CRICKET doesn’t get more theatrical than this – as the Thespian Thunderers beat off a brave King’s Road to win on the very last ball.
The Road had left themselves needing a barnstorming performance after conceding 171.
But the boys from Battersea roared right back into the frame with a dramatic fightback in their first evening Twenty20 clash of the season.
Dr John Gledhill and The Road’s own actor Giles Fagan took the lead parts and seriously threatened to upstage the Thesps’ impressive total.
The pair put on 92, with John – who’s played three of his four games against the Thesps – hitting 57 in just 37 balls and Giles smashing a whirlwind 44 off 25.
It followed a King’s Road highest score of 34 from Jamie Keating and handy contributions from support acts James Pritchard, 11 at a run a ball, and newboy Shailesh, who got 10 off 9.
Going into the final few overs things weren’t going to script for the Thesps as John and Giles started cracking the fours and sixes needed to hit their 8.5 runs per over target.
Then, with The Road just 9 runs away, the Thesps finally overcame their stage-fright and got the key wicket of Giles, as he holed out to Henry Fleet off Mavor.
The key partnership was broken and in came big-hitting Simon Biffen for the last over. He was left facing the final ball having to hit a maximum to bring the house down.
Simon, having only just walked out to bat, couldn’t lift it over the ropes and the Thesps sealed a dramatic 2-run victory.
Before the interval, The Road’s misfiring attack had been carted all over the park as the Thesps recovered from an early setback.
Pete Sandys-Clarke had fluffed his lines in the first over and was bowled by Simon – who went on to record good figures of 1 for 12 off 3 – for a duck.
After that though it was a three-hander for the Thesps as Mavor, Streatfield and Ant Jardine put on a show.
Mavor hit 6 fours and a six in his 45, Streatfield scored 5 boundaries in his 33 and Jardine delivered a stunning solo performance to pummel 8 fours and 3 sixes in his 59.
Keats capped a fine all-round display by finally bringing the curtain down on the innings with 3 late wickets, although by then the damage had already been done.
His haul included two smart stumpings from Giles and left him going into the next game on a hat-trick with best-ever figures of 3 for 25 off 3.
Overall though, there was little joy for the bowlers on either side with just 10 wickets falling for 340 runs on a bouncy batting pitch at Tooting Bec Common.
In-form paceman James Couldrey – kept back for the closing overs by skip Matt Cocken – was cast in the role of pantomime villain as the Thesps milked him for 44 runs off just 2 wicketless overs.
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Amir Alipour-Mehraban grabbed a scalp getting Streatfield caught by Shailesh to post figures of 1 for 20 off 2. Matt also got one while Giles, Shailesh and Leon Watson went home empty-handed.
For the Thesps, Rich Hastie – bowling from the West End – took centre stage with 2 for 24 off 4. But apart from him only Lawrence Power and Mavor got a wicket.
King’s Road must take heart from falling just two runs short of the Thespians’ imposing 171 for 6, having lost just 4 wickets. But in the end it was the Thesps who should take a bow.