So, before the start of last week’s game against Lindow, we were sitting pretty at the very top of the league with our destiny completely in our own hands, Promotion and the League Title…approximately six hours later, we found ourselves in fourth position and we were all thinking that we had blown this season!

Maritime away was our final game, a team that I can’t remember beating in at least our last six games, we had our beloved Mr Holmes taken ill mid-week (he would apparently do anything to get out of umpiring this particular game!) and it was pi55ing it down when we arrived at the ground, the omens weren’t looking great!

Toss lost and we got politely asked if we could bowl first. After a delayed start, Liam Sundve wasted no time with the new ball. Steaming in, downhill, strong wind behind and with an ever so ‘slightly’ helpful pitch, struck in his second over (we won’t mention the fact that he should have had a wicket in his very first over but Babs decided it was too early for a catch!). At the other end, the skipper toiled manfully gently crawling in uphill and into the gale force wind trying to fend off the usual Maritime onslaught. Wickets came at a steady flow for Liam, who was back bowling at his best, he was enjoying himself that much, he had to change into a fresh pair of boxer shorts at the drinks break!
In the field, we were nothing short of magnificent, NINE catches were taken, with the ever reliable Mike ‘Potty Mouth’ Yeates, Sam Talbot with three beauties behind the sticks, safe hands Ian ‘Delia Smith’ Pottsy and possibly the best catch ever from Joe Smith in the covers after the Skipper sending down his worst ball of the season! Liam could have had all ten wickets but settled for just another 6-fer and it was left to the country's best spinner and thoroughly top all-round bloke, Keano (and he was actually turning it sideways on this pitch), to wrap up the innings with a cheeky 2-fer…75ao, half a job clinically done. The interval was spent trawling through play cricket, checking on scores and the surprising news from Bowden, was that the form team of the second half of the season, Alvanley had been bowled out for 52, the back-to-back dream was suddenly very much alive…

Magic Mike Yeates opened up our reply with his usual Boycott-like approach, producing only the six 4s and one 6 before falling to a dubious lbw/caught behind (subsequently turning the frog box X-rated for a couple of minutes!). With Pottsy also gone after attacking the bowling with his usual gusto along with his legendary 1960s asbestos-ridden white-ish helmet, it was left to Talbot and Tom Woods to see us home. In typical Talbot fashion, he decided he would try and use up all of the remaining 40overs to chase down the remaining 30-odd runs but thankfully Woodsy went into Woodsy mode and bludgeoned the bowling to all parts of the ground to seal a famous victory in less than 13overs, it was then all back to play cricket, checking scorecards…Bowden were chasing just 52 to beat our rivals Alvanley, started well, 1-1, then 3-2 and 7-3, we all feared the worst but despite all of the puddles on their outfield, they managed a heroic win which resulted in the unlucky Alvanley boys just missing out on what was probably a deserved promotion. Lindow strolled home for their win and a massive congratulations to those boys, undoubtedly the best team in the league, it was left for little ole Upton CC to take second place and secure promotion to the Premier League…Back-To-Back-Baby!

Personally, I just want to say thank you to all of the 30 players who have turned out for the 2s this season, with every single one of them putting in a match-changing performance or contributing directly to a win. Our officials, Ian ‘Shakey’ Holmes who has been a legend this season and we all wish him a speedy and full recovery. Abi Batts for all her efforts in the score box, invariably on her own (home and away) but she has performed superbly. And finally, to all the UCC officials and the hordes of willing volunteers who enable this magic to happen – thank you all  Batts xxx.