Green in seventh heaven

Proving the adage that a close low scoring game can be every bit as exciting as a high scoring one, having lost their first six wickets for just six runs even Pinkneys small target of 132 seemed too far away but a careful seventh wicket partnership between Ian McAllan and Ben Purchese slowly narrowed the deficit to set up a thrilling climax.
In the early stages of the game Pinkneys were well on top, captain Chris Harden winning the toss and making the obvious choice to bowl on a wicket which had only been uncovered an hour or so before the start. The Warfield openers inevitably found runs difficult to come by in the face of hostile opening spells from Shiv Sharma and Ben Purchese, but they dug in to ensure that wickets if not time was on their side. The opening partnership was broken by a breathtaking catch at short extra cover by Tony Fuller and when Andy Ryan was alert to a smart catch at square leg the drinks interval followed to leave Warfield celebrating reaching the fifty mark with only 2 wickets down but half their overs gone.
Some fortuitous hitting by Scott (45) coupled by some elegant off side play by H Fuller (19) increased the run rate slightly, but the run rate barely crept above 3 an over as the front line bowlers returned ahead of the tea interval, Will Heyes once again proving to be the Warfield nemesis as he finished with the pick of the figures taking 4-28.
The luxury of a run chase which could be taken at a leisurely jog induced captain Harden to indulge in some hubristic tinkering of the Green order only to see his plans in tatters as Warfield opening bowlers Morris and Ruddle make light work of the top order, reducing the Green to 6-6 with three wickets apiece. The pair both went on to bowl through their 8 over spell at minimal expense, and having weathered the storm Ian McAllan (50) and Ben Purchese (35) gradually increased the run rate. As the scoreboard began to tick over with increasing rapidity the crowd around the ground grew as they sensed something special was taking place in the middle. With ten overs left the Green required a run a ball senior batsman McAllan mentoring his young partner Purchese through each over, taking care to ensure each one provided what was required.
24 runs were required off the last four overs and when McAllan raised his bat to acknowledge some well earned plaudits for his half century it looked like the pair would see Pinkneys home. A last throw of the dice though saw Anthony Farrell brought into the attack and he broke the partnership dismissing both batsmen in one over which awakened Warfield to the very real possibility that they could still win the game.
The target was now 22 runs off 3 overs which was reduced to 15 off 2 when Farrell returned for his second over. Batsman Fuller though was in no mood to take the game into the last over, despatching Farrell's first ball into the car park for 6, before nudging a judicious two through the vacant slip cordon, and then sealing victory with a four drilled through midwicket to the delight of the crowd and the dismay of the visitors, who for the second year in a row at the Green saw them snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.