Flatts 243

Bailey's Bay 244-8

Another titillating chapter in the long-standing Flatts-Bailey's Bay rivalry went into the record books in Saturday's Eastern Counties match.

However, with Bailey's Bay coasting at 211 for two in pursuit of 244 to win and with plenty of overs to spare, nobody could have foreseen the dramatic finish ahead at Lord's.

In the twinkling of an eye or - as one spectator put it - "the time it took me to get the bar, get a drink and get back to my seat", Bay lost five wickets for 27 runs to be perched precariously on 238 for seven.

They slipped further to 243 for eight wickets when young Burton Outerbridge was trapped leg before by veteran Gary Brangman. That deepened the tumble of wickets to six for a mere 32 runs. By then it didn't matter, though, as current champions Bay had tied the scores and - had they lost their two remaining scalps without further addition - would have retained the trophy anyway.

In the end, skipper Jermaine Outerbridge and Roderick Masters spared Bay further embarrassment, scampering the winning single off the first ball of Dwayne Leverock's 13th over. That took their team to 244 for eight off 41.1 overs in reply to Flatts' 243 all out in 55.2 overs.

Sitting in the dressing room, Bay opener Glenn Blakeney must have been bewildered how the script he had so carefully crafted could have gone so far awry in so short a time.

The charismatic left-hander emerged from a recent slump with a commanding 154 off 109 balls and a first-wicket stand of 159 with Dennis Trott who made 38.

Blakeney's knock spanned 139 minutes and was decorated with 18 fours and seven sixes. It shepherded Bay to the threshold of an easy victory; Blakeney being third out, caught by Rahji Edness off Flatts skipper Derek Wright, with the total on 211.

This Man-of-the-Match performance also included four slip catches and one wicket to Blakeney's credit when Bay were in the field.

As both teams trudged from the field, an abundance of questions buzzed around the ground as fans came alive with the epic conclusion: What if Flatts had made another 20 or 30 runs? What if Glenn Blakeney had not been dropped by Flatts wicket-keeper Nigel Burgess on 17? How will Bay fare in two weeks' time in the final against St. David's?

For their part, Flatts would be ruing their missed opportunity for glory as they faltered at critical stages.

Asked to bat first, they proved their own worst enemy. Despite some good bowling by the wily Clarkie Trott who bagged six wickets for 78 runs off 22.2 overs, many Flatts batsmen fell to injudicious shots after getting Opener Philip Burgess played some glorious shots, including two big sixes, before his promising start was curtailed by a haul to Charlie Marshall at long-on off Jermaine Outerbridge. He went for 37 and his 58-run partnership with Troy Dean (48 with eight fours) to take the score to two for 69 was the second-best of Flatts innings as wickets fell at regular intervals.

Late in the day, Leverock and Brangman made merry with an eighth-wicket stand of 72 in 49 minutes that guided their side to some respectability. Brangman smashed 51 (eight fours, one six) from 61 balls while Leverock's 25 had three fours. There were 28 extras also.

Bay's reply centred around the hefty opening contribution of Blakeney and Trott who left their middle-order the formality of completing the triumph.

The task was nearly too much as Jermaine Warner, Charlie Marshall, Burton Outerbridge and Clarkie Trott - promoted in the batting - all perished for ducks. Colt Jahmiko Marshall - Charlie's nephew - showed steely resolve amid the batting fiasco, hitting 21 from 24 balls with three fours and six before skying Leverock to Dean at slip.

He was sixth out with Bay on 238 and when his uncle followed him back to the pavilion - trapped in front by Brangman - with no addition to the score, Flatts had a sniff of a chance. Four leg byes in that same Brangman over, however, took Bay to 242 and skipper Outerbridge found two more runs to win the match for the cup holders.

"It got close at the end but we shifted the batting order to give the colt and a couple other guys a hit so they can get the feel of things. I always thought we were winning after that good start by Glenn and Dennis. I guess it was a bit of excitement for the fans at the end," said Outerbridge.

"I feel pretty good about the team's performance. We dropped a few catches but the guys stuck to the task and kept their heads up."

Wright agreed that Blakeney was the difference between the two teams, noting that "when a player like Glenn gives a half-chance you have to take it".

"Us putting him down a few times before he really got going hurt us and put them at ease. He solidified their innings."

The vanquished Flatts captain praised his players for hanging in the game even when Bay were 150-odd without loss.

"We kept saying 'We just need one wicket' and when we got it our heads came up and we ploughed on. In the last six or eight overs (of Bay's innings) the wicket began turning again and the ball wasn't coming onto bat as much.

"W e were able to exert some pressure and capitalise on the chances they did give us. Another 20 or 30 runs would have made a big difference."