Yoxford Win!!

After 13 straight defeats, it was 14th time lucky for Yoxford's First Eleven on Saturday as they emerged victorious in this bottom-of-the-table clash again Kelevdon & Feering 2nds played at Grove Park
Both teams came into this fixture with zero wins between them so something had to give and it was the visitors from Essex who won the toss and elected to bat first on decent looking track.
The new ball was shared by Thomas Bond and debutant, Will Jenkins and, although they kept the scoring rate below three an over, they were unable to make an early breakthrough. It was change bowler, David Driver who eventually took the first wicket with the score on 65. Wickets then began to fall more regularly with the opening bowlers returning to take 5 wickets between them as the run rate crept up to four an over. Thomas Bond finished with great figures of 4-23, David Driver 2-68, Will Jenkins 1-32 and Mason Stacey 1-12. The final wicket to fall was thanks to a direct hit run out from Steve King to leave Kelevdon on 194-9 off their 45 overs. The final 100 runs coming in the last 15 overs.
David Driver and Steve King opened in reply for Yoxford, but King was soon forced to retire due to his glasses breaking! Thomas Bond took his place at the crease and the score reached 100 in the 26th over before Bond was trapped in front of the stumps for 14. With Yoxford up with the scoring rate, Will Driver joined his father at the crease and they put on 39 runs in good time before David fell just 7 runs short of what would have been his second century of the season. With 55 runs now need in 13 overs, King returned to the crease but he was soon stumped to leave 38 more needed in 10 overs. With wickets in hand, Yoxford were now favourites to win, but wickets began to tumble quickly and when Will Driver fell for 29, Yoxford needed 11 more runs off 3 overs with 4 wickets in hand. Harry Bond got the required runs down to 7 when he hit his first ball for four, but he then fell two balls later. Mason Stacey also hit a boundary to leave Yoxford just 3 to win, but he too was out to leave the experienced pair of Paul Stacey and Jamie Thurston at the crease. Stacey managed a single to leave 2 required off the final over. Despite his best efforts, Stacey was unable to score any runs off the first four deliveries and the tension was almost unbearable as an incredible tie now looked to be on the cards. Stacey was then bowled off the penultimate ball to leave number 11 Samuel Binks to face the final delivery and still one required to tie and two to win. Binks, the youngest player in the side at 13 years old, showed no nerves as he smashed the final delivery to the midwicket boundary to the delight of his teammates to record an incredible one wicket victory.
The result is no more than this young Yoxford side deserve - seven of the team were under 17. They have shown a tremendous team attitude, team spirt and togetherness throughout a tough season and haven't let a series of defeats dampen their enthusiasm. This bodes well for a much more successful 2020 season.