Ley Hill v Downley, 28th June 2003

Tom Holman

Ley Hill plucked a winning draw from the jaws of defeat in a thrilling finale to this game against fellow promotion chasers Downley. After a day of 430 runs Downley required just 12 runs from the final three overs to overhaul Ley Hill's target - and six from the last. But canny medium-pacer Andy Rennard (below right) called on his many years of experience to restrict Downley to just four, leaving Hill with a haul of 15 points when seven or eight seemed most likely.

Earlier in the day Hill had racked up 216 for 7 from their 45 overs thanks to fifties from wizened veterans Rennard and Jon Lown. Opener Tom Holman nicked a lifter third ball and retired to hit things around the changing room, but that just paved the way for Rennard, who set about the Downley bowling with a fusillade of boundaries to all parts. He eventually fell for 67 after putting on 113 with Lown, who hit 64. The Bronzed Adonis is scoring runs for fun this season, although watching him accumulate them is anything but. It was the sixth half-century of a run-filled season for captain marvel, all celebrated with the same cursory wave of the bat and slight raising of the eyebrows. A flurry of cheap wickets fell after the departure of Lown and Rennard, but some big hitting by Keith Brewer and Az Shakoor, together with a selfless average-preserving 3 not out from Liam O'Neill, saw Hill to a total that was about par for the course on a belting track.

Downley got an early boost after Holman followed his duck by spilling opener Peacock second ball, and the pair went on to post 65 for the first wicket. Shakoor grabbed two wickets in two balls to separate them, but Downley marched confidently on. Temperamental paceman Liam O'Neill returned to grab 3 for 40 as Hill wrenched themselves back into the game and also took a stunning catch to see off dangerman Cox. Lown (left) then prepared to bowl the last over with those six runs required, until it was pointed out to him that he had already bowled his allocation. He turned instead to Rennard, who kept his head to secure the winning draw under immense pressure. Three were needed off the final ball, but Gary Helm gathered at point to restrict them to a single, handing Hill the draw by just one run.

Ley Hill: 216 for 7 (Rennard 67, Lown 64)
Downley: 215 for 7 (O'Neill 3 for 40, Shakoor 2 for 30)
Match drawn

Man of the match: Andy Rennard, for a swashbuckling fifty and a textbook last over
Clown of the match: Tom Holman, who made a duck, dropped catches and delivered this report late
 

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