Matt Gurr’s superb unbeaten century led Himbleton to a thrilling four-wicket victory over Five Ways Old Edwardians on Saturday.
The match, part of the league fixture, took place at Himbleton, where the home side chased down a daunting target of 318 runs.
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Gurr’s composed and clinical knock of 101 not out was pivotal, sealing the win with 14 balls to spare and marking his fourth century in a remarkable debut season.
After the early dismissal of opener Sam Ford, Gurr steadied the innings alongside in-form Sean Jenkins, who contributed a fluent 81 runs.
Further contributions came from Jon Critchlow with 25 and Will Godwin with 27, keeping the scoreboard ticking.
A crucial unbeaten partnership of 64 between Gurr and Rick Pretty, who finished on 34 not out, ensured the home side crossed the finish line.
Pretty’s two towering sixes in the closing overs eased the pressure and put the result beyond doubt.
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Earlier in the day, Five Ways had opted to bat first and started at a blistering pace, racing to 112 runs in the opening 10 overs.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, they maintained a high scoring rate, with Hammad Mushtaq scoring 81 and Abid Khan adding 69.
The visitors cleared the ropes 23 times in a powerful display, ultimately being dismissed for 317 runs inside 37 overs.
After the match, Gurr said: “Although they set a big target we knew it was achievable if we kept wickets in hand.
“My job was to stay in until the end, knowing that with the firepower around me we’d have a good chance.”
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Skipper Tom Godwin praised his side’s resilience.
He said: “That was a terrific win.
“Our bowlers took some punishment, but we stuck together and knew if we kept taking wickets we could hold them under 350 – which on this ground is very chaseable.
“Matt’s innings was brilliant, his ability to keep the scoreboard ticking, rotate the strike and structure a chase was clearly evident today.
“With players like Rick Pretty and Will Godwin upping the rate when needed, we always felt in control.”
The victory keeps Himbleton fourth in the table and firmly in contention for second place, with a trip to local rivals Droitwich next on the agenda this Saturday.
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