Beavers fall at final T20 hurdle
SUNDAY saw the Cheshire County League’s four best T20 teams in 2018 descend on Church Lane to battle it out for the Joseph Holt Brewery Trophy and the chance to represent the League in the ECB’s national competition stages.
In semi-final 1, Bramhall had be drawn to face Marple at 10am, with the Beavers hoping that home advantage would at least see them through to the afternoon final against Nantwich or Neston.
Bramhall skipper Nick Cantello won the toss and chose to bat, and his decision looked to be vindicated as the hosts raced to 30-0 from two overs and past 50 shortly after.
The first wicket to fall was Ashley West, for a rapid 40 from just 17 balls, and this initiated a little stutter to the Beavers’ progress.
Two further wickets fell in quick succession and the home side were suddenly 71-3 with two fresh batsmen at the crease.
Aussie Liam Banthorpe looked in good early touch, and had added 19 with his captain before he was caught off the bowling of his countryman Dylan Moroney for 13.
Suddenly, Marple found themselves back in the game, and Bramhall didn’t seem to know whether to stick or twist. Those who twisted soon found it to be the risky option, and wickets fell with such regularity that the Beavers looked in danger of not batting their overs.
The score was 130-9 with three overs left, and Cantello found himself requiring number 11 Luke Littlewood to block deliveries and get the pair into the last over. Littlewood was able to do this, and the skipper was then able to unfurl a trio of maximums to take Bramhall past 150 to close on 156-9.
Cantello finished unbeaten on a skilful 38 from 37 balls.
After the turnaround, Marple’s own swift start was punctuated by the loss of their openers for 28.
Despite some clean blows from number four Mark Makin, no other batsman looked capable of supplying a match-winning innings to support him, as nagging bowling from Bramhall’s seam and spin attack saw wickets shared around.
Ryan Macciocchi took three, with Rupes Kitzinger, Iftikhar Naseer and Luke Littlewood each getting two scalps each – the latter’s four over spell costing just 11 runs.
Marple’s innings was prematurely ended after 18 overs, all out for 105, with Makin stranded on 34 not out from 32 balls. Bramhall won through by 51 runs, aided in part to their captain’s innings, and would wait with interest for their Finals opponents to be decided.
The day’s second semifinal between Nantwich and Neston was a lower scoring, tighter game that eventually saw Nantwich chase down 124 to win by two wickets.
However, there was enough in Nantwich’s performance for Bramhall to know that they would be in for a tough fight in the final.
Nantwich won the toss and decided to bat first of the helpful conditions. Despite an anticipated quick start, the visitors were pegged back promptly by Rupes Kitzinger as they stumbled to 32-2.
However, this brought Ryan Brown to the crease and he immediately looked in good nick, finding the boundary with ease through a mixture of adroit sweeps and powerful drives.
At 64-3, he was joined by Steve Rimmer, and the pair then combined to put on a destructive 91 run partnership in double quick time.
Rimmer was eventually caught for 40, and Griffiths bowled three balls later, but number seven Freckingham smashed a quickfire 20 to push the total ever higher. Brown was eventually bowled for a superb 74, and Bramhall gained some comfort from three wickets falling in the last over for Iftikhar Naseer.
His return of 5-19 from four overs was the standout performance with the ball, as Nantwich posted 186-8 from their 20 overs.
Up against it from the off, the Beavers made a positive start against the visitor’s experienced attack.
Despite losing their first wicket on 23 – that of the in-form Ashley West – Bramhall were up with the required rate until calamity struck.
And 49-1 very quickly became 55-5, and then 64-7, as incoming batsmen could find no way of responding to accurate bowling and sharp fielding from the Dabbers.
The strokes became more and more desperate as the required run rate grew ever higher.
With the game effectively over, two of the Beavers younger talents took it upon themselves to restore some pride and give the deflated home supporters something to cheer.
Ryan Macciochhi and Sam Johnson each hit twenties to add 45 for the 8th wicket, as Bramhall started to show some fight. And despite then losing both to slip to 1149, Kitzinger and Littlewood were stubborn enough to bat 33 balls between them to each finish unbeaten and possibly take a little bit of gloss off the win for Nantwich.
Bramhall finished on 123-9 to go down by 63 runs, and were thoroughly outplayed for large sections of the Final by a better side in Nantwich. The Beavers, however, could be proud of a solid day’s work.
The visitors’ Ryan Brown was rightly named Man of the Match for his batting in the final, and Bramhall was thanked by League Chairman Dave Humpage for hosting an excellent day’s cricket – albeit one where the “perfect” result eluded the home side.