Mullen's intervention rescues the leaders
GRIFFINS keep finding ways to win and the title nears with it.
There were moments deep into last night’s Odey Wealth Evening League One game at KGV that they looked destined to lose the unbeaten record, but showing that remarkable fighting spirit, again they pulled it out of the hat, no-one more than seamer Dane Mullen with a three-wicket spell, including the vital wicket of Wanderers Rovers skipper Lucas Barker for a superb 69 having got his side into a position of requiring just 31 from five with nine wickets in hand.
It was an evening that league leaders topped and failed perfectly.
At the start they had got off to a flier with 30 off the first two overs, but then it all went horribly wrong in the space of two overs.
Three wickets went down with openers Luke Le Tissier and Damian Wallen both falling to Tim Duke, while left-arm spinner Johnny Bailey bowled Adam Martel.
It was time for a rebuild and the skipper Tom Kirk and Jordon Martel did just that.
To their credit, the fourth-wicket pair managed to settle matters and, at the same time, maintain an impressive scoring tempo, Kirk tucking into the ‘dobbers’ of Mark Jefferies by sweeping him for six over wide long on.
Griffins were well into the 70s at halfway but soon lost their captain to young Harry Duke who beat his drive and then picked up Marcus Thomas cheaply.
The hundred did not arrive until the end of the 14th, but the league leaders were able to kick on again thanks to the efforts of Martel who moved to a fine half-century in the 19th and was not out until the final ball of the innings, caught in the deep with 55 to his name.
A shade over seven runs per over was an eminently achievable target but such is the length of the Wanderers-Rovers tail it would need one of the openers to make a big score.
Barker was soon tucking into some average fayre from Adam Wakeford and, when Dane Mullen took over, Smit took a liking to the seamer putting the ball consistently in the slot for the big drive.
The introduction of Luke Le Tissier immediately put paid to Smit’s fun.
Smit charged, missed and was bowled for 25.
Wanderers Rovers sat on 63 for 1 at halfway, Barker moving onto his 50 at the start of the 14th.
But ultimately they blew it.
