Fillongley Cricket Club

National Vilage Cup Area Semi Final

Fillongley 276-5, Exhall and Wixford 222 all out

I couldn’t get to the game till near the first innings, so had to rely on text messages. By the time I got there Phil and Pelly were hitting to all parts against an Exhall and Wixford side that looked pretty shell shocked. Phil and Tom Barber had put on 162 for the second wicket with Tom finally hitting form with a storming 88, this following a run of catastrophic form of late. 276 is a very big score even on a good batting wicket. I thought it was too many for Exhall even having watched the famous game four years ago. Look at the extras. 57 is way too many! My view wasn’t shared by many around the boundary. Lots of “we needed 300 and the like.

We started with Steve and Andy. Steve bowled out for 1-27 including the prized wicket of Gwynn, and Andy bowled 7 overs for 28. After 14 overs they were 46-1, needing more than 9 an over. Webby and Tom Nightingale took over, and it was Tom who broke the key partnership between Hollands and Mulraine with the score on 106. Despite some big hitting the rate kept creeping up, till the pressure told and wickets fell.

As to afterwards, well Andy’s first words when he came in tonight were “what an awesome bunch!” That pretty well says it all. Earlswood next, but we will all be looking forward to locking horns with Exhall and Wixford again.

This is the link to the report on the Exhall and Wiford site.