Willoughby 2nds Vs Carrib Utd 2nds Cup Final

The 2nds travelled back to Overstone Park School for the Cup Final against winners of the division Carrib Utd.

It was a very bitter pill to swallow for the team as an excellent fielding display gave us a great chance to win the cup but for some indifferent (shall we say) and controversial decisions condemned us to a 30 run defeat.

The skipper won the toss and the opening partnership of Archie McMillan (2-36) and Ryan Lines (2-23) controlled the first 16 overs with Carrib at 48 for 3. After a wicket for Matt Sutton (2 for 34) Carrib with their deep batting line-up counterattacked with Khan (51) the main instigator maintaining a good scoring rate. At 136 for 5 the team found momentum with Fergus Deery picking up 3-32 off his allotted 10 overs. Carrib were pegged back in the final 8 overs and were eventually bowled out for 167.

After the break the opening due of Matt Cartridge and Michael Deery tucked into the Carrib bowling and were 41 off 5 overs when Deery miss cued a pull to long on. A very controversial moment as the in form Matt Cartridge was 'adjudged' LBW despite the ball hitting him a good foot outside the leg stump from Pemberton. Martin Nichols was caught by a excellent catch and young Ambrose Deery couldn't continue his form and was bamboozled by Pemberton's twirl or perhaps his continuous bickering and meticulous field placements every ball. Pemberton sending off 14 year old Ambrose with a barrage. This left Matt Sutton to calm down the nerves with some fine stroke play, Sutton took 14 off 4 balls and left Willoughby on 110 for 5 bearing down on a victory. Which at Carrib is the nod for the umpire to flex his muscles, which he did within 1 ball and Sutton was triggered with the ball nearer his chest than the pad. A fine 41. It only took another 2 overs before the home umpire again had his finger of doom pointing in the air as the skipper was sent packing LBW, again Pemberton telling the umpire it's out rather than him making his own decision. The team never really recovered and with the inevitability of the ball hitting the pad had them concerned. Eventually being bowled out for 127.

The final game of the season was for me as a skipper the most contentious I've ever been apart of which shouldn't be the case in a cup final. If there were 2 league umpires we were all confident that we would have secured a deserved victory.