Harborough Hampered by Hennell

Lots of nervous glances, we knew it was close, no one knew quite how close, could we do it?

Time would tell?

Would we hold our nerve?

Would the pressure tell?

Could we?

Yes - the Fleckney convoy managed to get past the road closed signs less than 2 minutes before the road closed.

They also won a match in Harborough.

Earlier in the season we went to Harborough and it rained, it was windy, it was cold. We lost.

This time, it was warm, it rained, it stopped, it rained again. We won.

Sarah picked up an injury in the warm up and sensibly decided to watch rather than push through and make things worse so Fleckney borrowed an extra from Harborough, and Hattie (the aforementioned additional option) and Jo opened things up.

226 after the first pair - Jo with 15.

Lucy and Linda came in, and Lucy was fantastic, four 4s were hit, singles were taken and a career best 28 was achieved. The only downside was a ball that approached the stumps with all the confidence of a teenage boy trying to talk to a teenage girl at a party, however the ball managed to nudge into the stumps and the lack of bails meant that technically the wicket was "broken". Linda was able to move past 150 FVCC runs this evening.

The 3rd pair was Rachel and Jan and an early 4 suggested plenty and a late 6 suggested plenty more but some good fielding did peg us back and three wickets were taken.

Jodie and Holly were the last pair and one batter claimed, repeatedly, that the other was trying to kill her, but to me it was just good running. And both survived, so happy days all round.

286 was scored.

Harborough started very strongly and looked well on course at the midway point of the innings, but with Jo in the attack, there is always a wicket on the horizon, and one arrived during the 2nd pair, but Harborough still ticked over - we needed wickets with the final pair at the crease, and in that scenario you give the ball to Linda - she got her 10th Fleckney wicket - she takes a wicket every 18 balls which is rather decent. Holly bowled the 2nd over and managed to pick up her first outdoor Fleckney wicket to go with the indoor ones she picked up over the winter.

At the start of the final over, Harborough were behind by one. We now head over for ball by ball commentary.

15.1 Hennell to Jenny - dot ball

15.2 Hennell to Jenny - ball hit in the deep and a single is scored. Scores level.

15.3 Hennell to Sakhi - dot ball

15..4 Hennell to Sakhi - wicket, bowled her, a typical away seamer crashes into the stumps and Fleckney's nose is ahead.

15.5 Hennell to Jenny - the ball goes ariel and they scamper a couple of runs. THREE runs needed for victory.

15.6 Hennell to Jenny - the ball is hit leg side, Rachel picks the ball up and rolls it back to bowler with the Harborough batters completing a single.

Victory for the Fleckney 7.