Exhall book place in Lord's showpiece (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Exhall book place in Lord's showpiece

MATT Gwynn was the hero as Exhall and Wixford clinched a dream day out at Lord's on the strength of Sunday's nail-biting npower Village Cup semi-final success, writes Mervyn Collins.

The opening batsmen carried his bat for an unbeaten 74, lofting the winning boundary off the second ball of the last over at Sheriff Hutton Bridge who appeared set to end visiting hopes after being skittled out for 158.

The Yorkshiremen hit back in fine style to reduce the Cotswold Hills League side to 49-4 but, as long as Gwynn was at the crease, the visitors were still in there fighting.

The opener received splendid support from Tom Heneghan and Martin Park as Exhall inched their way towards their target before the latter's demise to the first ball of the 36th over shifted the balance the home side's way.

Leon Gates was almost run out off the first ball he received but six runs were taken off the over and the chasers were left to score 23 runs off the final four overs.

Favourites

Wicket keeper turned left-arm spinner Dave Gilbertson conceded just five runs off his next over but a boundary for Gates in the next that cost nine runs made Exhall firm favourites to progress.

However, they reckoned without the guile of Gilbertson who, after conceding a couple off the first ball of the penultimate over, then bowled three dot balls and had Gates dropped at mid-on.

A single off the last ball left the Aussie on strike and six needed, or five to tie and win on losing fewer wickets.

Ellis was the man given the job of wrecking Exhall's dream but a cover drive to the fence brought two to Gates and a third run followed when the throw struck the stumps at the bowler's end.

Sheriff brought up all their fielders and Gwynn's eyes lit up as a full length ball reached him and he lofted the ball skilfully over the infield before being lifted off his feet by the stampeding Exhall followers.

It was an absolute stormer of a match that saw the highly fancied York side make a similar start as they made Simon Hollands pay for asking them to bat first racing to 26-0 off five overs.

Steve Keen struck the opening blow 13 runs later, while Sam Grinsted picked up the crucial wicket of Paul Oldfield when Scott Carmichael pouched the first of four catches.

John Park and Hollands struck in successive overs to leave Bridge on 97-4 with 15 overs remaining and the pressure of tight bowling and slick fielding proved too much as the hosts lost their last six wickets for 42 runs.

Gates finished off the job with two late wickets - the last not pleasing fellow Australian Graham Wickes who received a nasty blow to the face from a flying bail.

That wasn't sufficient to stop him replacing Hollands with the target reduced by only ten in the seventh over and the stumper gave the Exhall fans something to cheer with a brace of boundaries before falling to Oldfield.

John Simpson's return to his home county wasn't a happy one and, at 30-3, the task looked a tough one.

Gwynn was looking comfortable, though, once Mike Smith had taken his sweater with figures of 2-10 off seven overs. But, the ball after smashing Danny Snowball out of the ground, Carmichael perished and celebrations were put on ice!

Heneghan helped the unruffled Gwynn add 42 runs before departing, again the ball after finding the boundary, while Park never looked totally convincing in taking the reply to 129 before falling for 18.

However, Gates was instantly among the runs and proved a polished partner before Gwy-nn's fourth boundary of a superb innings guided Exhall and Wixford to the biggest win in the club's history.