Deloitte's thrilling run chase ends one short

GREAT evening for batsmen; not so hot for the bowlers. Aon St Saviour's must have though they were pretty much home and dry after a blistering attack on Deloitte's bowlers.

But their total of 183 for two off 22 overs was made to look not much more than ordinary as Deloitte, and especially the boisterous, belligerent Australian Justin Meades, battered the ball all around the KGV outfield.

As Phil Line walked to his mark to deliver the last six balls of the evening, Neil Fitchet and Latif Khankashi somehow had to find 17 runs to win the match and go home heroes.

They crashed 15.

So desperately close.

After 44 thrilling overs and 365 runs, only one run separated the sides.

'We scored 168 or so earlier in the season and managed to lose that one. If we hadn't been able to defend 183 in 22 I think I'd have just given up the game,' said Saints' relieved but shattered skipper, Richard Veillard.

'I'm still shaking. I feel about 85,' was Line's post-match summary in the KGV bar afterwards.

Premier One has seen some high scores this season. Batsmen are flaying bowlers all around the ground. But rarely can the KGV cognoscenti have been treated to such a match.

It was a shame there were so few to witness this battle. Essential points were at stake: Saints desperately needed to win to stay in touch with the teams ahead of them, including Deloitte, and relieve any premature relegation worries.

They set off at a furious pace. Openers Ross Bateman and Spencer Noyon were harsh on anything off line or short of a length - and there was plenty of both.

Bateman showed that he is much more than just a late-cutter, working the ball intelligently and running hard.

Noyon's 'wagon wheel' would have shown shots to all corners, one over from Khankashi containing fours to backward square leg, deep extra cover and then wide long-on.

He was the first to go, bowled the ball after taking a crack on the helmet grille.

It was partly his fault - he had been well in the groove and was swinging too soon to Jim Goodwin's politely-paced bowling. That was 57 for 1 in the ninth over.

In came Richard Veillard and up went the scoring rate. With Bateman he ran hard, picked the glaring gaps in the field and tucked in greedily to some generous bowling.

Bateman completed his half-century off 43 balls only to fall almost immediately, nicking one behind of Meades - 128 for two in the 19th over. Mourant introduced himself to the bowlers with a thumping four.

Then came the onslaught. The last three overs of Saints' plundering saw the scoreboard fly around to the tune of 18, 15 and lastly 16 runs. Veillard faced just 33 balls, Mourant 15.

Those last 18 balls (and 49 runs) of the innings were where the match tipped in Saints' favour and ultimately away from Deloitte.

Their trump card was Meades. Always ebullient, he backs up his words with actions. Few hit the ball as hard as he.

No bowler escaped a pounding. All were ripe for a pasting - medium pacers who pitch on a regular spot five balls out of six. That left the sixth ball as a free hit and the first five as, well, in Meades' case, a free hit.

Nor should Steve Huxtable's contribution be overlooked. He scored at better than a run a ball until Andy Maiden sneaked one through.

Meades continued to hit, riding his luck at times. Keeper Tony Veillard made a valiant effort to snare a flying edge off Gary Cordery.

Later Noyon tossed the ball high at long on after he thought he had caught the Australian only to find that it had been a no-ball and the batsmen were scampering a second.

Even the usually reliable Simon Fisher spilled a chance in the deep. But next ball Meades hit the highest shot of the evening and underneath it was waiting Bateman's safe grasp.

Meades had faced just 46 balls.

Many watching thought that Deloitte's chance had gone with him. Not so.

The middle order played their part and still the scoreboard ticked over, though the odds were in Saints' favour.

The script, though, had a final twist, that 22nd excruciating over - 17 needed.

Fitchet flicked the first ball off his toes: four runs; 13 needed off five.

Next, a deliberately lofted cut over the infield and Saints incredibly had no off-side sweeper: four runs; nine needed off four.

Another flick off the toes, but this time a fine leg's waiting, Fitchet scampers hard: two runs; seven needed off three.

A firm drive to long-off, Khankashi is there and back in no time: two runs; five needed off two.

Finally Line hits the extra length he needs, Fitchet can only squirt the ball to mid-wicket: one run; four to win off one final delivery.

Last ball, another firm drive to long-off, the fielder drops to the longest of barriers and delivers the ball back to the bowler right over the stumps: two runs, game over, Saints win by one.

So, to precis the evening: 44 overs, no maidens, 365 runs, eight wickets, 41 boundaries, and for St Saviour's two very precious points.