Picture left to right back row: Joe Seaman (injured and didn’t play), Jack Peart, Harry Youngson, Henry Phoenix, Joe Paul, James Dunkinson. Front row: Dan Taylor, Matt Allin, Lewis Taylor (w/k), Rowan Freake (capt), Ben Asker, Alex Cooke

Sunday September 11, 2011 Diss

Garboldisham 180 for 9, Diss 161 all out

In a thrilling 42 over final at Rectory Meadow in Diss, Garboldisham Foxes U17s beat Diss Mafia U17s by just 19 runs in the Bob Carter Junior cup.

Garboldisham lost the toss and were put in to bat on a slow, spongey, green wicket. Opening batsman Henry Phoenix had picked up a blow to the knee playing rugby the day before and he struggled to find his usual fluid style and Garboldisham made a painfully slow start that was made worse as their wickets started to tumble. By the 21 over half-way stage the score was just 54 for 4. Young Dan Taylor looked to be the only batsman who could tame the Diss bowling attack and the unpredictable nature of the wicket, and he was unlucky to finish just one short of his half century. Garby’s bottom order trio of Jack Peart, Joe Paul, and captain Rowan Freake threw caution to the wind, struck out and picked up a much needed 50+ runs between them in the final 5 overs of the innings that included two delightful sixes from Freake, one of which flew off his bat to soar over fine leg. Diss had leaked costly runs and had thrown Garboldisham a lifeline.

Ben Spinks opened for Diss and started to assemble a solid score. Apart from Dan Taylor, who took the wicket of Dan Williman, the Garboldisham pace bowling attack was looking distinctly off colour as they gave away wides and short balls that were picked off and dispatched to the boundary by Spinks. It was only when captain Rowan Freake brought on himself, that a wicket fell, as the Diss number 3 was trapped to a ball of perfect line and length that took out the stumps. At 21 overs, Diss were on 92 for 2, and looking pretty comfortable. Charlie Paske, on 19, was going well until he mistimed a ball from Freake that spiralled up for a well held catch from Joe Paul at cover. Meanwhile, Diss danger man Ben Spinks continued to build his innings but with the return of a re-invigorated Ben Asker to the bowling attack, Spinks edged a ball to Garby keeper Lewis Taylor and was out for 39 much to the relief of the Garboldisham lads. Kristian Williman picked up where Spinks had left off and he continued to push the score along, and with help from Barnaby Chenery, Diss looked in control at 140 for 4 with 9 overs to go.

Garboldisham’s part-time bowler James Dunkinson made the breakthrough as Chenery skied a ball that hung in the air and then dropped into the velcro hands of Joe Paul. And in the next over Paul bowled a slower off-cutter that caught the top of Kristian Williman’s off-stump. With Chenery gone for 12 and Williman out for 23, the game swung back into Garboldisham’s favour. Diss had overs in hand and their tailenders needed to dig in and eek out the score, but the pressure proved too much as first a run out and then two wickets from Garby hero of the moment, Dunkinson, sealed the game for Garboldisham. Dunkinson finished on 3 for 12, Rowan Freake on 2 for 9 and Dan Taylor on 1 for 11.

It was a fascinating contest from these two local rivals and a terrific cup win for the Garboldisham lads. Godfrey Batley presented the Man of the Match award to Dan Taylor for his hard earned 49 runs that helped secure Garboldisham’s victory.