Frensham 1st XI in exciting winning draw against Grayshott 1st XI

Frensham won the toss and bowled. Nick Cobbold and Hilton Young opened up and reduced Grayshott to 30 for 3, before the away side’s middle order rallied and began to turn the tide with some positive stroke play. With Nathan Phillimore and Matt Jackson at the crease, Frensham struggled to contain the runs and Grayshott threatened to take the game beyond Frensham’s reach by posting a large first innings score.

However, a flurry of late wickets helped stem the flow and the visitors were eventually bowled out for 230 from just shy of 47 overs. Hilton continued his excellent form, finishing with figures of 3-29. Jack Blythe also picked up late wickets, with 4-28 and, perhaps more importantly, a tidy economy in the death overs. Charlie Robertson also made an excellent run out.

When it came to Frensham’s turn to bat, the home side got off to a shaky start. George Breddy looked to be rediscovering his form, but Frensham’s batman struggled to build any meaningful partnerships, finding themselves 49-3 early on. Not for the first time this season, the middle order played a key role in the game.

Edwin Carrihill and Leon Ellen helped Frensham rebuild before the rain started to fall, at which point the home side were slightly behind the required run rate. Fortunately, it was only a short delay and no overs were lost. Leon continued after the break, smashing the ball around in a quick-fire 38 before sending a wayward full toss skyward. With the required rate nearing 8 run per over, Edwin and Tim Knight began to kick on, edging Frensham ever closer to a result.

With Tim falling for 31 from as many balls, Frensham still required around 40 runs from the last five overs. Chris Pow joined Edwin at the crease and the pair helped Frensham pass the winning draw with a few balls to spare. The home sided ended their innings just a few runs short of the win, on 219-6 from 43.

It was an all-round performance by Frensham, with lots of notable contributions but Edwin’s unbeaten 79 has to be the standout performance. The perfect mix of patience and power, the young South African anchored the innings and played some lovely shots, including seven 4s and four 6s.