BECC 223-5 (35 overs)
Salix CC 214-9 (35 overs)
Belmont & Edgware win by 9 runs
Once again, luck smiled on BECC as they won the toss and made the obvious decision to bat first in scorching conditions.
That said, with the pitch seemingly hard and true, and runs difficult to defend on a fast outfield, the team understood that they would need to put a total on the board if they were to have any chance of winning the game.
Belmont didn't exactly get off to the best of starts, when Steven Altmann-Richer sliced the third ball he faced straight to point for a duck. However, no.3 Frumar came in and immediately looked imperious, clipping a couple off his legs for fours. Braham, at the other end, was aggressive and played some lovely lofted off-side shots over the ring to give the innings some impetus.
When Braham was out, going for one shot too many, no.4 Adam Jacobs took over from where he left off, as the boundaries started to flow. But before the partnership with Frumar could really get going, the captain, having reached 29, mistimed a straight drive back to the bowler, who gratefully accepted the invitation. When Tilley was out shortly after for 4, the fate of the innings hung in the balance, with Belmont at 90-4 after 17 overs.
No.6 Freedman stabilised the innings and with Frumar relentlessly batting on, the fifth wicket pair restored momentum. When Freedman was out in the 26th over as he attempted to hit out, having played well for his 16, the foundations had been laid for a late onslaught.
Frumar, as the set batsman, took responsibility for this, smacking two sixes over midwicket and scoring plenty of other boundaries. No. 7 Greg Mayer, meanwhile, demonstrated his all-round abilities by rotating the strike and ensuring that there were very few dot balls in the closing overs.
Frumar brought up a wonderful century in the 31st over, having barely given the opposition a chance and continued to bat on until the end. He finished on 115 not out, with Greg supporting him well with 27 not out, as Belmont posted an imposing, albeit not undefendable score of 223-5.
In reply, Salix got off to a flyer as our opening seamers, debutant Tom Hart and Adam Morris, found it hard going. Both created chances which either didn't quite go to the fielders or the batsmen played and missed at.
However, Belmont stuck at their task and were eventually rewarded with the breakthrough when Frumar, brought on to exert some control, bowled Heaton as he attempted to hit across the line. Soon after, Hennig, who had hit some good shots but had also led a slightly charmed existence at times, was caught and bowled by Jacobs, as Belmont sensed a way back into the game.
Following this, Salix's run-rate dropped slightly, as the third wicket partnership of Padmore and Kulasingham looked to consolidate. Both played some quality shots, but Belmont picked up a key wicket, when Kulasingham played on to a length delivery by Hart, who claimed his first scalp for the club.
That brought no. 5, Devling, to the crease. A big hitter, he struck a few lusty blows over long on, as BECC started to worry that he might take the game away from them.
Nevertheless, Frumar, who could do no wrong, managed to solve this problem. Having unsettled the batsman with a nasty beamer, he bowled him with a beautifully flighted delivery the next ball which clipped the top of off-stump.
A couple of balls later, Frumar claimed his third wicket, when Bala drove straight to Altmann-Richer at mid-off, who after a brief juggle, took the catch at the second time of asking.
With the no.3 Padmore still batting well, Salix remained in the hunt despite the fact that they had now lost five wickets. However, with the run-rate rising it became increasingly difficult for them. Inevitably, as they tried to hit out, Belmont generated chances, and Frumar exploited this by taking a further two wickets to complete his 5fer.
Nevertheless, to their credit, the opposition continued to battle on and took the game to the last over, where they required 13 to win.
Tilley, took responsibility for this and nerves started to jangle as his first ball went for a leg-side wide. However, the very next ball, the bowler castled Padmore with a lovely slower ball to effectively seal the game for Belmont.
Tilley took another wicket the following delivery and calmly bowled out the remainder of his over, as Belmont sealed victory by just nine runs.
