Keeps had replaced Shaun at the Hedge End and was steady enough. His first 4 had gone for 16 and with Hendred well behind the rate, that was not enough. In his fifth, there were a couple of wides but with the batsmen under pressure, Liam Rainbow, who had played well for his 23, tried to whack one over cow, but rather clothed it to mid on where Carlton took an excellent diving catch. At 109-5 with just 12 left, it was looking good. But then the wheels started to wobble, and this time they fell off.
Hills had taken over from Taggart who was bowled out and he struggled with his radar early on going for 10 in his first. Confidence was dented, but he came back brilliantly and went for just 16 in his next 4, taking the wicket of Nicholls (31), the one batsman who looked like he could possibly give us trouble. But it was at the other end that the grief began.
Buoyed by his wicket, Keeps came in for his sixth and after being pushed for a couple of singles, the ability to control the ball deserted him. It wasn't for lack of effort or concentration, it was an attack of the yips, which even a move to slow left arm round couldn't cure. It was a 13 ball over that shipped 20. Suddenly a game that was dead and buried 3 overs ago was showing signs, albeit faint ones, of life. We all stayed positive. Positive that Keeps needed a blow.
A couple of overs later the umpire informed us that we had 25 minutes to bowl 10 overs. Failure to do so would make us subject to penalty runs at a rate of 6 for each complete over not bowled. We had not been slow particularly, but we had shipped 35 wides (and 1 no ball) and in the process delivered 33 balls we shouldn't have had to.
In his first over back, Carlton had gone for 8, but when Keeps returned the compliment and took a steepler to dismiss Khan, one look at the new batsman prompted a sinister smile, an increase in pace and a dead straight line. Hilliam and Webb were bowled for 1 and 0 respectively in the next over and as the last man stood waiting for Carlton to reach his mark, his heightened nerves were not helped by Jov shouting down the wicket "He's stood right in front, hit the pads and he's gone".
So Carlton hit the pads.
From their vantage points at square leg and deep mid wicket, Taggart and Hugo were convinced it was out. Keeps at short third and Taj at point agreed. Farhan at deep extra cover was convinced, Supreme Commander of the British Armed Forces Brigadier General Podmore knew it for sure from mid on, Hills at cover was beside himself. The Charlbury beer garden, situated 60 yards back at backward square leg, containing Birds and Dows and Drydens and Hillarys and Angells and Gardiners and Stevens, a Pargetter and even some minor royalty, all knew it was out.
As one, they all looked to the umpire, who nodded 3 times and the Steve Dixon Memorial Cup was ours.
