Garboldisham win thrilling semi-final

Garboldisham U15.

29 July 2010

Harry Youngson smashed the ball for six off the penultimate ball of the innings to clinch a historic victory for Garboldisham U15 against Vauxhall Mallards in this thrilling semi-final of the Andy Seeley Alliance Trophy.

Garboldisham will meet either Lowestoft or Sprowston in the final on August 18.

Mallards were soon finding boundaries but a change of bowling brought on Joe Paul who took the first Mallards' wicket as C White edged to keeper Joe Seaman.

Then in the next over, the second wicket fell as Youngson dropped in a shorter pitched ball that ballooned off the bat of Matt Plater for a simple catch to Philip Carr at square leg.

Mallards pushed on and their score continued to rise at a healthy rate until Carr thrust his arms skywards to snatch a second, dramatic, catch off the bowling of Sarah McGahan to dismiss Harry Barker for 23.

Rupert King scored a tasty 51 before being run out and S Campbell added in a useful 21. Add in a few too many extras from Garboldisham and Mallards finished on a heady 173 for five which would be a tough one for Garboldisham to chase down.

Garby lost the early wicket of Matt Allin but Henry Phoenix and Ben Asker soon looked comfortable and started to build the innings, picking up lots of quick singles, and they were soon up with the run rate.

As Asker and Phoenix grew in confidence, so the boundaries started to come and the Mallards fielding became tense and nervy with overthrows and dropped catches.

Garboldisham were right on the run rate and the Asker/Phoenix partnership looked unbreakable as they clocked up their successive

half-centuries. With the finish line in his sights, Henry Phoenix chipped two effortless sixes, one after the other over the square leg boundary.

But then S Campbell took two successive wickets, the Asker/Phoenix partnership was snuffed out and the game was turned completely on its head. Enter Harry Youngson and Joe Paul. The latter survived just one ball before M Plater sent his stumps flying and he was replaced by Joe Seaman in the 19th.

Garboldisham needed 13 off the final over to secure victory. In the fading light Youngson took strike, picked out the ball and drove it for six.

A couple of singles and a double off the next three balls meant that Garboldisham needed three off the last two balls. Youngson wrapped up in style with a second six.