Boys' U15A v Rugby

U15A vs Rugby

Rugby 150 for 8 (30 overs)

Repton 150 for 7 (30 overs)

Match Tied

This was surely one of the most exciting Under 15 matches Repton has seen for some considerable time! Rugby won the toss, batted, and were soon 25 for 2. The Repton bowling, however, was not brilliant, the exceptions being Cosford whose 6 overs yielded only 12 runs and 2 wickets, and Gough who took 2 for 19. Too many wides and short deliveries, coupled with some sloppy fielding, enabled Rugby to achieve a decent total of 150, a score which was 30 runs greater than it should have been. Determined to make amends with the bat, Fenton and Waters went about the chase in fine style scoring at 5 runs an over. When Fenton (19) played an uppish drive to mid-off with the score on 39, Gough came to the wicket and maintained the run-rate. Waters (28) fell with the score on 75 and Cosford joined Gough with the team needing 76 from the final 12 overs. Two brilliant run-outs, firstly of Gough (34) and then Cosford (13), left us with the equation of 35 runs required from the last 5 overs. Runs duly came, but so did wickets, and we went into the last over needing 11 to win. With only 1 run scored from the first 3 balls, Hughes was left needing to score 10 from 3 balls. Then a miracle happened: a leg-side delivery was missed by both batsman and ‘keeper, and resulted in 4 byes. 6 from 2 balls to win! Another miracle: Hughes edges the penultimate ball for 4! 2 to win from the last ball! With all the tension of the IPL, the crowd were transfixed for the outcome, with neither side deserving to lose. It is perhaps fitting, therefore, that Hughes and Fox-Davies scrambled a single to leave the match tied. It was a brilliant game and Repton’s batting deserved something from the game. There are plenty of lessons to be learned, however, and the boys must be determined to bowl more consistently and to field with greater concentration if they want to win these types of games against strong sides. JELD