NEC U9 Final - Spencer CC 31st August 2008

 

Grit, focus, determination; not words you often associate with 8 and 9 year olds but they are just some of the many that could be used to describe our U9s thrilling 5-run victory over old rivals and good friends Reigate Priory in the League final. Dry, sunny and pleasant on the other hand were not words you could use to describe the conditions and on any other day this game would not have been played so bad was the weather. Lightening had lit up the early morning skies (sadly failing to take out the PA system and tiresome "commentator") and a miserable rain fell pretty much throughout the game. But in the end who cared! 

Given the conditions, a boundary that disappeared into the horizon for these wee men, and 2 strong bowling sides this was never going to be a high scoring match, with the emphasis on survival and and staying upright. Reigate took advantage of the tide and bowled first on a pitch that was as slippery as a bag of eels. Making his U9 debut and in his first competitive hard ball match "Steady" Freddie Boys opened for Sutton with Buzz Ratna. Showing equal degrees of guts and good technique against Reigate's opening quicks they saw us through to 202 which was exactly what the coach had ordered. Freddie was undefeated on 8, the top net score of the innings. He should be very very proud of his efforts in what must have been a scary experience.Top Man. Laser Leonard and Deckchair Fenwick followed as the conditions got wetter, deciding to opt for spikes and helmet rather than flippers and snorkel. They added a good net 8 against consistently good and accurate bowling to take us to 210. In mid innings Slugger Sam Mannion and Safe Hands Costa kept the ship afloat with a gritty performance, Sam choosing the biggest and toughest match of his life to record his top career score of 5! The new pairing of Sam Griffin and Marcus Sotiriou added a further 6 to take us up to 215 at the end of the 16th which in the conditions was about par. Marcus too was making his U9 debut and he batted intelligently and bravely in remaining undefeated on 5. It takes real guts to come into a team and do that in any game, never mind a final. Top Man #2. The well informed had suggested 240 would be a winning score, 220 not enough, and that 230 would guarantee a nailbiter. So a lot rested on the final pairing of Flat Jack Hopper and The Pink Handle who took the responsibility of ending the innings for the first time. The Reigate quicks returned but the Sutton pair didn't panic, stroking the ball smartly and waiting for the bowlers to make mistakes in adding an invaluable and potentially match turning 14. That put us nicely in nailbiter territory with 229 at the close. Would it be enough?

After wringing out the boys, Grant dispatched them to the field with instructions to bowl and field for their lives. Reigate's progress was steady and they were step for step with Sutton's score throughout the first 16 overs to set up a tense finale. The more experienced bowlers had been asked to step up and bowl full 4 over spells (new territory for 3 of them) and none of them let Sutton down. Slugger and Flat Jack chipped in with 2 wickets apiece and Steady Freddie cemented his top debut with a tight 1 for 4. Griffin and Costa each bowled accurate overs and Jordan bowled a threatening spell of leg-spin. The score stood at 223 as Reigate's last pair came in and the predictions of a nailbiter looked spot on. The tension got too much for Freddie as he departed for a well earned comfort break. For a moment the crowd thought Nicky Hopper had volunteered as sub as she appeared at square leg - but no, it was just one more last minute injection of encouragement for the boys. Shame she didn't take the Erica Roe impression just a little further.

The 17th over yielded 8 runs to take Reigate past our score and provoke groans of despair from the Suttonites - not another close defeat to RP surely? Up stepped The Laser for over 18; Reigate took a single, a quick 2 and leg bye to creep upwards to 235 - surely that was it? But then Gus found an extra yard of pace and with a full delivery caught the Reigate batsmen plumb in front. There was the usual massive appeal, more in hope than expectation as LBWs are rarely given, and through the rain the umpire raised the slow finger of doom to wild celebrations by all 10 Sutton boys. Eighteen overs gone and scores level at 229 - c'monnn!. The match swung again toward Reigate as Slugger's final over, the 19th, yielded 4 to take Reigate to a match winning position on 233 with one over left. Could they hang on against Gus in the last over? Would Gus roll them over?

Laser went back to his mark, pawed the ground like an angry bull took a deep breath as the crowd held theirs, and flew in faster than the wind. First ball, smack on the pads in front and Sutton's appeal is answered in the affirmative by ump. Another LBW and at 227 Sutton have their noses in front; cue first of several small crowd invasions by Sutton parents. Next 2 balls yield a leg bye and a single - scores back level at 229; two Sutton parents faint and are given CPR. Andy Leonard spills his pint - things are getting that bad. Fourth ball another leg bye and Reigate in front by one; Grant tries to pull out his hair even though he has none, and two mums wet themselves - its getting ugly. Fifth ball and Laser delivers - living up to his name and splitting the stumps to knock Reigate back to 224. Grown men start hugging each other, brollies are thrown in the air and the squealing reaches a Take That concert pitch as Gus steams in with Reigate needing a six to win of the last ball. It doesn't happen, in fact the scorers don't have a clue what happened but in the end it was of no consequence as players celebrate wildly before consoling their vanquished opponents. Grown men start hugging each other; husbands kiss wives in public for the first time in years and daughters and sons turn away in disgust. There are tears of joy and embarrassing little jigs. No-one cares... but I've got the pictures!

Gus finished with a fantastic 4 for 10 and who doubted he was going to do it for Sutton in the last over?? But this was no man of the match performance because there were 10 men of the match as each and every boy played their best game of the season. Sutton's bowling gave up only 10 runs in wides/no-balls compared to Reigate's 28 and as I keep on saying, that wins games! In awful conditions our fielding was first class with Matthew showing his mettle by coming back from a traumatic innings to take 3 catches and a stumping, and Patrick showing he can be a top ground fielder. Peter Edwards' last minute fielding practice ("at this level finals are won and lost by fielders") paid off as all of the boys were fully committed to the cause in throwing themselves at the ball to save runs. The batsmen all played heroically in awful conditions.

So the League season ends with the U9s undefeated and holding the trophy after a 5-run victory. This win over Reigate overturned a close loss to them in what was effectively the semi-final of the Beddington Festival last week so honours are (sort of) even. Spare a thought for them and remember if you can, the tears of their boys as we left the pitch. It was a heart-rending sight and we wish them well as we have become good adversaries and friends over the last 2 years. Spare a thought too for absent friends Josh, Owen, and Jamie who all played major roles in getting us to the final and who would have loved to have played in this one. Be sure - your team-mates, new and old, did you proud.

Bob Jordan