A fingertip away from a fine, last-gasp victory

Match report

Peterborough Town were a fingertip away from securing victory in their Northants Premier Division game at Geddington last week.

Town were a wicket away from winning when Jamie Smith bowled the final ball of the game. Rather surprisingly the home batsman played an expansive drive which Smith dived full length to try and catch, but couldn’t quite hold on to the ball.

It would have been a fine piece of athleticism, but skipper David Clarke was still pleased with his team’s display in a drawn game.

Ultimately the skills of home professional Amit Dadwhal denied Town. He made 121 of Geddington’s 2279, but received so little support Town’s 267-9 was never seriously under threat.

“We played very well,” Clarke insisted. “We would only have gained two more points if we’d won, but their pro was very good.”

The paid players in the Premier Division all seem to have flourished against Town’s well-balanced bowling attack.

Ben Smith (Oundle), James Kettleborough (Rushton), Callum Guest (Brixworth) and Chanaka Rusanwiri (Rushden) have all risen to the challenge of Joe Dawborn’s pace and the spin skills of Paul McMahon and Lewis Bruce.

Bruce eventually included Dadwhal in his four-wicket return and once he’d been removed Geddington threatened to crumble completely.

Earlier Alex Mitchell had top scored for Town with 75, receiving strong support from Clarke (44).

When they were going well a score in excess of 300 looked likely, but all Town’s batting power is at the top of the order. Jamie Smith.