Published: Thursday, 19th June, 2008 06:00
Finch edge classic to move second
By Charles Watts
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Finch's Steve Bloyce took 3-49 as his side picked up a thrilling victory.
FINCHAMPSTEAD moved into second place in Division Two West of the Home Counties League with a sensational one run victory against Farnham Royal last Saturday.
The win, which knocked Farnham off the top of the table, was thanks in large part to a breathtaking display of seam bowling by the Finch pace attack of Anthony Parson, Steve Bloyce and Darron Augustus.
After being bowled out for just 188 it looked like Finch were heading for defeat, especially when Farnham’s reply had reached 146-3, but the trio of Parson, Bloyce and Augustus then turned the game on its head.
They ripped through the Farnham line-up and when Bloyce took the final wicket with the hosts one run short on 187 the celebrations began.
Skipper Sam Taylor said: “It was very nerve-wracking. It was just an unbelievable day.
“The game kept swinging from one way to the other but I always felt we would still win, even when they had three wickets left and only needed 10 runs.
“The bowling was outstanding. We had a lot of options we could have used but we could barely get the ball off the pace attack. All three of them were superb.
“It was one of the best bowling performances I’ve seen from Finch seamers in a long time. It was just an outstanding display to get us back in the game and fantastic to be a part of.”
After losing the toss Finch were put into bat by their hosts and lost Scott Patterson (6) and Matthew Jones (3) early, before Russell Lane (53) and Sam Cheetham (53) steadied the ship.
Lane was then run out and Taylor (9) came and went cheaply to bring Augustus to the crease.
He hit a fine 40 but once he and Cheetham fell Finch collapsed and lost their last six wickets for just six runs to be skittled out for 188.
Farnham reached 60-3 in reply before a stand of 87 between Javed Khan and skipper Ollie Clayson looked to have taken the hosts to the verge of victory.
But they lost two wickets on 147 and when Khan fell on 76 Finch could sense they still had a chance with Farnham 165-6.
Parson, Bloyce and Augustus were now firing on all cylinders and they took three more wickets in the next 11 overs, restricting their hosts to just 21 runs in the process.
At 186-9, Farnham needed just three runs from their 10th wicket partnership but they managed just one before Bloyce bowled Ishmail Boparai to seal a remarkable victory.
Parson led the way with figures of 4-54 but he was superbly supported by Augustus (3-17) and Bloyce (3-49).
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