Tavs plot the Whits end

Crown Tav’ners II 171-6 Whitchurch II ........... 159

WITH the first-team game at Alton called off due to a waterlogged pitch, all eyes were on the Taverners’ second string, who in turn provided the Minley cheer with victory in a tense encounter with Whitchurch.

Dave Huntingford

top scored with 36 but the Tavs were just an indebted to useful contributions from middle order pair Areeb Jamil (26) and Reg Leather (32) as they posted a decent enough 171-6 against some tight Whitchurch seam bowling.

Pace bowler James Adams (3-49) made early inroads in the Whitchurch reply, but not even he could stop dangerman Damian Hack, who bludgeoned a fine 106 with nine fours and six sixes.

Thanks to him, Whitchurch were seemingly cruising to victory on 147-5, but then up stepped Chris Dale to claim a superb catch for Tavs off mystery spinner Ganesh Pun having run half way to the boundary.

Pun’s 2-17 and Simon Smith’s 2-16 induced panic in the visiting ranks and with the last five wickets going for 12 runs, the Tavs were left to celebrate a thrilling victory against all the odds.