Sixes, Showers and Shattered Hopes: Clifton Bow Out with a Bang
The firsts crashed out of the Derek Kay Cup on Sunday as a vastly more experienced Edgworth side steamrollered their way into the last eight in an entertaining game.
The visitors started their innings in positive mood and continued in that vein throughout the session. The situation for Sam's young guns wasn't helped when the attack was shorn of its most experienced campaigner as Danny Higham limped off with a painful knee injury after seven overs. The afternoon's events saw Edgworth continue to plough along at around seven an over as partnerships of 75, 58 and 136 took the score way beyond 200.
A flurry of late wickets didn't halt the run rate and the visitors closed on a daunting 323-6. Fin Testa was once again the pick of the bowlers against his former team mates, finishing with a creditable 1-43 off his nine overs on a trying afternoon.
It would take something special to challenge that total, but as the weather closed in, Matt and Zach started well. A couple of stunning catches and the loss of impetus caused by weather interruptions ended the game as a contest, though there was still plenty going on to entertain as Edgworth's 14 sixes were countered with 10 of our own. Jack Stanley reached his half century after the second rain break, and the loss of Ethan Pietkiewicz for a run-a-ball 39 then brought one-legged Dan Higham to the crease. He left the Clifton supporters with as wide a grin as we'd seen all day as his one leg held him aloft as he bludgeoned some absolutely massive hits up and over the houses that sent the Edgworth lost ball bill soaring. His 34 off 14 ball effectively brought things to a conclusion as Messrs Duckworth and Lewis had determined that the final rain break would require a run chase of approaching 150 in eight overs.
For the record, we lost by 52 runs as Edgworth eased into the last eight. There has been enough on show during last week's Prestwich debacle and a disappointing following weekend though, to suggest that the side has it within its powers to climb the table to safety.