Wisborough Green 119 all out (43.2 overs) – 6 points

East Preston 120-8 (27.2 overs) – 30 points

EP arrived at a cold Wisborough Green without the two form batsmen (Darryl and Tom R), but full of confidence on the back of recent good results. On winning the toss, the decision to ask Wisborough to bat first was an easy one as the pitch was damp and there was the promise of more rain to come later in the day.

Jack opened down the hill with a very economical spell, which was matched by Tom C up the slope as the Wisborough openers started very cautiously. Mark replaced Jack and looked good for an over, but completely lost his rhythm in his second, overstepping five times.

Miggins replaced Jack, starting with a couple of loose deliveries before settling down, and was joined in a slow-bowling partnership (spin twins might be stretching a point a little) by Joel. Joel broke the painstaking opening stand in the 19^th over, when Miggins took a catch at point off a wide delivery (54-1), and he got his second off an awful heave from Vallis who hit the ball straight up in the air to be caught by Graham Laker coming forward from slip (62-2). Miggins then got in on the act by bowling the usually dangerous Ed Bowes for a duck (63-3).

With the scoring rate at less than three an over Wisborough needed to accelerate if they were to set a challenging total, and Calder-Smith struck a few lusty blows, mainly to the leg side, hitting Miggins for twelve in an over. That prompted Andy to switch ends for Joel, who immediately produced another stock long-hop to have Calder-Smith caught by Sean at point (97-4). Jack was brought back downhill and bowled top scorer Hopkins for a patient 39 (97-5) and Joel soon added the full toss to his wicket taking repertoire as Smutt, roaming the outfield as his bruised hands prevented him keeping, caught Mellor at mid on (102-6).

Wisborough skipper Thatcher tried to stabilise the innings but Tom C returned for a second spell and got his partner Sadler when Smutt took his second catch (118-7). Thatcher was bowled in the next over by Joel (118-8), who then got another two balls later, bowling Jenkins (118-9) and swiftly polished off the innings with his seventh wicket, caught by Jack (119 all out).

EP started confidently, and although Jack fell to a loose shot to be caught by Thatcher for 8 (31-1), Smutt and Sean looked as if they would overhaul the target easily. Perhaps undone by overconfidence, Sean had a heave and was caught and bowled for 47 (73-2) but when Graham fell, LBW for 7 to a shooter (96-3), there still seemed no reason for alarm in the EP camp.

The next few overs did not exactly go to plan, and the impending rains were obviously making the EP batters reconsider their game plan as a series of poor shots brought a flurry of wickets. Gary tried to slog sweep, but the ball went vertically instead of horizontally and he was caught at square leg for 1 (103-4) and Smutt was caught in the next over for 26 (103-5). Spice played in his own unique way and hit three fours from an over before a slightly dubious stumping decision went against him (115-6) and Joel hit the next ball, a full toss, straight to cover (115-7). Still, with only 5 needed for victory, there should have been no panic, but that did not prevent Andy and Miggins having a near calamitous misunderstanding when Andy called for a third run as he had spotted a weak fielder, and Miggins had to scramble home to safety at the bowlers end, following which, Andy showed he could play the full toss as poorly as Joel, hitting his first ball to short mid-wicket (118-8). Fortunately, Tom C restored some sanity and picked off the last two singles to secure the 30-point win with plenty of time to spare.

Still, we got there in the end and we found a new slow bowler in Joel who finished with 7-32 and some of his wickets were even taken off decent balls!