An outstanding all-round team performance from the Crawley Crows on Thursday evening led to a nail-biting finish against Knowle Village. One spectator described it as village cricket at its best.

Knowle won the toss and chose to bat on a beautiful evening, the first evening this year that felt like summer.

After five overs, Knowle were 10-1, and Crawley felt on top.

But Knowle’s star player, Patel, had other ideas and went on the attack, with two towering sixes, retiring 26no after just 13 balls, although Crawley dropped two chances in this flurry. Knowle’s next batter also attacked hard and despite good bowling from Rob West and Nigel Philips-Luke, Knowle reached 47-1 after eight.

Now, with his very first ball, Jamie Smallman took a wicket, Porter safely taking a high spinning catch with his bucket-like hands. New-boy Chris Crawshay-Jones (CCJ) also took his first wicket for the club, this time West taking a good catch.  Knowle were 88-3 after 13, and the Crows were anxious about a huge total.

Then the game changed with 76 year old veteran Chris Williams showing all the whippersnappers how to do it, bowling two tight overs for just four runs. Rob Carter produced a memorable over taking three wickets, two clean bowled and one well caught by CCJ. Crows had restricted Knowle to just 20 from their last seven overs, to end on 108-7.

Between innings, Knowle players were overhead thinking that they’d scored enough, because they had a good bowling unit.

And so it appeared, with their openers bowling fast and straight.  Carter and White managed to keep them out, but scoring was difficult. 

Carter gallantly tried to force things on by taking risks, but was eventually plumb LBW, bringing Greg Cummins to the crease. He too found scoring difficult, with much swishing and missing, until suddenly things clicked with a four and a huge six on consecutive balls. Soon he retired 28no. White eventually hit the boundary with one beautiful straight drive but was caught next ball. 49-2 after 12, significantly behind the asking rate, and now needing nearly 7.5 an over.

Phillips-Luke chipped in with a rapid eight, but then Porter got in the swing with hard-hitting 20, including three fours and a massive six.

Although Crawley had bowled every player for just two overs, Knowle now brought back their good opening bowlers in an attempt to win the game. One got Porter, and the other bowled Smallman with a beautifully disguised slower ball.  

Crawley needed 22 from the last three overs with new batsmen CCJ and Skagerlind at the crease against top quality bowling. Eight runs from the 18th over, 14 needed. Eight more from the penultimate over – six needed from the last over.

A two. Crawley were up. Two dots, the pendulum swings and the pressure mounts. A single, three needed from two. Another single.

Now it is down to the last ball.  Two required, Jake Skagerlind facing.  Must get bat on ball, you can almost always get a single if you do that, but can you get the second?  Jake hits it past the mid-on fielder who must turn and chase.  CCJ is out of the blocks like a hare. First run complete, scores tied, can he make it back to the bowler’s end in time and seal the victory?  The crowd are on their feet urging him on. He’s leaning forward, stretching his bat out.  The fielder fumbles the ball, but launches hit throw a little wayward, and in slow-motion CCJ crosses the line, home safe. 

The crowd cheer so loudly it brings people out of their houses, and the celebrations begin.