets tumbled til around 30 were required off 6 overs with 4 men left. Two snicked fours and a whallop over the clubhouse for six excited the home support. Two wickets in two balls quitened the fans but only 9 were needed from 3 overs. Another wicket and 6 required! The tension felt as thick as yours truly in a Brain of Britain contest. By this time Matt Walker had a hotline through to me at Spofforth and the whole of the Mods were on tenterhooks as with 9 balls left the Barwick bowler ran in, past the umpire, bowled and sent the Spofforth no. 11's stumps sprawling. The roar from the Old Mods' could be heard above the eerie silence that had overtaken Spofforth. Mods' had done it. We were the Champions. Let festivities begin. They did and continued into the night and well beyond the full-team-streak around the Mods' pitch.

The gods were with the Mods' and they had to be!

Congratulations to all the players who have contributed to the 1st XI this season.